New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-03
GREhT FRESHET IN WESTERN NEW
YORK.
ACCIDENT ON TIE ERIE GAHROAD.
-orrc,ponJsrcs OF Tho n y. Tribuns
HonFTLI5VILlz, SEPT p, j

Corrospondsr,s OF Tho n. y. Trib0ns.
HoREELLsvLtz, sept %, 1851.
A terrible -aiu-stoun commenced ON Taursda.
night last and continued necessarily till Friday abou
midnight, when tho Geneeee River and tributarie
had risen higher than was ever known before, car
ryiug away bridges, roads, Telegraph line, houses
barns cattle, crops, &c. One family IN Seio ALE
gany County, bad their house and barn carried away
with literally everything they had except the cloth
( ing On their backs and cav them the next day
wandering about the streets. Another house, con
tanning eight persons, was washed away, the people
efcaring before the building fell entirely TO pieces
heard that near Friendship LADY went 10 tie wen
to draw rail Of water, and while staIdnE itero he
well and ground surrounding moved OF. WINE the
people who heard the cies oi the lady res, ung
| her, the house also sid away. On Saturday, thc
food huslng some what subsidized the valleys u the
Genesee River, CauisteO Greek, and their tlDuta-
ries wero covered with wrecks OF buildings ah9
bridges, crOps logs stumps, &c making Wretcnel
sight TO behold l left Forestyille Station Chau-
tauqua County, on Friday at 3:a0 p. m, expecting
/ 10 reach New Y ork early or Saturday morning. we
made about ninety miles in very good time blt soon
after passinQBevdere tie storm became more luilouf
till between Philipsyile aud Scio the tram ran some
distance very slowly, through deep mud und water.
Tho conductor had concluded, as was informed 10
stop the tram a. Scio, toward which place he wa
running slowly till he could lie easiied that the
bridges and track this side were safe, but aboH'
three-iOur,hs Of mile beyond Scio our locomotive
dropped into Culyelt over what was cJlel dty
brook dragging the tender, baggage car and smok-
ing car alter it, and Saving III The forward enc OF
/ the frat passenger car the sleeping car being 0ut
little damaged. We soon found that the engineer,
! Harvey Miller, former engineer named eayer,
and fireman NeRsev were instantly killed. John
Campbell, brakeman, had one leg broken and his
ecsIp cut of and was otherwise injured. IL. A.
Walton n soldier FROM Columbus. Pa. had leg
broken. Sergeant Cornell OF the 9th New-fofk
Regiment, aud German, were severely injured.
Immediately after the smafh-up, lights were dis
PLAYED behind the train TO prevent cattle
train from running into us. We soon mad
tho two rear cara drawn back 70 near farm
house, into which the wounded were taken,
except the brakeman, who was found on the
other side Of the creek. Only one piece OF tEe
baggage was lost, but two Of the California mail
bags were missing. Mr.. and Mrs. Simobds, the
owners Of the ho1se, proved to be exceedingly
kind, and everything was done for Tie comfort Of
all No physician could get there TIL morning, but
the wounded bore up braycly under their disaster.
Early next morning, the water having fallen some
what, and the foodwood having been removed from
the road all except the wounded came 10 the village,
where we found two very good hotels. We soon
learned that most Of the railroad bridges and por-
tOns of the track between scio and Andover, as
well as most Of tee highway bridges, were washed
On Sunday morning five Of Us, three ladies and two
gentlemen lad become too desperate To remain any
ioucer and we started for Alfred in a wagon, over
what must have been the hgEes. bill and worst road
in Aliegauv County. By coming over the bill. we
avoided the streams till striking the creek near
Alfred we found all the bridges gone. and were
obliged 70 walk through the fields, leaving the driver
70 pick hH way into uLd out Of the creek ls beet
be coulI At Alfred We found that an engine and
one car bad been sent on 10 Andoyer 20 meet the
body OF Miller, the engineer, If It could be brought
there.
About dark TIE train came along and brought ne
eight miles to Horlel'syill. Here We found The
streets filed with floating sidewalks logs stumTs,
&c and the cellars nearly all filled with water, the
railroad bridge gone, and no chance for us 20 leave
for Ork TIL Monday 20 l:4l p. by the mail
train | DO not believe that 10000 will put the
Eric Railroad track and bridges ~ good condition,
and / think that as much more would not make good
the damage done 70 roads, bridges, bUil0ugs farms,
&c / understand that but ht.lo rain fell cast d.
here ard that we are likely 90 meet with 10 deten-
ton after we pass over the temporary bridge built
over tie Cguisteo Creek at this place. The railroad
employees have Of done all they could 10 far
thel repairg and Mr.. Miugt the genera! Superneud.
ent Is here pushing matters. lt appears 10 that
during such q storm every culFCr and bridge should
be watched and sli.rm given in care OF danger. a
man vyas stationed between the culycrt where the
accident happened and tie bridge this side Of Scio,
but he could not te at both places at once and it
would seem that the engineer and conductor did not
even think Of the cuivert, It being built over what
was almost always a dry stream After to-day pre-
sumo trains Will run regularly from New-York to
Buffalo the Buffalo and iornellsvills diyifion being
but little injured beyond the bridge here, which has
been temporarily repaired. SIS.
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