The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-09-27
DiabOlical Outrage on the Hannibal and
ST. Joseph Railroad.
HupsoN. No. Sent. 5.

AAOD9ON, hLo'p OeP -
Abe Hager, baggage-master on the Hanni-
bal and ST. Joseph Railroad, furnishes to the
st. Louis Democrat The following account of
diabolical outrage on that road thAaaag before
yesterday
The passenger express train bound West on
September Sd was thrown into the Platte River,
the timbers Of the East end Of the Bridge over
that stream having been burned nearly through.
Ihs entire train went down, the engine turning
over and the baggage, freight, mail and two
passenger cars piled on top. The passenger
cars were completely smashed, and [ was the
only one on the train that escaped unhurt-
After getting out of the baggage car,
| commenced taking the passengers that were
not killed from Hae wreck Conductor S. c.
Cutter died IN a Very few minutes.
Frank Clark, the engineer, had one leg COM
pletely twisted aad jammed into strings. He
also died IN few minutes. Martin Field, mail
agent; ChaS. Moore, fireman, and J. Fox, a
brakeman, were killed. Among the wounded
were Mr.. Medill, son of DR.. Medill, OF Ohio,
and his wife-bosh badly injured. could moi
learn the names OF all the passengers. went
10 St. Joseph got an engine, physicians, and
other necesearles for the wounded, and reached
the wreck at A. M. The greatest excitement
prevails IN St. Joseph in regard to this inhuman
outrage.
Sept. 6.--The following additional account
Of the horrible disaster on the Hannibal and St.
Joseph Railroad is furnished to the ST. LOUIS
Republican.
The catastrophe occurred at Little Platte Riv-
e Ca he
tlmbers OF The bridge had been burned under
meath the track until they would sustain but
little more than their own weight, and the fire
was then extinguished, leaving the bridge a
mere she'll. The train, bringing from So 10
100 passengers, including women and children,
reached the liver at ] ! O'Clock at night and
the bridge looking secure, passed in; but no
sooner had the locomotive measured its length
upon the bridge than some forty or fifty yards
oj the structure gave way, precipitaiing the en-
tire train into the abyss below. All the seats
IN the passenger coaches were torn aud showed
IN front, carrying men, women and children in
d pronliscuous hear dawn the declivity. and hn-
rying them beneath the crushed timber or throw
ing them out Of the cars through the broken
sides. Some were nangled by the machinery
tearing through the timbers, s,several were caught
between Planks pressing together like vice.
Others were struck by parts of the roof as it
came down with mighty force. Still others
were cut with pieces Of glass, while wounds,
and blood and agony prevailed all over the
frlgnlul scene, and shriehs of pain were mingled
with cIies of terror. In this way the two last
cars of the train went down, pitching the pas
sengers into the wreck, or throwing them into
the water, which al this point is about foot
and halt in depth. Only three persons-J
w. Parker, Superintendent of the United States
Express; Mr.. Mars, mail agent and MIR. Hager
were able TO afford assistance to the suffer-
ing, the remainder of .hose who were not kill
ed outright being so disabled as 10 be helpless.
Alter dong all that was possible for those re-
qureing immediate attention, Mr.. Hager at
midnight left the wreck to go TO St.Louis, for
medical and other assistance. He walked 5
miles OF the way, when he found a hand car,
upon which he proceede the remainder of the
journey. Two hundred yalds West of the
bridge he discovered a heavy oak railroad tie
strongly strapped across the track, and two
miles fuIther he found the trestIe work over
small stream on fire, which, however, had not
as yet been so badly burned that trains could
not pass over, or could cot be easily extInguish-
ed
Arriving at St. Josephs, the alarm was soon
spread throughout the city, and although it was
one O'Clock at night, IS men, including all the
physicians in the ncighborhood, volunteered
their services, and at half-past three O'Clock,
train fully equipped, supplied with medical
and other necessarles, was al the scene OF the
disaster.
The wounded had emerged from the wreck,
and were lying on tie banks and upon a sand
bar in the river. Seventeen dead bodies were
discovered, and it is believed that this number
embraced all who were killed up to that time.
Two are SO badly mangled that it was not expec-
ted they would survive till morning, while
many others were dangerously wounded and
would have to be well taken care of to recov-
er. Many who will escape with their lives
will be manned and crippled.
Mr.. Hagsr, our informant, did not remain to
finish the embarkatlon OF the wounded for St.
JoSephs, but was despatched to Brookfeid,
which is East OF the bridge, for another train
to go to the wreck. When he left, the names
OF The wounded were being taken down, and
also such of the dead as had papers or other ar
ticles about them by which they could be den-
titled
Fifteen miles out of the Platte River, Mr.
Hager found another bridge over Smiths
Branch almost entirely burned, h aving been
fired after the train passed West, thus preven-
ing assistance being sent from the East.
Lieut.. Shaw, of the Kansas regiment, killed,
and Mr.. LauusberFy and Sidney Clark, woun-
ded, are the only additional names we have at
present.
PARsoN BRowNLow, the valiant and fight
ing editor OF the KnorUiHc (Tenn.,) Whig, has
really come down and taken bis position ON
the Secession platform. But few days ago
he annnnnced that hs -..oulI -. L. LA-asI "a