Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-09-16
The rerrible RaiIroHd acoideut.

From the CoHfsdsrsoy.l
Yesterday We took The morning train up the
State road. On sriVing at Aariatta, We were
Informed Of q most bsaEtIsndinR accident aud
destruction Of lie from the collision Of two
traius above Altoona, ard nesT ESowah.
A train left this city on SundsY rnoIUiEg With
the lss tennessee battalion and 50ih Tennessee
regiment on hosrd lt ran of the track a ie1g,
mics above msnstta doing no dsmaee, but de-
laying most Of the day to get ON again, and
when on and started once more, was out Of
schedule time.
The train with which It collidsd was special
one, Of about fifteen cars, coming TO this city,
having on board only a few sick soidieTs-the
boxes being otherwise empty This train had
stopped at Adsirsviile ana tslegrsphsd 10 Ms-
Meta 60 know if the track was clear The
agent there not having been informed Of the
morning train running off, replied, asli clear q"
This WAS Represented TO Us as tie cause of The
c0ilisien-though we did not get cur inforna-
tion ON tins point irom any OF the officers or
agents of tie read. Wheiher il was tito duty
OF the conductor, when the mornirg train nan
of, 70 have gsni bSck messenger 20 Marietta,
the Eesrest telegraph station, 10 give informs
non Of ihs fact, SO tha. il might have been
known all along the line Of the road, we viii
not now undertake TO decide
Perhaps he was not expecting q suecial train
20 be- running out Of schedule time; aud then
perhaps be ought not 10 hava acted 0pon this
sHpposiiop in this time of great emergencies
On these points we VIII not how give any opin-
ion, rs our Information is not sufficient to war
rant It.
Both trains met on a curve going at fulI
spssd. an the cars Of The empty train were
literally smashed to flinders. From the foremost
TO the hindmost, they nan into each other aud
We're BplintGJed and BhiveTed into thousands of
pieces. The loaded cars were not go badly torn
10 pieces, though they were greatly dalnaged
The trucks uUder a number of than were torn
from hem, and rolled up together against the
enEine--so great was the momentum and sud
den was ile conclusion.
The sight Of sihs dreadful wreck. the manqled
bodies and blood of the dead, with fIie Dite0us
scrssms and suffsrings Of the WOUNDED, were
indescriba5ie Oae soldier was caught between
the tender and engine by the thigh. No efforts
could eziTicate him snd he burned 70 death
sgsinst the eHgiuo NOmind can cohesive the
excruciaGng tuItures he endured and HE Da-
thefic piesdinEs to comrades to chop of bis
thigh and releve him from t1st h0Trid burning
as well As OF lie st the same time, constituted
most hesrt-rendipg spectacle. his request, for
some reason, was not complied with aud be
burned and scTesmed and begged to be cut
loose for some three hours before life was ex-
unct
In this sad collision eighteen soldiers were
killed and siXJy-seven were wounded. We
we're al Big Shanty last evening when the am
bplRnce train passed there bringing the dead
for inteTmsnt, end the wounded for treatment,
to Manetts, We WeTo unable 10 procure a list
Of their names. Some officers belonging to ths
command, however, promised 20 send them to
Us tomorrow.