The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-01-22
gainesville Telegraph, Extra, Jan. Goth, 1854
Frightful Railroad Accident.

Terrible Calamity on The Cfeuetdnd " Ere
r. n. IN Express Train Run MO and
Destroyed By an Accommodation Train !
Sepen People Killed and from I'tDenty
10 Thirty Founded! List Of Casualties,
&c. dc, &C..
Our community was terribly startled on
Tuesday morning by the report that an ac.
cident of unusual seriousness had occurred
on the Cleveland and Erie Railroad, a short
distance east of this place. We repaired
Immediately to tho spot. and from Dur own
observations and tho statements of passeu-
gers and Railroad men. wo condense tho
following account of tho affair:
The Express Train from tho East, which
left Buffalo at midnight on Monday, and
was due at this place at 5:53 A. NJ. on Tues.
day, was detained by tho sevoro storm that
prevailed throughout tho night, and was
proceeding on its way with great difficulty,
several hours behind It's time. At Madison
the train was absolutely stopped by tho
snow drifts, and compelled to await tho Ia.
bOrs OF a large gang of w0rkmen 10 clearing
tho trnDE for it to proceed. An extra En-.
CINE was hero procured to assist the regular
locomotive in overcoming tho heavy condl.
ton of tho track, and with ono Engine at
the head and tho other behind to push. The
train proceeded to within three miles of
this place. where it encountered another
enormou drift that defed the combined of.
forts of the two Engines. Laborcrs wore
again sot at work with shovels, and the Cor.
ward Engine was detached 20 assist with rs
p'ow. At this tino the snow was falling
with almost unparalleled severity, and a
most pitilcss wind was driving 1t into drifts
aud packing it closely and densoly behind
every cmbankment, fenco or cut. At times
tho atmosphere was so completely itnprep
nated with this driving snow that If YVES
impossible TO see evon tho length of n car.
10 render all safe, tho Conductor of tbs
Express train, Mr.. Murray. sent fagmen
in both directions so soon as his train was
stopped, to warn all approaching trains -
That the Accommodation train. approach
ing from the East, was not notified by tho
hngman sont in that direction, 10 clear,
from tho fact that it numbered aIon, mt
full speed over tho track tho Express had
cleared for it. and without any warning
dashed into the rear Of tho unfortunate Elk
press at tho point above Indicated. 1t is
understood that tho hngman Claims to hayo
performed bis duty faithfully, but that
owing to the driving snow, tho Engineer of
the Accommodation train failed to SEQ his
red flag, However this may BIO, 10 a matter
for future iE investigation.
Tho Expresstrain consisted of ,ho bag.
gage and Express cars, five passenger coach
CD filled, and n sleeping car containing per.
haps 70 or 80 passengers. Tho extra En-
glno OF Ibis train was standing behind the
sleeping arc and close up to il. Tho for.
ward part OF tho train was fast in tho snow.
With tho locomotive detached. Tho passen.
gers were doing away tho time, ~frotting at
tho delay, scoldlng at tho Railroad mon who
were 80 boroically Greasting tho storm, on
deaYoring to open tho track, or making
themselves miserable at tho prospects of
still further delays. In this way about two
hours bad boon spent in tho %snow.drift, il
being tl'on about 0 O'Clock in the morning.
when tho accident occurred.
lie is hardly possible to givo any correct
view of tho scono that followed. 1t was
boar;-rending in the extreme. Tho Enpine
of tho Accommodation, striking against the
Engine on tho rear of tho sleeping car. bad
driven it completely through that car,
crushing and splitting it into tho smallest
fragments, ihoro only remaining tho roof us
u recognizable part OF tho car. Tho mo
mentum OF tho approaching train was only
checked when il had driven through this
car and VOL into tho ono ahead of il, which
was filled, to a large cxtont, with women
aud little children. This car was driven in.
TO tho ono in front OF it, tho two becoming
lnseparahlo. Both were badly broken in
pieces. Tao third car from tho sleeping car
also had its rear end broken ia and lis in.
terror torn TO pieces by tho conclusion.
Tho reaction from this to.riblo blow broke
the coupling between tho two forward cars
and tho rest of the train, and they wero for.
tunatcly thrown some distance ahead. Tho
coupling between them aud tho baggage
cars was also broken, and tho mails, bag
gage and express wero driven still farther
forward beyond tho possible reach of dan
ger.
In tho sleeping car and the two cars next
in front OF it occurred tho principa. casual
ties from this rightful collision. The chap.
tor is extended and lis narrowing character
heightened by tho ignition of tho dtbrls Of
tho broken cars from tho fro Of tho stoves.
by which untoward event tho wreck of tho
three passenger coaches were quickly in
flames. Indeed, so suddenly did the fire
break out, that 1t was impossible TO remove
all tho wounded from tho ruins, aud it is
feared that several persisted who might 9th.
erwise have been saved. Tho remains of at
least two bodies. charrod and blackboard,
and wholly unacceptable, have been al.
ready exbumod from the ashes. 1t is hoped
that this is the total of bodies consumed,
but whothor it is or not is at.this timo wholly
u mattor of conjecture.
When tho wreck took fire, tho two fore.
most cars wero yet filed with passengers.
In their haste to get out, tho forward door
Of tho leading ear. which formed the only
exit, became clicked by tho crowd. For a
momont 1t seemed as if q multitude must
perish. The flames, with unequulled rapid
ity, we're working towards those miserable
u~ntOrtunates, and already told of their
presence by their unweIcome'heat. At this
critical homer soshos were burst from tho
windows, and extra openings made with
axes, through which tho crowd were extrica-
tod. But their release from tho burning
ruins was only q leap into another and al.
most equally great danger. Since carly
daylight tho thermometer had boon rapidly
falling, and at this timo the cold was most
linton q aud peDotrating-aggravated groat-