The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-10-07
Inc Recent Accident on the PennsyIya-
MIA Central Railroad.

The accident on the Pennsylvan;, C..,,,r,l
railroad at Thonpson;own. Pa last Me,lnas-
day. proves TO have been much more s.rionS
than at first reported The cause of the ae.
eldent, IN The first place, Was the gross care
lessness of the conductor OF the freirb, IRAN,
which came in collision with thr passenrer
tram, and the loss OF lie Was immensely lars-
er than II would have been ii the car doors
had not been locked. 4 large number of tb,.
surviving passengers on the train signed q
protest against the practice Of locking car
coors, and the protest should be needed by
that road and every other. Human life is
not yet SO cheap in this country that We can
AFFORD TO have every preeaution for personal
safety disregarded, and passengers, who COM
NIT their lives 10 the protection of a railroad
company, have a right TO claim all the care
and caution that can be reasonably bestowed.
The following is tull account of the terrible
accident:
The passenger train left Pittsourg at 9 o.
clock, Tuesday night, and the accident hap
pened at o'clock, Wednesday morning
The train which was run into was coal train
bound in the same direction, but which had
stopped beyond its usual time, and had only
partially observed the p-eraution usual on
such cars 1t IS customary TO place man on
the track with light, al a sufficient distance
from the waiting train to give the coming
one timely warning Of the danger In the
present case the man who was stationed to
give the warning was only about fifty yards
from his train, and the morning being very
dark and eogsy, the light was not seen til
/ too late. The engineer reversed the engine.
but the collision could moi be prevented
The locomotive leaped through the first car
ana half the next, shivering them n fr.r-
ments, and dashing their contents in every
dirt clion. The whole momentum of ,ba
train was expended in driving the baggage
car so completely through the first passer ger
car that the frame work of one fitted closely
and entirely within the other. The first nss-
senger car contained at least fifty rarsn,s
any of whom we're women and children
These were either crushed under The bse,-se.
car, or driven in a mass TO the rear N rb. car
but the crash was scarcely over when
danes were discovered in the rear of The car
and within four minutes had enveloped dead.
dying and mangled- The morning heing
quite cod, about half ar hour before a fire
had been kindled in The first car. Th- s,ore
was instantly upset bv the collision. and. tbe
the not Goals spreading over the fsor Of the
car, the flames burst up and soon enveloped
IL Frantic efforts were made by the passen-
gers t. escape They rushed to the door.
but found them locked. The KEY was prob-
ably in the pocket of the conductor, who wa,
on this Car, and who must have been killed
instantly. Many of the passengers were STU
plhed at the imminenCy Of the danger. and
made but feeble efforts 10 escape. But one
ak could be obtained, although little or moth
ing was accomplished even with that, one or
two openings being cut through only 10 find
an inside wall made of the side of the trans
fixed baggage car. Six persons, in all, were
rescued from the Car, the remainder, being
estimated at least forty persons, were either
crushed 10 death, or having been wounded
were burned alive. How many were buried
in that fiery tomb may never be told, as ey.
erything was literally consulaed to ashes, and
utterly beyond recognition.
! Nothing could be found of the conductor,
John Madison, except his ticket punch. One
young lady, some sixteen or seventeen years
of age, they struggled to drag from a win
dow, but being fas: under the baggage car,
SIC at las: drew herself back again and per-
ished within. A man who had dragged HIM
self partly through a window, was consumed
before the eyes of the Mortified spectators
On the left side of the train, soldier with
one leg succeeded in getting il through the
window, but was unable 10 force his wa fur
ther, and persisted as be was, his charred re-
mains, after the woodwork had sufficiently
burned away, falling headless, arnless man
upon the track. One woman and four chill
dren are known TO have been among the
number of victims. One poor boy, himself
badly injured, lost his father by the flames,
and many parents lost their children.
The second car caught fire from the first,
but from this, although the doors were also
locked, all of the passengers escaped with
their lives, but some were badly burned be-
to.e beirg rescued. Two died after they were
taken out. One Was woman. A man lad
his legs completely burned of. This car,
like the first, Was burned TO cinders. The
other cars, four in number, were saved by
the passengers, who uncoupled them and
, pushed Them back cut { da' ger. I~o ~
surgeons were among he LhIuJ4 a. sa>s' n
gers, and they rendered valuable assistance
to the wounded.