Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-05
DAILY LEADER.
THE RAILROAD DISASTER IN IN
DIANA.
The Collision of a Cattle Train with
a PASSENGER Train---rhe Killed ana
WOundpd.--HOrribIes seenes--The Cor
Oner'a InqUess, &e.
! [Fron the Is F.rstte oourisr, N0v. l.l

1 n
Oner's InqUtsf, &C.
Pc [From the g FAystts Courier, Nov II
One of the most frightful accidents IN
the annals of railway travel occurred on
| the Lafayette and Indianapolis road at 80
minutes past three yesterday afternoon
/ The regular Cincinnati Express due here
at four o'clock in the afternoon, by the
| new time card, collided with cattle train
! on q curve one and half miles this side Of
| Culver's Station, about seven miles from
! this city. The passenger train was twenty
minutes behind, but waiting the requisite
time at Stockwell obtained the undoubted
right to the road, and was moving at rapid
speed when on turning the curve beyond
Culver's Station the cattle train was obser
we'd, but too late to avert.
THE COLLISION.
Both trains were heavily laden-one
With seven coaches and five hundred and
| eight souls, and the other with nine freight
cars filed with Government cattle. The
engineer, George Lamb, of the cattle train,
had observed the smoke Of the passenger
engine just beyond the curve, and rsvers-
ing his engine, had partially checked the
! speed Of the train before the dread COLI
sion. He estood at his post, pale as marble,
until the trains were but few rods apart,
when he jumped for his life, and with the
fireman end brakeman escaped unhurt.
John Whitten, engineer of the express,
having, as he thought, an undoubted right
TO the road, was unsuspicious of danger on
the curve, snd did not see the other train
until too late to materially check the
speed Of his own tram, much less avert the
disaster He had barely time to reverse
his engine and jump for his life, when the
massive locomotives and all their precious
freight ofhuman life collided with loud
crash and power which shook the earth.
Headlights, cow-catchers, and all the
Lighter works were crushed like tinder,
and the massive iron boilers received the
full force Of the collision. All was over in |
the twinkling OF an eye and in less time |
thar it take to read this paragraph, twenty |
seven souls were swept into eternity.
THE FATAL CAR.
Next to the engines, as usual, was the |
baggage car belonging to the Lafayette |
and Indianapolis Railroad, next was first
class coach belonging to the Michicsn Cen
tral road, and this was the fatal car, in
which desth held high carnival. The bag |
gage car was about fourteen inches mar
rover than the passenger coach, and a
little higher on the trucks, and the force
Of the conclusion drove it, like the smaller
section Of a spy-glass, into and through
the passenger coach Immediately behind
The baggage car remained intact, and be-
ing narrower, as we have said, came crush
ing through the coach, sweeping off the
top but leaving the sides of the unbroken.
Like q monster battering-ram it swept
everything before it, and and scarcely
passenger IN the foTS0ard part Of the car
escaped instantaneous destruction.
AS it entered the coach it jumped the
forward truck upon which it rested, and
the end dropped about twelve inches, for
want of support, and gave the baggage ear
an angle Of about thirty degrees. And
to this simple fact the escaped pssseDg
of the ill-fated coach owe their lives. Had
the baggage car gone through on the same
line ii entered, not soul could have es.
capped. Thus it was that the forward pas
sengers were instantly crushed to death.
a little farther back and tie elevation of
the death-dealing car brought in line with
the tops ofthe seats, and hereitwastts sthes s
were crushed like eggshells A litlle far
ther, and these only VINO were standing
were struck down, while but sstep beyond,
passengers escaped without q scratch save
from the splinters of the wreck.
AN APPALLING SIGHT.
Language has no power TO depict the
,cene. Within the compass of few feet
inside that fatal car was compressed the
bruised and bleeding bodies of the dead,
the msined and the dying. The red vel
vet cushions had deeper dye from the
life blood of TIE victims, and the removal
of the bodies, living and dead, from the de-
bris of the car was full Of horror
A number of the dead were so tightly
wedged between the bottom of the bag
gage car and the passenger coach that the
baggage car had to be raised by jack screws
before they could oe taken out. The car
lripped with blood like a slaughter pen.
TEE WOUNDED
were carefully removed to the cars and
brought to this city. One poor fellow,
whose shattered leg was found in his
boot, some distance from his body, and
who was otherwise injured, died before
reaching the CITY. Mr.. Baker, of the
Bramble House, promptly threw open his
doors and George Lookstand vacated his
billiard room in the LRyfsyette House, for
Inc accommodation of the sufferers.
THE DEAD.
The dead were laid in two rows near the
wreck, and ss soon as identified cards with
.heir names, were pinned to their clothing.
Coroner Ingerson took charge Of their
effects, including q considerable sum of
money. After the wounded and the pas
sengers had been brought to the city the
special train brought up the dead, and the
ghastly row was arranged in the freight
house at the foot of South street, to await
the Coroner S inquest.
At an early hour this morning Coroner
B. F. Ingsrsoll, having made the necessary
proceeded to hold an in
quest. -t- |
The Protested Loyalty of The Cana
dams 10 England.