Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-20
ANOTHER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Dreadful loss Of fLiGe---SiXtF ,fOuF Rebel
and Union Soldiers HiIled---One hum
dred and twenty Wounded.


Dreadful loss Of Life---SixtE.EO EOuT. Rebel
and Union Soldiers RjJled---One hum
dred and twenty Wounded.
Criminal recldessness still seems to pre-
all, as is evident from the frightful rail-
road calamity on the Erie Road on Friday
last. A train of sa3 rebel prisoners, guar
ded by l25 union. men, while proceeding
west of Port Jervis, winding among the
abrupt curves Of that region suddenly
collided with a coal train of fifty cars
laundering with all speed down an inclined
plain. The trains when first in view of
each other, were not mora than one hun
regards apart What follows is thus
described:
The shock was Tremendous, and its re-
suits awful though fortunately neither of
the engines left the line: The tender of
the passenger engine was turned upon
end, the wood for fuel being thrown in
front, and burying the driver and fireman
before named. The first car of course was
utterly destroyed, being iammed as spec
tator described it 10 us, into spice Of less
than six feet, while to complete its demo-
lition, the tender that had been tipped on
end fell back on its roof 1t contained
thirty-sevon men, some of whom were on
the platform at the time of the collision,
and from its wreck thirty-six were taken
out dead only one man escaping with his
life by falling between the platforms to
the earth. Three of the cars in all were
totally destroyed, and seven or eight of
them so much broken as TO be entirely
useless, and it was in these cars that the
greatest loss of life occurred; for when, the
collision took place two Union soldiers
were placed as sentinels at each door on
the platforms of each car which were also
occupied by some of the Rebels beguiling
the way by conversation with the sentry.
Oftho men thus standing all were immo-
diately killed save one or two. @
As soon as possible the survivors set to
work under the guidance of the Captain
in. charge of the body to extrieate the dy-
ing and wounded from their fearful pjsi-
ton, and, in the mean time, word was sent
to ShohOia, apprizing the authorities there
oft he state Of things, who Immediately
te egraped for assistance to Port Jerris,
! whence, IN a short time, Hugh Riddle,
Esq, District Superintendent, arrived at
the scene OF disaster in relief train, with
three surgeons to attend TO the injured
The scene is described by those who ies-
capped as most appalling, the road blocked
up with debris, car piled upon car in the
most indescribable confusion, the bodies Of
those thrown from them covering theroad
at every step, the flying dust and blind
ing smoke from the quenching fires, the
noise ofthe escaping steam, and, above all,
the fearful groans and heart rending cries
of the injured and expiring viii never be
! forgotten, Some of the eerpses were
shockingly.- mutiated, heads completely
crushed, bodies transfxed, .impaled, on
timbers or iron rods, or smashed between
the colliding beams, while one man was
discovered dead, sitting on the top Of the
upturped tender in grotesaue and gbsstly
mockery of the scene around him - 81 y
The collision was due to a failure to tel
egrapR to the next station. The affair
needs investigation and whoe7eri is guilty
should be punished as amurdersr.