The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-01-27

oohuMnus. g. Jan. 22.

the fnenipefS OF both Houses assembled al
3 y o'clock this morning il their respective
] In the House the honorable gentlemen
were so few in number that they did not at
tempt to transact business at -all.nAfter an
Intellectual search by the Sergeant-at-Arms for
absent members they were compelled to adj
iourn at 8 O'Clock, after being in session just
one hour
In the Senate they didn't do much better.
After receiving a few petitions. and reading
for the second time, half a dozen bills hereto
tore reported for the Commercial, Mr.. Gunc
kel gave notice that he would, on some sub
sequent day of the session, introduce bill |
to regulate, in cities of the first and second /
class stores or shops for the purchase, and /
sale or exchange of old metal secondhand T
furniture, and other secondhand articles.
Mr.. Stanberry, on leave, introduced a bill
to prevent conaagrations and accidents from |
fire, in cities, towns, and villages, which was
read the firsttime.
YERRIBLE RAILRoAp Acc1DENr.--Upo
Tuesday morning about 10 a. M, last week,
most frightful accident occurred on the
Cleveland and Erie (Lake Shere) R. R, about
three miles east of Painsyille. Several per-
sons were killed outright, and in all eleven
have died from injuries received, and about
twenty Others received wounds which will
never be entirely recovered from. After read
ing the several reports of the occurrence the
conclusion is inevitable that the Conductors
of both the Express" and "Accommoda-
tiou' trains, are greatly to blame for the un-
fortunate occurrence, and that neither in a
sufficient degree realized the duty and respon-
sibility of their position. From the various
published accounts the following is con-
dersed 1 4
The Express Train from the East, which
left Buffalo at midnight on Monday, and was
due at gainesville at 5:53, a. NJ, on Tuesday,.
was detained by the severe storm that pre-
vailed throughout the night, and was pro-
ceeding on its way with great difficulty, sew
eral hours behind time At Madison, the
train was absolutely stopped by the snow
drifts, and compelled to await the labors of a
gang of werkn1en in clearing the track for it
to proceed. An extra engine was procured
TO assist the regular locomotive in overcom-
ing the heavy condition of the track; after
which the train proceeded to within three
miles of gainesville where It encountered an
other enormous drift that completely deied
the efforts of the engines. Laborers were
again set at work with shovels, and the en-
gine was detached to assist with its plow.-
At this time the snow was falling with al
most unparalleled severity and most pitt
less wind was driving it into drifts and pack
ing it closely and densely behind every en-
bankment, fence or cut. At times the atmos-
phere was so completely impregnated with
this driving snow that il. was impossible to see
even the length of car
g To render all safe, the Conductor of the
Express train, Mr.. Murray, sent flagmen in
both directions soon as his train stopped. to
warn all approaching trains. That the Ac-
commodation train, approaching from the
East, was not notified by the fagmen sent in
that direction. is clear. from the fact that il
thunderedalong at full speed over the track
the Express had cleared for it, and without
any warning dashed into the rear Of the un.
fortunate Express at the point above indica
ted. 1t is understood that the flagman claims
to have performed his duty faithfully, bu
that owing to the driving snow, the Enginee
of the Accommodation train failed to see hi
red flag
Another account says:
As the Conneaut Accommodation was clos
behind. Conductor Murray sent brakesmal
back to signal that train. The brakesman re
turned nearly frozen, and before another coul'
be sent back, the Accommodation train il
/ charge of Conductor M eade, came up at ful
/ speed, and, not seeing the express train, o
accouEt of the driving snow, dashed into
| with terrible violence. No one on the .Ac
commodation train was injured.
+ The Express train consisted of the baggag
and Express cars five passenger coache
filled, and a sleeping car containing perhaI
.i 25 or 80 passengers. The forward part
the train was fast in the snow, the locomotiv
/ detached.
The Engine of the Accommodation, struc
the rear of the sleeping car, driving complete
ly through that car, and crushing and spli
ting it into the smallest fragments, there onl
: remained the roof as recognizable part
the car ~ ts7r.
The momentum of the approaching tra
was only checked when it had driven throug
!, this car and well into the one ahead of
Il which was filled, to a large extent, with We
men and little children. This car was drive
into the one in front of it, the two becomir
inseparable. Both were badly broken in p
ces. The third car from the sleeping car al'
| had its rear end broken in and its inter-
torn to pieces by the conclusion. The rea
, ton from this terrible blow broke the con-
{ ling between the two forward cars and the re
of train, and they were fortunately throw
some distance ahead The coupling betwe,
; them and the baggage cars was also broks
and the mails, baggage and express We
: driven still farther forward beyond the poss
BILE reach of danger.
Ia the sleeping car and the two cars next
: front of it occurred the principal casualti
. + from this frightful collision. The chapter
$ extended and its narrowing character heigh
y L.. --Fl al. Il. Al L
. ken cars from the fire of the stoves, by whi
n suntoward event the wreck of three passeng
!, coaches were quickly in flames. Indeed,
suddenly did the fire break out, that it W
impossible to remove all the wounded fro
3 the ruins, and it is feared that several pe
Z ished who might otherwise have been save
The remains of at least two bodies, CHAIR
and blackened, and wholly anrecognizab
have been already exhurned from the ash
9 It hoped that this is the total of bodies CO
4 sumed.
When the wreck took fire the two forem,
cars were yet filled with passengers. Inth
o haste to get out, the forward doorof the lea
e ing car which formed the only exit, becal
VI cheked by the crowd For moment
i. seemed as if a multitude must perish. 7
!, r flames with unequalled rapidity, were wol
"a ing towards these miserable unfortunates a
is already told of their presence by their UNIV
id come heat. At this critical moment sasl
a. were burst from the windows and extra opt
ings made with axes, through which |
crowd were extricated. Buttheir release fr,
is the burning ruins was only leap into ano
"a, er and almost equally great danger. Sil
III early daylight the thermometer had been RI
:, idly failing. and at this time the cold !,
=. most intense and penetrating
< greatly by the pitiless wind and the driv