The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-08-11

The correspondent of the Cincinnati Gaz
ette gives the following vivid description Q
a terrible accident to railroad train Oh tn
road between Nashville and Chattanooga
which occurred a few days since:
| AN AWFUL SPECTACLE.
Our train was about half way down tn,
mountain. (the grade being very steep.) ane
about two miles from Cowan, at the foot o
the grade. The next train was following as
at the usual interval, when suddenly, either
through the carelessness of the engineers
the negligence of the brakesman, or because
the brakes were out of order, and would no,
work, the train behind us started forward
with the rapidity of lightning, and came
tearing furiously toward us. Our engineer
put on all steam in the endeavor to escape ;
the engineer Of the crazy train reversed his
engine, but it was all in vain The train
was under too much headwayl twas when
1t had reached to less than hundred yards
of us that awoke and looked out. Like a
destroying demon, bent on our annihilation.
seemed the terrible engine. Its wheels were
running In reverse direction, but under the
fearful force it had previously acquired, it
would no longer obey the motion of the
wheels. 1t was sliding onward to destroy
US and at times the wheels, fixed upon the
track, and balanced between the two forces,
one urging the locomotive forward, the other
endeavoring to pull it back, tore from the
rails stream Of angry fire. Then the re-
versing force would whirl them round for a
moment with the most awful rapidity.
Tue TRAIN HURLED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN,
AS soon IS had fully collected my fac
ulties, (stunned by the terrible spectacle, }
VITA zoe lss~asrd the hind end of the car.
time, fortunately for me no doubt, the mon
ster behind US had nearly reached the end
of the car, and saw escape was impossible.
The next instant our train was struck, and
bounded forward for few feet as If shot
hou Souuo', etit, hoWcESIs icuaiuilg
upon the track. In less time than it has ta-
ken me to read the last dozen words, we
were struck again and this time our car,
with | know not how many others, was
thrown entirely from the rails. The fearful
speed at which we had been going in our en-
deavor to escape the pursuing engine. now
insured our destruction. A mad rush on
ward. of about twenty feet; dreadful
sound as we ripped and tore up the rails and
ties underneath us; then a tremendous
lurch, hurting us with fearful violence from
one side of the car to the other; and the
huge box in which we were confined was
rolling and tumbling down into gorge of
the Cumberland Mountains.
cannot even now think without shudder-
ing of the intense consciousness in which
for the moment, seemed to exist It cer-
tainly could have been but few seconds
from the time our car fi-st left the track un-
til 1t rested amongst the rocks and trees and
brambles below; but those few seconds
seemed drawn out into an hour, and a thous-
and ideas went chasing each other through
my mind. have spent fearful moments on
many battle fields, from Perryvlle to Kene-
saw, but never one so fraught with unutter-
able horror as was that; and I fervently
pray God that l may never know another
The whole dread reality of the situation
stood like an awful picture before nv eyes.
felt palpably that the next instant should
probably be mass of quivering, shapeless
flesh yet strange to say, while the car'was
tipping over and over. speculated on my
chances for safety, and called to mind doz.
en- instances of hair breadth and almost IN
raculous escapes did not as many are
said to do under such circumstances, recall
my past fife, nor did bestow thought up
on the future; all the faculties OF my soul
were concentrated in the awful present
The car stopped in its downward career,
and thought the danger was over then
crash above, and again we turned over. We
stopped. But that last turn of our car raised
in my mind the idea that the whole of the
train, with its locomotive, might
come down upon us and grind us all to pow :
der. Then came the burning, hoping, al.
most despairing desire to get outside of the
railroad car.
HORRORS OF THE SITUATION.
What moment was that succeeding the
one in which our downward motion ceased |!
It was midnight. There was no light in the
car; and the absolute darkness into which
we were plunged, the waiting and moaning
of those who were hurt. the sickening smell
of fresh human blood, the thonght that the
first step you took you might stumble upon
the mangled and bleeding corpse of your
friend, the fearful uncertainty as to the fate
Of those on board whom you loved, the con.
sciousness that the next instant you might
yourself be crushed to atorns-all these
things formed combination of horrors, to
which, for the moment, the misery of hell
would have been blessed relief.
Dashing my hands through glass door.
and kicking away panel. finally emerged
from the car. Let me tell now what part
ly saw in the darkness Of the right, but did
not fully comprehend until daylight.
Tha acc;Iapt haI faJar ,.lo.o ,.~n1