Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-08-14

TnE RAILROAD ACCIDENT At
Al>SWORTn STATION.
Fuil PaftiealarA by an Eve. Witness.


For the following particulars ofthe terrible
accident that occurred last Thursday at Aims
worth Station, on the Washington branch
OF The NJ. * NJ. L. X we are indebted To Mr..
John ilochuly who was passenger on
the Inflated train
BRlenroS, Friday, Aug II, 1868.
lou have doubtless heard before this of
the disaster and ioss of life which bettl us
yesterday on the Railroad. II was the
bridge crossing Long Greek, at the Aims
worth Station, miles east OF Washington
f"e bridge broke by the weight Of the loco
motive, but it and the tender breaking
loose from the rest made the clearing before
tue ilnal trash The bridge was about 100
leet long. and about so high The baggage
ana freight cars went down. The shock and
crash were indescribable I was sitting in
tIe rear OF the passenger car. My first i'm
pression was that we would all be prccpi-
tated into ths creek belew. Two cars n.
inAined on the bridge The passenger car
ran INTO the forward car The sp,nar,I,ce.
was IKE the approach of q huge stack Of
irishiui splintery. coming at a fearful rate
INTO plir car ANA crushing everything before
IT, The baggage master, named Chas. Sui.
livan, was standing on the platform OF the
passenger car He was crushed into the ,,as.
senscr car ami killed instantly He resided
at Mustatine, and leaves a wife and two
children
A soldier named Jack Iron, of Co II, 33d
Iowa, was sitting near the forward door
Tic was penetrated by large silver in the
abdomen and crushed in the chest aud
bruised in the head. When we got him o,it
he lived half an hour He was single man,
23 years of age, residing in Kcokuk county
anton his way home. with younger broth
CT, after three years service in Tie army
where he was hearty all the time and never
wounded in battle. Ills Lieutenant smoke
yer, highly Of him
The name Of the third man killed is VIM
Stephens, resident of Washington He
was irightfully mancled, his head being cut
open from the face. chest torn open and
lungs prottudihg His brains we're first dis
covered amid the ruins, and we knew then
that a third person wa- killed, because the
head Of the former two were entire al
..on.l fca,tlllly cut an bruised Ntr Ste
l'htm, was not found lNiiil this morr ng.
III had fallen into the creek and sunk to
The bottom.
The car was well filed with passengers,
and the fright. and Consideration can be
much moro easily imagined ,han described
The moment | sawsth forward car coming
into ours Immediately sprang for the back
door, and was at the point of lcaping into
the creek The car rocked and crashed as
though il woild capsi2c every 1nnln,n. hut
it finally became stationary The bridge
was 50 broken and inclinnr 10 one side that
il was very dangerous to get from the car on
tho bridge. We lifieiiille women and chill
lrcn from the rear and had to carry them
of They were almost paralized with
fright.
he Railroad Company are most criminal
IN gross neglect. The Inhabitants OF aims
worth were perfectly xasp"la'ed They re-
g;slded the bridge unsafe for u long time.
and the Company we're aware Of its insecur
ity. | went under the bridge to examine
the wood work. The props supporting I,
were completely rotten at the hotirim and
were like rotten stumps brot. IN or Ise
cured some IL lAe wood and hav. !, ui.
ne Us sample,