Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-08-29
Nrv XnrE Al

NEW DIRK, Aug. ae
| The following particulars of the collision
on the Long Island Railroad to day, are fur
nishcd by passengers:
Al $50 a. III. the Greenport train which
should not leave the Jamaica Station unless
the Hunters Point train had arrived, was
starred from Jamaica 10 minutes before time
and met the t5thcr train at full speed about
one mile west of that village. The signal of
the approaching train from Hunters Point
was heard by several passengers on the other
train, and one gentleman who was standing
on the platform of the smoking car, looked
out and saw the danger and jumped off with
out sustaining any injury. The Hunters
Point train was under full Speed as the Con
ductor doubtless felt secure of his right of
way, but the other Conductor, we understand
had begun to slackcn somewhat, the speed of
his train. az he was we'll aware of the in
security OF his position. There was suffi-
cent time, indeed, for all the engineers. fire.
men and conductors to jump Oft, which they
did, without receiving serious injury.
The eastward bound train was completely
run down and crushed to pieces by the SUE
pcrior weight of the other. The scene was
so frghttul to those who escaped injury that
some tainted with terror at the appalling
sight. Men were hanging suspended be
meath the wreck by the lacerated tendons of
their legs, both Of which had been torn
away in the collision. Others were suspend.
ed by the throat, across which strong iron
Tenders had been crushed. Others were ly-
ing beneath tons IF the wrecked cars, breath
ing the few brief moments of life remaining
to them on earth. At first it seemed as
though few could have escaped from the
dreadful catastrophe alive. but in few min
utes one and another of the unfortunate
victims crawled from beneath awful masses
of broken timbcrs and crushed and diving
human forms, until it was apparent that not
more than fifteen immortal souls had been
hurried into the presence of their Maker
Three of the Hupter's Point cars were
torn to pieces, or wedged into each other,
and on them the largest loss Of life occurred
The shock was so great that the trains re-
bounded from each other two or three hun
dred feet. The number OF passengers on
the train from the east was so great that
many We're standing on the platforms, and
as the front of two or three Of the cars were
crushed, most of these passengers were eth
er killed or wounded
One of the most extraordinary tircum-
stances attending this appalling murder, is
the fact that while the smoking car Of this
train was crowded with passengers, not one
was seriously injured, though on the next
car two men were killed, and ON the other
cars behind, more or less injury was DONE
When our informant left one man was still
hanging by his crushed legs between two
cars, and the employees of the road, although
importuncd by the passengers to takesneas-
ures for his relief set to work repairing the
engines. This man was still alive and the
passengers were prevented from prying the
cars apart by some of the employees, who
pretended that if one car was lifted from the
other, the last would fall upon its side, and
this reason was given for their own inatten-
ton to this poor dying man. The engineers
and iiremcn grouped together soon after the
accident. and, as our informant asserts, were
checrfully congrntulatiDg each other on their
own escape and were INDUCING in little
laughter over some of the incidents. One
Oh tHem observed in a nonchalant tone,
Now suppose we shall have . hell of
Tune over this" All this occurred while
tue deaa ana dying were strewn on the grass
around them. These stories come to rs rom
the passengers, but let us hope for the sake
Of human nature, that there is some exagger. |
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