New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-15
ARRIVAL AT HARRISBURG
CIVIC RECEPTION. GRAND TORcHL.GaT pROcEsSIGR,
UTEs -ILLUM1NATIoN-sPEECH BY
THE PRESIDENT

HARRIsBugG, Sept. l4.-The President and party
accompanying him, left Pittsburg at about half
past seven O'Clock this morning. 1t was raining
very heavily at the time which caused everything
to appear comparatively dull.
AT Greensburg, where Senator Gowan resides
quite gratifying reception was accorded to the
President.
From this point everything passed off very
pleasantly, the weather having cleared up, and
the scenery being quite enhancing,
A few minutes after the train stopped at Johns
town, in Cambria county, a terrible accident un-
happily occurred The place is q busy and thirty.
irg manufacturing town, thousands of the opera
tiyes, and other citizens of which, had turned out
for the purpose of seeing and greeting the Presi-
dent and the other distinguished. visitors accom-
panying him. Numbers of the assemblage were
standing on platform, built across a gully s0me
thirty feet Deep when suddenly the entire struc
ture, with its living burden, gave way, and at eas
two hundred persons were precipitated, with
sickening suddenness and fearful crash, iato the
yawning chasm beneath.
The noise made by the breaking of the bridge
combined with the cries and shrieks of the suffer
ers, necessarily createdth most excited sympathy
Thousands of people Immediately rushed to the
scene of the occurrence, which was only about ten
feet from the track. The members of the Presi,
dental party joined in the effort to rescue the
victims.
Men, women and children, lay writhing, suffer
ing, wounded, stunned, and dead, in one huddled
mass of confusion and horror, buried beneath the
piles and rafters of the structure. Thus in a few
seconds had scene just full of joy and enthusiasm
become changed to one of fearful and tragic
woe. Many of those who had fallen were happily
able to make their way from the ruins without as
sistance, and but little injured beyond sprains ant
bruises. Then came the rescuing of the more
seriously hurt, and horrible scene it was
Women were drawn out dreadfuly cut and youns
men and boys were extricated in numbers ant
laid on the grass apparently deprived Of life. Me1
were found wounded in almost every imaginable
way Some with their ears severed from the
heads, as they were assisted from the spot; while
others with long deep gashes across the head wert
carried up the hillside, some apparently dead, al
. though it was hoped they would prove to be only
stunned.
A few minutes more served to develop ye
more' of the mournful truth. The struggles o
f those not yet eNtricated were pitable to witness
. To see them writing, crushed and helpless, be
$ meath the heavy timbers was heart-rending
But there were those who could not moye--eyi
/, dentIy sleeping their last sleep.
d After the first shock, however, scarcely
9 sound was heard from the sufferers, Pain an
fright seemed to have totally deprived them q
- the power of utterance
N The scene around them was one calculated t
add greatly to the sorrow and sympathy excite
# by the fearful occurrence.
d Little girls, with streaming hair, were seen cry
is ing for their parents; and anxiety and trepdato
; were manifest on the faces of nearly all the b,
ISLANDERS, dreadipg lest the next victim exricate
might prove to be some dear relative or frien
The people from the factories and the hills we,
seen rushing down to the scene, and every ia,
>. on the train and on the ground was pallid wi
A. alright.
in At the solicitation of the superintendent of /
line, as a matter of necessary precaution for t
safety of the special train, the party left Johl
S, town while the sad work of extrcating the kill
le and wounded was going on.
~ AT every station along fine road thence to q
risburg, the President received dispatches fir
p Col. o'Bryan, whom 'Ae had specially detailed
~ the purpose, announcing the extent of the cat
trophe. The latest accounts transmitted rep
oP, that thirteen are known to have been killed,
j{or Rinety-two wounded, some of them seriously.
The President has remitted five hundred d