Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-29
Incidents Of Railroad Disasser-Seenes
on the New York Central RailrOrd.

on tue New ROFh SeHiEdh AaiifOKa.
Il Mr.. J. ID. Husbands, a passenger on
board the. New York Central Railroad
train which was wrecked near Roches-
ter last week, writes to the Rochester
Union the following particulars of the
disaster: 80 =
''I was seated in the car next back of
that which 'teiescoped' into the smOk-
ing car. The first premonitiOn of dam
ger was the shivering motion of the
car, as when the brakes are applied with
great power when ut high speed. In
stantly seized the arm of my seat with
one hand aud the seatinfront-O of me
with the other. aud placed my feet on
the foot-board, and sat firmly and qui-
city, and was saved unhurt. 1.-The next
instant came rocking or rolling mo-
ton OF the car, and grating aud crash
ing sound, as if some mad, huge ami
NAL had broken into n crOckery eestab-
lishment and broken its whole contents
and then all was still. The cars were
so closely smashed together that We
emerged from he'rear car.
s ''On going to the ruins OF the cars,
three In one, saw faithful brakeman
with his chest on one car and an
other car resting closely on hum, SO that
the lower part OF his body, legs and
boots were visible, as if he were Just
about to kneel. Just in front of hlm
we're two men buried TO the waist In
the wreck, with faces upturned, pale,
gashed and dead. A few, feet further
on in the chaos Of spiintered, timbers
was a white haired old man, alive and
alone with the dead. g. called to him to
come out, bnt his back was sadly hurt,
and he made feeble efforts to rise. This
tableau is pictured ON my memory,
fadeless aud indelhble.- ri ~ a1L
81 saw a man of AN arithmeiical turn
Of mind. He was wildly walking the
aisle of IL car. exelaiming 1t will cost
this company pile 20 settle with me.
/ tell you, it viii take ten thousand dol
lars to pay me for this hurt. They
amt going to get of easy, j tell you.
His eve seemed bruised, and his coat
was torn. As usual, those least hurt
made most noise. Many were on lit
ters made of doors, on which cushions
were laid, and all the wounded were aS
kindly cared foras circumstances would
permit. Most of those who were un-
hurt were assiduous in their attentions
to the sufferers. / can only mention
a few as samples of many. | asked a
very intelligent lady, Mr.. p. of Buffalo,
what her first conscious seDsation was.
She said at first she thought she was
dying; then Sue was grateful that she
Was alive, and next she wanted to do
something for others; and learned
that right nobly she did help another
in his great extremity.
ga gentleman aud lady from CalifOr-
mia. (Alr. and Mrs. N were two of a
happy party of five. MIR. N. had an
arm badly gashed and bleeding. Mrs
Ms. ankle was crushed and terribly
painful. She bore her anguish with
heroic fortitude touching the sublime,
Mrs. w, of Buffalo, daughter of ex-
Canal Commissioner Earle, rendered her
those fine and delicate attentions which
a woman of culture alone could bestow
Mr.. and Mrs. n. had travelled to Cali
fornia; thence over the plains TO Salt
Lake; in Kansas had been twelve days
and nights continuously in stages;
had upsets, and all the incidents of
rough travel, and escaped till within five
mites Oh ISOCiltSLtIs W. L. OH bue Ncn-
trail Railroad one of the best managed
roads in the United States-and then
and there to be so maDgled is one of
those mysterious dispensations of Prov
idence which battles the wisdom of "a
man to solve But | must pursue this
subject no longer. l might fill vol
ume with lncisseHts OF which these are
samples. The sufferers are tenderly
cared for, and are delightfully."- uncom-
planning, and have the best medical
skill 6i' a'5..@t
81 suggest: Let the company employ
none but faithful men as. switchmen
pay them living wages, so that they can
devote oil their time to their terribly
responsible duties; and then tell them
of this disnster -the fifty wounded,
MANNED and suffering, and the five
corrses of the dead. Your faithful
switchman viii be quick and instant to
bis trust, rather than have such horrors
on his soul"