Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-09-27
The Disaster at .uolansfoxx,..

| people awaited the train bearing the Presi-
| dent, and, on its approach, began the most
| vociferous and genuine cheering possible.
| But their joy at welcoming the party was
| suddenly cut short, and the whole place
| converted into house of mourning, by one
of the most calamitous accidents that ever
! befel the community. The railroad at this
! place runs on the north bank of the old
canal (now dry), about thirty feet from its
channel. The canal was bridged over for
several rods in front of where the train
stopped, and was used as q platform for
business A bridge for crossing one Of the
stfeeta, and two raised sidewalks were i'm
pioVlseo. In consequence Of being Slightly
elevated ABOVE the ground between the bank
OF the canal and the cars, the audience
eoato OBTAIN tolerably fair view Of the
rear platIorm OF the train on which the
President and others were stand;ng and
therefore crowded on it in mass so dense
that there was 70 standing room left unoc-
cupied. a
Just as the train was about to moveava,,-
and those on the bridge and around the
depot were rending the air with cheers for
Johnson, Grant and Farragut, an awful
crash rose above the roar of the huzzas,
that startled all within hearing and silenced
many voices forever. The timbers in the
| center of the bridge, fully a foot square,
suddenly snapped in twain, precipitating
! every soul on it to the bottom Of the canal,
q distance Of at least fifteen feet. The
balance Of the sidewalks and platforms over
the canal came down with the bridge, and
filled the bottom Of the canal with timbers,
planks and the struggling mass of men,
women and children, all hurled together in
anineXtricabfe confusion. Those on the bank
between the now yawning gulf and the rail-
road track were frightened into q stampede,
and added to the confusion by screaming,
yelling, and trampling each other into the
mud in their frantic efforts to escape. A
more frightful scene was scarcely ever wit
messed. few moments sufhced to reveal
whathad actually transpired. Men, women,
children, fathers mothers, husbands, wives,
sons and daughters were now rushing in
every direction seeking relatives and
friends, and crying abound with grief and
terror.
AS soon as the sinking, falling debris had
settled to the bottom, those in the neighbour
hood sprang to the bed Of the canal by
scores, and commenced assisting those least
hurt to extricate themselves, and to pull
away the rubbish and timber that had COW
cred and confined the others AS the bridge
broke in the centre, its two halves formed
an inclined plane, along which all were slid
with lightning speed and pitched on top Of
those who stood on the middle and went
down first. Probably not less than 400
persons were on the main bridge, and LOCO
on the whole structure. Several members
of the Presidential party assis ed actively
in removing the dead and wounded; among
those who thus aided were Marshal
OBeirne, Mr.. B. G. Truman, Mr.. Murphy,
and your correspondent. l
Thirteen persons were killed outright,
and 80 badly wounded. The killed were
mainly crushed to death by those who fell
upon them; but few were hurt by the tim
bers or planks. Splinters darkened the air
in every direction, and caused large pro
portion Of the flesh cuts and Commissions.
From the manner in which the mass of
the people was preoipitated, struggling,
clutehing, and grasping to tie ground be-
meath a great many arms and legs were
broken. The women generally fell head
foremost, owing to their inflated style of
clothing; and their COMMISSIONS were chiefly
confined to the head, face, and shoulders.
One remarkable fact was, that no infants or
small children were known to be hurt in
the slightest, although many infants in
arms were among those who fell to the bot
tom, and still larger number Of both sexes,
ranging from eight to ten years of age.
AS soon as partial order could DO restored,
lines were formed to protect the sufferers
from the outside pressure Of the crowd, and
| to extricate them from the wreck of the
bridge and platform. One man was found
/ dead, with huge beam resting across his
neck and his eyes protruding from their
sockets.
Mr.. Meltzger, proprietor of the Mansion
house, was among the first taken dead from
the ruins. Miss Letitia Cannon was at first
supposed to be slightly stunned, but never
recovered from the shock, and expired
Immediately. She was young lady Of
rare promise, graceful and accomplished in
mind and manners; had graduated within
q few weeks past, and was confessedIy the
belle of the place. The sight that met the
eye as the injured were taken out was horri-
flying even to war correspondent.
An Irish widow was carried away, suffer-
ing from pain and lamenting the condition
her unfortunate family OF four little ones
would now be in on account of her disabili-
| ty. A young fellow in the first flush Of
manhood scrambled out Of the rubbish, and
managed to hobble away few rods, when
! he fell from pain and exhaustion, and on
SAdlnludtloA 1ouHu Ii4stG LIS Culgn DOne was
badly fractured. The tears rolled down his
cheeks, and when asked how he was hurt,
replied that his leg was ruined for life. a
little girl who went down on the top of tbo
crowd scrambled out and stood staring with
fright as one petrifed, and could not be
aroused for several minutes, when she burst
into tears and begged to be taken to her
mother A young miss extricated herself
and took flight as one fleeing from destrue-
zion, and never slackened her speed until
out of sight. The young wife of a man
who had leg broken was sitting by his
side on the ground, weeping freely, but on
being questioned smiled though her tears
and said she was only crying for joy that
abe had found him alive and hurt no worse.
The news soon spread through the village,
and those who remained away at first were
soon congregated around the depot, wild
with excitement and searching everywhere
for relatives and frineds whom they feared
were among the killed or wounded Planks
were at first taken from the broken bridge
to carry away the living and dead, and mat
tresses were soon brought into requisition
from the neighboring houses for the pur-
pose. c
The most unfortunate feature of the affair
was, that both the prominent physicians of
the place were among the severely injured,
and the community was deprived of their
services in the hour of their greatest need.
The agent of the railroad telegraphed
each way along the line, urging forward all
assistance, and in less than two hours TWEEN
ty physicians arrived by the regular and