Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-12-13
Railroad Disaster AT zanesyirIe.


FALLING OF THE IRON BRIDGE OVER THE
MUsKINoUM RIVER, WITH TRAIN OF CARS
Special Dispatch o the N. Y. Tribune.
ZANEsvILLE, Ohio, Dec 4.-The iron
bridge Of the Baltimore aud Ohio, Central
Ohio Division, across tbs river at this place,
was the scene Of frightful railroad accident
about 9 O'Clock this morning, whereby 10
persons wero moro or less seriously injured
and one killed. The Hestbound passenger
train had but few minutes before passed
safely over the bridge. Two engines fol-
| lowed the train over to the West side Of the
river and stopped on the West end of the
bridge, the Elias Fassett standing or the
! West pier, with the tender on the first
space, the yard engine Antelope, with one
| car attached, was standing about one.third
| the distance en- came space, between first
and second piers, awaiting the O'Clock
East bound passenger train to pass, the
bridge having double track. The engine
of the passenger train going East stopped
| at the wood station, about 100 yards West
I of the bridge took on. wood and water, and
then passed on to the Iron Bridge, having
train Of four passenger cars, one baggage,
and one express The last three passenger
/ cars Of the train were crowded with pas
seDgers. The front one had but about
dozen in it. and was in use as smoking
car. When the train had passed the middle
of the first span of the structure it instant
/ ly gave way, precipitating the engine tender.
baggage and express car into the river, with
the front end Of the first passenger car, the
rear end hanging on the pier, also the yard
engine tender and one car, and the tender
Of the engine Elias Fassett, the engine
itself remaining on the pier in one inde-
I l. l. r IL H.. foii
ing is list of the passengers injured
! fractured died at 2P. NJ James HavilaDd.
! and ankle; Levi Claypool, Nashport, seri
ously, left ankle, no bones broken; Mr..
Hart, New Jersey, slightly bruised. En-
ployes injured: Thomas Mellott, express
messenger, arm, seriously; Thomas Wing,
conductor, neck. severely; Van q. Sliply.
engineer, bruised about the neck and head
slightly Silas Higes, fireman, leg bruised
severely; George Thompson, fireman. bruis-
ed about the head slightly; Robert Wilton,
colored porter, legs bruised, not seriously
! The cool selfpossescion Of the engineer Of
! the passenger train. Mr.. Patrick Fl. Smith
| is worthy Of all praise, From the time he
felt the bridge giving way until his engine
was in the water he sounded the whistle
| for down breaks and the order being obeyed
checked the momentum of the train and
doubtless prevented the cars filed with
passengers from going into the river. The
break will be repaired by trestling within
three days. The immediate cause of the
accident was the increased weight on the
bridge 1t was constructed on the princi
pie of Bollmsn's patent, and should have
sustained ten times the weight which crush
ed it this morning.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 4-Considering that
the five cars of the Central Ohio Railroad,
which met with the disaster this morning
were loaded with passengers, destined for
the State Pomological Fair, at Zanesville,
] it is wonderful that but one loss Of life has
to be recorded that of jesse Hill Of Pleas
ant Valley. But two or three were injured.
| All the trains crew suffered more or less,
though none seriously. The bridge was one
of Bollman's patent. 1t was the first iron
railroad bridge erected in the State, and
| had heretofore been considered perfectly
SAFE Travel by that route will not be in
terrupted ..f..