Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-25
THE RAILROAD BRIDGE ACCIDENT.

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On last Friday morning, fearful crash
was heard by many Of our citizens, and in q
few minutes afterwards every face was blanch-
ed BY the announcement that the western
span Of the Cumberland Railroad bridge had
fallen in, carrying down with It construc-
ton train and many human beings Every
body rushed to the scene Of disaster 10 give
help TO the wounded and dying On be-
holding the wreck and regarding the inn
mense height Of some 80 feet, from which
the tain had been precipitated, the universal
thought was, that no one could surely have
escaped. The wonderment was consequently
great that only one, Of the sixteen or eighteen
on board, had been killed outright. This
was negro man. At first an additional
person was supposed to be killed, as he man.
ifssted no sign oflife when taken up After
come hours he, however, revived, and we
understand will now recover. There were
some four men quito severely wounded, and
three Others, all negroes, less 50. Some Of
the former, II was thought were fatally
hurt, but we are happy to state, are now all
out of danger. Of six white persons, five
escaped with scarcely scratch. 1t was
thought by those on the train, that two per-
sons were missing, and they were searched
for under the debris of the wreck and in the
river but their bodies not being found, it s
now believed there were really none missing.
If we have have been correctly informed,
nearly all on the train fell into the river, and
hence it is the more astonishing, how, after
the tremendous shock Of the fall, SO many
managed to swim to the shore. We asked
one Of the colored survivors, who escaped
with a slight flesh wound, what he thought
about while falling. "De fust thing come
into my he'd, master, wus de ole woman and
de children, and how dey would hollcr when
dey cum down to de river and see me laid
out and about wheeler she would marry any
oder Niger or no, and den about what sort
of looking man de debble wus, and what
would say to him." "Wby," said we, "you
didn't think all that before you touched the
water, did your" "Yas, sur, and hea,
more too fore God, master, remember bout
thnkinwhat Anty Gray said to me once
about carryin Nv me in his ole cart and a
THROWN me into Gallus Holler fur de buz-
yards to eat--yes, sar, fore God did" We
were shown piece of the crushed timber,
by gentleman who said it was fair SAM
pie of the balance. This was entirely sound
on every side, aud externally gave no indi-
cation whatever Of unsoundness But with
in q half inch of the surface the decay began
and the rest was rotten enough to mash in
the hand. Here was the obvious explanation
Of tho disaster, and it should carry lesson to
all Railroad managers to keep a constant in
spection of all wooden structures on their
roads-not that careless inspection which
takes into account only the date of erection
and the apparent outside soundness of the
material, but an examination that pcnctHtes
through and through. If they fail to heed
the lesson this accident has taught them, they
will be little less than guilty of murder for
any future loss Of life that may result from
like cause.
We are glad to see the managers of this
road, keenly sensible Of this said calamity,
are taking steps to replace all doubtful ma
we doubt not that they will make the road,
in future, entirely saie..from any recurrence of
such horrible accidents. Much praise is due
to the President, George T. Lewis, for his
care and kindness to the sufferers Of this
wreck.