Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-09-27

THE ACCIDENT AT JoHNsTowN, Pa
The accident at Johnstown. Pa, on Fri |
day morning, was much more serious
than was represented in the original &C
count. 1t appears that thirteen persons
were killed, ninety-one badly injured,
and large number bruised and slightly
hurt. In expectation of the special
train containing the Presidential party,
a large number of people, probably three
thousand in all, had gathered in and
about the depot at Johnstown. Near
the.depot is an old canal, with sort of
cover, fifty feet square, between two
crossings. Upon this structure or
bridge some eight or nine hundred
people had congregated, a large number
of whom were women and children.
The centre part was densely packed, and
must have contained at least four hun
bred people. An account says of the &C
| cident:
The timbers in the centre of the
bridge, fully foot square, suddenly
snapped in twain, precipitating every
soul on it to the bottom of the canal, a
distance of at least fifteen feet, The
balance of the sidewalks and platforms
over the canal came down with the
bridge, and filed the bottom of the canal
with timbers, planks, and the strHg-
Cling mass of men, women and children,
all hurled together in inextricable con-
fusion. Those on the banks between the
now yawning gulf and the railroad
track, were frightened into a stampede,
and added to the confusion by screaming,
yelling, and trampling each other into
the mud, in their frantic effort to escape.
A more frightful scene was scarcely ever
witnessed few moments sufficed to
reveal what had actually transpired.
Men, women, children, fathers, mothers,
husbands, wives, sons and daughters,
were now rushing in every direction,
seeking relatives and friends, and cry
ing aloud with grief and terror.
AS soon as the sinking, falling debris
had settled to the bottom, those in the
neighorhood sprang to the bed of the
canal by scores, and commenced assist
ing those least hurt to extricate them
| SGINtSy dul w pun away bhS AubDlSL
and timber that had covered and con.
fined the others. AS the bridge broke in
the centre it's two halves formed an in
clined plane, along which all were sliC
with lightning speed and pitched on the
top of those who stood in the middle
and went down first. Probably not les:
than four hundred persons were on the
main bridge and one thousand on thu
whole structure. The killed were main
| ly crushed to death by those who fel
upon them; but few were hurt by tn,
timbers or planks. Splinters darkeneC
the air in every direction, and caused ;
large proportion OF the flesh cuts aut
2 ! Commissions. #'.. .s...
) From the manner in which the mas
of people was precipitated, struggling
Z clutching and grasping to the groun(
beneath, a great many arms and leg
t were broken. The women generally fel
r head foremost, owing to their inflated
q style of clothing, and their confusion
!, were chiefly confined to the head. fac
and shoulders. One remarkable fact wa
: that no infants or small children wer
s known to be hurt in the slightest, al
n though manyt infants in arms were a
d mong those who fell 10 the bottom, an,
Il still larger number of both sexes rang
. ing from six to ten years of age.
Hardly had the noise of the fallin
timbers and the shrieks of the terrific
70 people above ceased, when the groans O
Al the dying and the screams of the wome
y and children came from the awful wrec
Al below All who had escaped injury pre-
a, ceeded at once to extricate the sufferer.
who were piled one upon the other 8
- mong a mass of broken timbers and iro
T. rods. Several of the Presidential part
l. assisted in removing the dead and IL
n iured. The President and General Grar
- were exceedingly distressed, and ver
AZ anxious that the special train shoul
D. stop over an hour to afford as much al
il as possible, but the conductor stated tn.
arrangements made for meeting trair