The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-25

'foh the Philadelphia Telegraph OF Wednesday.
a Terrible Accident ON the Camden
and Atlantic Railroad Company-A
Whole Train Passes Over n Chasm-
A Miraculous Escape OF Life-The
Engineer scalded TO Death -The
Fireman, an Employee, and Three
Passengers Badly Hurt.
The Camden and Atlantic Railroad Com
many met with serious accident yester-
day afternoon, by which they sustain
very heavy loss, and by which one man was
killed and five others badly injured. The
casualty occurred about one and half
miles below Haddonfeld, the particulars of
which are as follows:
That section Of the State of New Jersey
lying between Haddonfeld and Long-a-
Coming, about half-past IL o'clock, was
visited by one of the most terrific rain
storms that has ever been witnessed. The
water fell in torrents, and in about one
hour the entire country WAS flooded. The
streams were swollen to an extent that
alarmed the farmers.
On the location above indicated was a
culvert three feet by FIVE, about fifteen feet
from the surface Of the railroad track, and
so great was the force of water that the
structure was washed entirely away, leav-
ing the rails and quantity Of soil, whAb
was held together by the ties.
The lightning express for Atlantic City
left Camden on it's usual time, 2:15, reach,
ing the scene Of the accident at twenty
seven minutes of o'clock. The speed of
the train was about thirty-6ve miles to the
hour, and this fast rate YVES the only thing
that saved the demolition of the entire
train and the loss of hundreds Of lives.
The engineer did not notice on his ap
proach anything unusual until he reached
the western end of the culyert; but it was
too late. On went the locomotive until it
reached the eastern end, when the rails
gave way but it bounded on to the en-
bankment, and went headlong for over
hundred feet, when it made q complete
somersault to the right side of the track. 1t
was followed by the tender but the bag
gege cor, containing several persons, was
overturned on the left side of the track,
thus saving confagration, and perhaps
fearful loss of life.
The smoking-car bounded over the chasm,
the trucks dropping into the abyss below,
and landed across the track. It was full
at the time, but fortunately but two pas
sengers received severe bruises, notwith-
standing that the seats were twisted into
every conceivable shape, and the occupants
thrown about as though they were footballs.
The front of the car was dashed in by the
top of the locomotive. The next car came
along (the truck following those of its pre-
decessor), and landed alongside of the
track. This was occupied chiefly by ladies,
who showed the presence Of mind to keep
their seats until released from their uncom-
Portable position. This was accomplished
with considerable difficulty, as both plat
forms were completely crushed in.
By the time the third car reached the
eastern embankment the train had come to
halt, and the lives of its occupants were
saved by the coupling holding fast. 1t
dropped on the embankment, thus bridging
over the chasm.
The scene on the exit of the first passen-
gers was indeed thrilling. The engine was
blowing off steam Mt fearful rate, and the
cars were working to and fro, and it was
calculated that one of them would topple
over the embankment; but it imbedded it
self firmly into the sand, and afterwards
served as bridge for the passengers to
walk over the wreck.
The scene in the smoking car was terrific.
Seats were taken from under their occu
pants, and the front part was in an instant
filed with flying bits Of wood. Several men
we're taken from under the seats, where they
had been thrown by the force of the concus-
sion, while dozen or more were piled in
the aisle.
One gentleman was damned between the
backs of two seats, but was not much in
1o,.
the door, while third was extricated from
the corner of the car, where he was con-
fined by pieces of wood. The forward
brakeman, II. c. Yates, was standing on
the rear platform of the baggage car, and
was damned between the railing and the
car. George Ferris, the section master,
made the most miraculous escape of any.
He was on the engine, and was thrown
considerable distance; when he picked
himself up he found that he had not sus-
tanned the slightest scratch.
Joseph Bartlett, the baggage master, was
attending to his work, when, he says, he
was quickly lifted off his feet and thrown
violently against the trunks, and when the
car had halted they were piled around him.
Strange to say, he shows no wounds. A
lady in one of the rear cars, while standing
at the water-tank, was thrown to the floor,
but received no bruises.
All the passengers we're loud in their
praises of the engineer, who stuck to his
post until the last moment. He informed
us that just prior to the overturning of the
engine he opened the safety-valve, thus pre-
venting On explosion of the boiler. The
sum of $l37 was raised for him in the train.
Jefferson Davis is on his way to Rich
mond to consult his old family physician in