Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-29

A TERRIBLE SOMEHOW IT LOOKED TO
PASSENGER VINO ESCAPED.

TERRIBLE scRNE-Bow IT LOOKED TO
PASSENGER VINO ESCAPED.
The terrible accident on the Long Island
Railroad, last Friday by which five persons
were killed outright, and several badly, if
not fatally, injured was caused by defective
rail, which broke into three pieces, and
threw the train from the track.
A passenger, Mr.. VIM. IL. Spencer, Of
New Haven, Conn, who was cut and bruis-
ed by splnters, but not seriously, thus de-
scribes the appearance of affairs at the time
of the accident
Near by where sat- think about three
seats in front and near the middle of the car,
was fine looking, porlly gentleman, Who
afterwards saw dead and am now aware was
Mr.. w. c. Rushmore. re sat by n lady and
was engaged in reading some law papers.
sat about the middle of the car. When We
arrived at Jamaica station, walked up and
down the platform TO see what L could Of
the village. asked the brakeman, who was
a large stout man, the same | afterwards
saw dead laying under the tuck, SLOW long
we would wait therc?' he answered, 81 guess
not long; we are five minutes behind time "
This remark made me uneasy after tbs Train
had started, because | had before heard
much about former accidents on this road
and about il not being in good condition.
The train seemed to bc going at Il very high
rate of speed, and the remark of the brake
mas made me think that the engineer was
making up for lost time. The car jolled
very roughly, which led me TO think that the
track might not be in n very good condition
for such speed; lut did not expect any
accident. guess it must have been about
three minutes after We started when Ill al
once there was bang, bang kind OF Il noise
up at the front end of the car, which jumped
up and down and twisted and strained from
side to side as though il was OIL thc track.
Then there was an awful tearing sound, aud
the front truck seemed turned on its side
and the wheels came ripping through the
| floor. scrapng il oil, smashing all the seats
and scattering chips aud splinters all over.
| This all happened in n minute; there was ne
time TO think The Passengers all, except iw,
or three, who, like myself, chung 10 the top q
tue car were helplcssly thrown down; some wcr,
were stunned, think, by the flying fragments
| Then the truck came grinding AMI sllinttrlul
the floor until it reached the middle Of the car
where it seemed stopped by some stronger wood
work. First Of all the lady who WIS tllkingwit
| Mr. Rnshmorc fell down on the wheels and wa,
hurled over and over She came MP twice.
|
first was caught hy Ills legs when the truck stop
ped n minute in the middle OF the car; h. wa
wcdged in. can never forget how he looked
There was splinter jammcd IN his cheek clos
10 the eye, hut | could see that he was MOVING
his lips. There was too much noise to hear any
thing except shrehs and groans but he threw
up one hand and turned up his eyes, and coull
see he was PRAYING. | only heard one word; i
was 8 Jesus" I he mkt second the truck crush
| I'd him duwn--th car got luose-thuussnds o
sllnttrs flew VII over me like needles sticking il
me. There was a nnmhuCss in my head and
knew no more until was pulled ont from undo
the wreck. Near me was Il baby, which though
was only asleep, aa 1t di not look hurt any
only dirty from the dust. When | held on II
the top of the ear there were two othcrs-on
man holding a woman up hy the waist. | lnoke,
al the track, ties and the broken rail, aud ] d,
not think that the condition Of these caused th
calamity Mr.. Barton, the Superintendent, ant
al his men acted like gent, men. | am satisfied
that they We've not to blame, unless the cngincc
was going too fast and OF that ] cannot tell