The Republican journal., 1869-05-06
Disaster on the Long Island
Railroad
From the New York World, eth.

One Of those distressing accidents which but
seldom occur in the regions of so old cvili-
cation as ours, but are frequent in the West,
took place yesterday at a quiet village ham let
in the vicinity Of Jamaica, Long Island. As
the Northport passenger train, which left at
10 80 for Hunters Point, with three cars full
of people, had just left the station at Jamaica,
and reached stopping place known As Willow
Tree, the passengers experienced
SUDDEN SHOCK,
and the rear car seemed to be dragged from the
track as if Wrenched asunder by the force Of
gunpowder, and for the distance Of 800 feet
was carried crashing along the track, until eve
ry particle of its interior appointments were
sent flying around in every direction. Some
laborers in the fields adjacent had their atten-
ton called to the passing train by loud re-
port like that Of a cannon and seeing the wreck
which had been made, fastened to the scene of
the disaster. There they beheld, entanged in
the debris, number of dead, dying and wound
ed passengers, all of whom seemed like people
just awakened from some hideous dream and
could hardly realize their present position.
The cause of this accident was seen in
A BROKEN RAIL
Wrenched from the tires, having portion of
about four feet in length snapped OF and i'm
bedded in shattered truck. The train had
been going at the usual rate Of twelve miles an
Weed was smoking car preceding two pas
senger cars, the latter of which was the one
demolished. 1t seems that the engine. smoking
and front car had passed over the rail in safety
though probably their weight had injured it,
but it flew up and caught the front truck
of the rear car, and, holding it like a chisel
allowed the car to be carried over, as it tore
through the floor, wrenching away every par
tlce but the mere sides. Seats flooring and win
doWs were dashed against each other with
terrific noise, aud stout plankS were splntered
into small fragments, stout iron bolts were snap
ped asunder, and iron bars bent and twisted
into most fantastic shapes, or coiled together
as they lay like a nest of serpents. Both trucks
seemed welded into one ndistinguishable mass
and the spectator witnessing the devastation
could only experience feeling of surprise that
any human being could escape uniniured from
such violent and terrific wreck. Yet there
were several among the thirty passengers oc-
cupylnS the Car who received not the slightest
INJURY; but their escape may be considered as
miraculous. The
SCENE PRESENTED
to the survivors as they recovered from the
shock Of the conclusion was very painful, as
along the line between the broken rail and the
point where the engine stopped, were tire man
gled corpses of the dead scattered at random,
and interspersed with wounded men and wo-
men, groanlng In agony or shaking with terror,
as they had dropped through the open space
made so swiftly, and, bruised and bleeding from
the fall, were only more cruelty mangled and
torn by the rude splinters and Jagged masses of
iron dragged over them. Those were lucky
indeed who found themselves thrown far off
and away from the wrecked mass as it tore
along, ploughing the soil, and angrily crunch
ing IN pieces everything that came in its way.
Inc engine continued its course for upwards of
1oo yards but the engineer perceiving that wa
ter moved from the tender, stopped the loco
motive as speedily as possible, and thus pre-
vented more DISASTROUS accident Fortunate
~ LOT those IN the forward cars this stoppaoe
had been SO soon effected; for a few wards fur
ther on was bridge and an embanhment, and
the second car had already been hoisted from
the track, and would certainly be preciptated
down the enbankment, as the wrecked car was
every moment dragging it away from the rails.
Luckily, the ground where the accident happen
ed was perfectly level, or more serious results
would have been the consequence of the acct
dent, if the train had been thrown down the
excavation of some fifteen feet but a few yards
In advance of the engine. The news Of the dis
ngter spread rapidly, and hundreds came flock
ing to the spot, many harrassed by thousand
vague fears, as most of the residents in the vi
clnlty are people doing business in the city, and
consequently constant passengers. Wives,
mothers and daughters fastened to the spot,
lully expecting to see friends or relatives dis
nsured corpses, or dying from CHASTITY wounds;
as IL was they were petrifed with horror at
THE TERRIBLE SPECTACLE
which met the anxious gaze, and to those who
participated In the recent war 1t presented the
aspect OF miniature battle field. Here lay,