The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-29
CATASTROPHE.
The Terrible Accident at Niagara Falls.

We find in the Buffalo Courier of Saturday
q more nearly complete account of the sad
catastrophe at Niagara Falls on Friday than we
have elsewhere seen. The Courier says
Universalist Convention were Mr. j. j. Tillinghast
and wife, of Providence, Rhode Island. They were
accompanied by Mrs. @. l.. Fisher, Miss Mahaa A.
Smith, and Miss Mariana Ballou, also residents OF
Providence. Yesterday they resolved to visit the
driven by young man named Robert Welch in the
employ OF James Martin. The vehicle was
barouche The party rode lelsurey across tne new new
alighted and spent few minutes admiring the
view from this point Returning, they had reached
the Clifton House, when they concluded to drive
down 10 the ferry, then dismiss their carriage,
and take a boat across the river. The driver
we tell this part OF the story as our reporter had
il from hini-obected to making the somewhat
perilous descent. The descent was made, however,
safely, and without any symptom of freakishness on
the part of the horses until the sharp turn had been
made. Directly after this the near mare, the one
furthest from the side, took alarm, began TO snort
over ITS head. The fright OF the animal was not so
great that it could not have been readily got under
control on clear track and the driver was not at
the time alarmed; but jump two was made,
when thornbush, which projected into the road,
struck her shoulder, and she made leap, as Welch
expressed 1t, "as though cannon ball had struck
her. sheer against the of horse ana In the twink
preciptated over the bank. The driver comprehended
the imminent peril in time to jump FOR MS life, and
Mr. Tillinghast did the same bat @ Sae aonr ladies'
make their escape, and were plunged with the Ve-
hcle down the bank. AT this point the precipitate
descent is about twenty feet, and below that rocks
and shards shelVe down to the edge of the river.
| The carriage must have bounded from the edge of
| the bank as it crushed through and prostrated
small tree that stood out several feet therefrom and
landed on the shelving rocks a complete wreck.
| When Mr. Tingnast. VINO was unhurt, had hurried
down the road and up the river, where the mangled
ladies law it was heart-rending sight that met his
eve One, Miss Smith, was killed outright. Thrown
from the carriage, she had plunged down headlong,
and dashlng against rock, IL had cloven her skull
far into the brain, making cash that was slckenng
| 10 look upon. She was terribly mangled
| otherwise, but the wound on the head caused
| instantaneous death. Mrs, Tillinghast and
| Miss BalOu were found senseless, but breath
| ing The former was fearfu ly wounded about the
head and probably suffered concussion OF the brain
| while Miss Ballou, besides cash in the head, had
two compound fractures of the right arm, above the
| elbow and several of her ribs were broken. Mrs
| Fisher ESCAPED with a broken wrist The accident
| occnrred at about twenty minutes before O'Clock.
frhe ferryman whose name we did not learn reached
the snot where the suffering women were, even be-
fore Mr. Tillinghast did, and carried the dead body
of Miss Smith down from the cin. In few moments
| the calamity was noised abroad and large numbers
| had focked' TO the spot Among them was DIR. New
| bern of the Forty-lourth Royal Infantry. who took
| char1ge of the manged ladies' The deceased, Miss
MahSla A. Smith, was about thirty years OF age.
She wes the daughter OF wealthy FAMILY or nigh
standing In Providence and is spoken OF, by those
who knew her as a lady OF great amlaDlty, ana one
| unusually attractive The news OF her cruel death
will come like thunder-bolt 10 her laihlly aho
friends at home.