The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-14

| said Sir. Peabody, "wil ultimately be good"
It is evident enough that the enormously
wealthy dispenser OF millions who sat there on
| the sofa is tar down the decline OF life. Yet
many wears may yet be insured to him by bis
| temperate habits and his naturally cbust con-
stltutiUn.
THE PRESIDENTS PERIL.
Particulars OF the Accident to the Train
Conveying President Grant and Party
to Boston-Mr. Selby's Account.
The Washington rapers brings US full de-
tails Of the railway accident on Wednesday
night between Washington and Baltimore, in
which President Grant and the friends who
we're accompanying him to the Boston Peace
Festival had 80 narrow an escape:
Hseems thai the tram, while passing through
the deep cut just beyond Annapolis Junction,
at about 8 4O'p. NJ ran against COW. which
was killed and thrown from the track by the
cogcatcher a. tached to the locomotive; but the
mangIed body rolled down the embankment
just after the passage OF the engine, tcnder anu
mail car and fell across the track between the
trucks OF the baggage car. The sudden shock
tinped ND The mont part Of the baggage car,
throwing it off the track and breaking the con-
nection with the mail car, which, with he loco.
motiye, ran for some distance before the speed
could be slackened sufficiently to return to the
scene OF the disaster. as soon as the forward
| mot1on of the baggage car was checked by the
obstruction, and 1t was thrown from the track,
| the smoking car ran into it and was COM
pletely smashed. The largest piece OF the
wreck OF this CIR was fragment OF the hoor,
which could be lifted by twp men. Next to the
smoking car was q passenger car, which was
l,oo %
up the embankment, COMPLETELY blocking the
| further PROGRESS OF the In. The two sue
| ceedipe passenger cars we're some@bat dam
smaged; but the two sleeping cars and the
spec al car, with the Presidential party. es.
capped damage. The darkness OF the night
added 10 the horror Of the situation, as it pre-
vented the unlujured passengers from seeing
the full extent OF the disaster, and left 1t to the
imagination to picture, while the cries and
rroans OF the wounded we're frightful to hear,
The embankment at the point where the acci-
d mt occurred, is about twenty feet high.
Conductor Duyal Mt once telegraphed rom
the junction to Baltimore and Washington,
and in little more than an hour after the acci:
dent engines with men to clear the wreck, and
ureeons to attend the wounded, arrived at
the Junction from Baltimore. Captain John
| Collins also started out from Washington with
an engine, carrying men to help clear Gns
wreck. and the combined forces soon succeeded
in removing the wounded and clearing the
track of the debris. The work OF clearing one
track was finished about three o'clock this
morning, and at four o'clock the unlnlu1ed
passengers, portion OF the wounded and the
mail we're taken on to Baltimore. The hrst
reports as to the extent of the disaster were
much exaggerated. the number OF killed and
wounded being estimated in large figures
Later and more reliable accounts show that the
larg, majority Of the passengers were almost
miraculously saved from injury. There we're
none killed and but twelve or fifteen wounded.
Most OF them received slight injuries. Mr.
seriously injured. His head is badly cut. and
it is feared his skull is fractured. He was en-
igrating agent Of Georgia, and was on his way
to Europe.
Another account says:
| The smoking car Jared the worst, it being
Eoyerturned and VIII rled around eldwlse upon
the track. It was very badly smashed up and
| it was in this csr that most all OF the INJURIES
| to passengers occurred. The Mr.. We'll referred
to as being seriously injured was seated IN this
| car. He was on his way 10 New York With
view Of proceeding to Europe. HIS injuries
are principally about the head, he having been
badly bruised and received severe cut on the
lett side of his head and face, extending from
| short distance above the forehead to about
an inch below the lett eye 80 that it ls believed
| the sight OF the latter is entirely destroyed.
he was taken up inseDslble, but in time
recovered CONSCIOUSNESS, and the physi-
can IN attendance reports that he is
doing well, and is not necessarily dangerously
wounded, though he is believed to be injured
more or less internally as we'll as externally.
| The second passenger car was not shattered as
badly as either OF the other Two. put was oauy
broken, nor we're any OF the passengers Sc
| rlously injured, though several received
bruises, &c. The forward end OF one OF the
sleeuinp cars was considerably smashed, but
| none of the passengers were injured. The
speoial car, occupied by General Grant aud
family. escaped without injury, ard they pro-
ceeled on to baltimore and continued nortn.
Il is a. source of wonder to railroad men and
others that an accident OF such magnitude as
the one described above could occur with no
moro serious results as to the loss Of life ard
maimiDg OF Individuals.
MIR. sELBY's STATEMENT.
The "gentleman frJm Gu 'rleston" alluded to
in our kilograms as badly bruised, was MIR.
John Clifford. Mr.. Julian A. Selby, editor OF
tho Columbia Phenix, was also passenger,
and was seated with lady IN the ladies' car,
the second one that went off the track. HIS
statement conveys an idea OF the alarm and
wonderful features Of the scene.
Tie locomotive, mail and baggage car RON
| como distance ahead before they were checked.
The smoking car, filled with passengers, was
| thrown across the track, with one end elevated
at at least ten feet up the em5aukment, and turn
ed completely upside down aud wrecked. seye
ral of the occupants being seriously hurt. The
ladies' car followed. and was tolerably filled
with passengers, mostly ladies' and children.
It was tLrown on it's sire directly across ibe
| track. the ends resting on the banks on both
' The scene presented was one never TO be for
gotten, MIR. Se.by says that hearing the noise
| Of the car ahead running on tue cross-ties,
and the breaking and crash as it went over.
and feeling the jar IN the car in which ne was
sitt,nn. he braced himself in his seat, poising
himself as the car went over. He seized hold
of the seat with one hand. holding on to the
lady in his company and firmly supporting her
with the other arm, and as the car vas sued
sro md and over on its side individuals were
indiso -iminatelv tumb ed pell nell together