The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-08-06
A Tre.s or Oars Tsreo4pitatea Thtrty
Feet and cePsuned by NEirs,-Thriiiing

1A0 OSCatAu dCCluoQG W0lCu D01Sll q
passenger train ON this Clarksville divi-
sion Of the. Memphis and louisville
Railroad occursaai at Q point eight miles
South. of ClarAsyille, Tennessee. at /
o'clock in the morniiinIge! dIii Il! Of Wednesday,,
the 2sth. Thssmain iacts which reach
us by mail vary but slightly from those
already publishsde in the telegraphio de-
partment of this paper. At Louisville,
says the Courier Journal, of Thursday,
the news came in all the appalling ex-
travagance common to first report Of
railway catastrophes, producing the in
tensest excitement, and it was at q late
hour before the people were relieved of
their painful anxiety bya tangible 40.
count of the mishap. Much of the dread
apprehension was dispelled by the COM
paratvely small loss of human life, but
the accident was horrible enough in any
aspect. Four persons were killed out
right and forty or ffty wounded, more or
less seriously. The Cou,'ier-J Journal fur
nishes the following details:
The accident occurred to the second or
night passenger train from Memphis to
Louisville. In crossing the bridge and
trestle over Rudd's Creek, eight miles
below Clarksville, at o'clock in the
morning, the greater part of the struc-
ture gave way and precipitated the whole
train into the valley or bed of the creek
from an altitude of about thirty feet.
The train consisted of locomotive, ca
boose, express and baggage car, two pas
sepger coaches and one sleeping-car, all
of which were dashed to splinters, and
afterwards, with the exception of the
sleeping-car, entirely destroyed by fire.
The fire made nearly complete ruin
of the train and its contents. Only three
passengers saved their baggage. All the
remaining private property, save the gar
ments. money ana jewels upon the per-
sons OF the passengers, was consumed.
The express books and papers were saved,
and from them it is ascertained that there
was about $100, 600 in the safe. At last
accounts from the wreck, the safe had
not been recovered The destruction of
the cars, express and mail matter and
baggage involves q loss little, if any,
short of 100000. ! 4 Z
The South bound train reached the
scene of the disaster some two hours
after its occurrence, raffording all needed
relief to the sufferers. The whole of
them were taken back to Clarksville,
where the dead we're neatly dressed, and
placed in metallic burial cases, subject to
the orders Of their friends, and the
wounded were kindly ministered to by
the citizens Of the place.
AS described by those who were aboard
the ill-fated train when it went down,
the situation was awful in the extreme.
In conversation with the wounded
gentlemen, now OF ST. Joseph's Inlirma-
ry, many interesting particulars concern
ing the disaster have been cleaned.
Most of the through passengers from
New Orleans disembarked at Memphis
for Chattanooga, and the cars were but
partially filled up to the time of the ncci.
dent. Soon after leaving Paris, where
the train men are changed, the passen-
gers retired for the night. An increased
rate Of speed was noticed by the passen-
gers and it operated to make many of
them wakeful. Mr.. MCCALL, one. OF the
killed, was even alarmed at the ;raeid
motion OF the train, and expressed his
conviction that there, was. danger ahead.
Other gentlemen an tRei a&mgJ sleepint
car shared this feeling Aof inssoGsitS and
two of them sMh Dol end ME White,
before the tsrribls CRASH ahae wnae mae
have been imagiHafy.; BFddf Efiere WAS q
fatal connection iet&eeG iSaGa The ialleen
trestle. i = .siiu aur,I II .soIT
About o'clock the sleeping travellers
were awakened BY a sud- rough move
ment Of the Train, as ii It We're of the
track. After this io1tipg motionr the
train appeared to come to o, Stand Still,
and those Vic had been aroused tsohl
graduated themselves that ali was right
again. just OF thst Instant they say,
the train was on poise, ready to fall
over the trestle height, In another Sd
cond the.wAolei line. of cars hsd pitched
downward, and lay D. prushed and ghastly
heap in the basin of the creek, Not
withstanding the. .tuIning and shattering
of the cars and the indiseriminate wreck
OF human beings hardly Q voice was
heard. Tie Stiffness was as profound ass
death. Two spans Of the bridge, about
fifty feet each in length. and four bents
of the trestle fell. The speed was i so
high that it carried the train under the
track on the other side of the creek.
AS soon as those who were hut slightly
disabled recovered from the; shock, they
set about extrioating fhe. less fortunate
OF their companions. The dead and
manned were all removed to the most
comfortable localities around, and the
cushions and bedding from the wrecked
cars were happily brought into use. 1t
is fact not little singular that the
children, Of whom there was q eoodly