The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-31
FIRST EDITION
DI - A - TIE R -.
Particulars of the Railroad Accident
Near Clarksville, Tennessee
A Scene of Horror.

eight miles from ClarkSNllc, lC0n.:--
The accident occurred To passenger train No.
., from Memphis to Louisville In crossing the
bridge and trestle over Rudd's creek eight miles
below Clarksyillc, at o'clock yesterday morn
ing, the greater part of the structure 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,
caboOse, express and baggage car, two passenger
coaches, and one sleeping car, all of which were
dashed almost to spnters, and aiterward, with
the exception of the sleeping car, entirely de-
stroyed by fire.
PROPERTY DESTROYED.
The fire made nearly II complete ruin of the
train and its contents. Only three passengers
saved their baggage. All the remaining private
property, save the garments, money and Jewels
upon the persons of the passengers, was con
sumed. The express books and papers were
saved and from them it is ascertained that there
was about $1,000 in the safe. At last account
from the wreck the safe had not been recovered
The destruction of the cars, express and mail
matter and baggage involves loss little if any
short OF S300,000.
WHAT THE PASSENGERS SAY.
As described by those who were aboard the ill
fated train when II went down, the situation was
awful in the extreme. In conversation with the
above-named gentlemen now at st. Josephs In
firmary, we have CLEANED many interesting par
ticulars concerning the disaster. Most of the
through passengers from New Orleans disem-
barked at Memphis for Chattanooga, and the
accident Soon after leaving Paris, where the
train men are changed, the passengers retired
for the night. An increased rate of speed was
noticed by the passengers. and it operated to
make many of them wakeful. Mr.. McColl one
of the killed. was even alarmed at the rapid
motion of the train, and expressed his conviction
that there was danger ahead. Other gentlemen
in the same sleeping car shared this feeling of
insecurity, and two of them, Mr.. Doll and Mr..
White, rose and dressed themselves little while
before the terrible crash. This idea may have
been imaginary. but there was q fatal cOnnec-
tlon between it and the fallen trestle.
THE MIDNIGHT sMAsH-UP.
About o'clock the sleeping travellers were
awakened by sudden rough movement of the
train, il it were off the track. After this jolt
ing motion the train appeared to come to a
standstill, and those who had been aroused con-
graduated themselves that all was right again.
Just at that instant they say, the train on n
poise ready to fall over the trestle height. In
another second the whole line of cars had
pitched downward, and lay crushed and CHASTITY
heap in the basin of the creek. Notwithstanding
the turning and sha, tering of the cars, and the
indiscriminate wreck of human beings, hardly
voice was heard. The stiffness was as profound
as death. Two spans of the bridge, about fifty
feet each in length, and four bents of the treste
fell. The speed was so high that it carried the
train under the track on the other side of the
creek. The train fell in q zigzag or letter S po-
sition, and so lay upon the ground.
THE WRECK ON FIRE.
While the unhurt passengers were humanely
engaged in releasing and caring for those inca
pable of helping themselves, the debris of the
train took fire from the engine furnace. This
occurrence dire as it might have appeared,
created no undue excitement owing to the pre-
cautions adopted by the cool-headed men per-
forming the work of eXtrication. The fire
burned slowly, beginning at the engine and
gradually approaching the rear sleeping-cOach.
The entire train and contents, as we have stated,
were consumed, except the New Orleans sleeping
car, which was badly damaged. Nearly all of
the bridge and trestle-wOrk also fell prey to
the confagratiOn
LONELY SPECTACLE.
On the side of the trestle upon which the train
fell is dense thicket, and the place has gene
rally dismal appearance. The wounded men
and women, being thinly clad and mostly bare
footed, suffered greatly from exposure to the
night air, which was sharp and chilly. Their
situation was forlorn indeed. No one knew
whence to look for assistance. 1t was finally
suggested that some one reconnoitre the ground
and find means for succor. In about two hours
after the ecatastrophe-two hours of incOnceivable
atlliction of mind and body-the South-going
train arrived upon the scene. The living and
dead were tenderly transferred to this train and
taken to ClarksVille. Here il is almost need
less to mention, the victims of the deplOrable
and fatal break k-down received the most devoted
attentions at the hands of the citizens and the
officers of the railroad.
THE FATAL STRUCTURE.
This consisted of four spans of short wooden
girder bridges Joined to n treste, and were but
three years old while the trestlc was but two
years old. II was thought to be perfectly safe
portion of the road. The remnants of timber
left standing show perfectly sound.
All endeavors on the part of the railroad COM
pany to discover the cause of the accident have
been fruitlcss so far, the bridging is nearly
all burnt. Some of the surviving passengers,
however, attribute the casualty to either or both
the reckless speed the train was making or the
Insecurity OT thp Dpi0pp and trpStlp-WOrk If is
not believed to have resulted from any defect
in the machinery of the locomotive as the en-
gineer, whose life was sacrificed, was known to
be exceedingly careful in that matter The ira
Yelling public should be informed of the true
origin of this fearful disaster with the least pos
sbc delay, and no doubt the railroad authorities
will act upon ii promptly aud rigidly.
The Smnsh-np on the New Jersey RaiIrsnd--
miraculous Escape of the Passengers.
The New York Sun of this morning gives the
following particulars of the railroad accident
near Newark, y. D., yesterday
The Washington train, due in Jersey City at
400 =. NJ: yesterday, met with serious acci-
dent on the southern outskirts of Newark at
Sig p NJ, by which the locomotive was de-
stroyed beyond redemption, the track torn up
for some distance, and the whole train thrown
Off but miraculOusly without loss of life.
The train which met with the accident was
about an hour behind time, in consequence of
an accident in the early part of the day near
Washington. After leaving Elizabeth, they ran
across the meadows at about forty miles an
hour and when turning the curve near Broad
street, about three-fOurths of a mile south of
Chestnut street station, the engineer Edward
Paige, saw a signal flag of danger a short dis
tance ahead, and blew down brakes sharp.
Before the speed of the train had been very ma
terially diminished, the locomotive struck a
hand-cart loaded down with iron rails, which
half-a-dozen laborers were pushing along on the
same track.
The conclusion was very severe one, send
a., All, I'm oil airaaf fpFal