Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-21

one New York gentleman. Th,
terrible shock of the collision wa
the first intimation the passenger
in the other cars had of the disas
ter. Of course the motion of the
train being stopped by the upsetting
ofits engine, all had time to get out.
We did so, and Immediately went
to the smoking-car, and there a
most horrible spectacle greeted us.
The rear end of the baggage car
was driven into the fore end of the
smoking car, crushing the eight
passengers who occupied seats in
that part of it. So firmly wedged
and jammed beneath the wreck
were they that we could not render
them the slightest assistance. There
the unfortunate beings lay groan-
ing and beseeching US in the most
heart-rending accents to free them
from their horrible prison. We
stroye hard to do so, but, having no
axes or bars, our efforts were use
less and unavailing. To in
crease the horrors of the stu
alton, the baggage car caught
hire and ; burned rapidly, the
forked tongues of the spreading
flames already licking and singeing
the mutilated limbs of the poor
creatures. This confagration,
which was caused by the scattered
embers from the engine, made us
redOuble our efforts to save the
victims. We approached the car
and attempted again and again to
remove the broken seats and
timbers, but it was no use. Here,
wedged in his scat by the heap of
broken timber, sat Rev. Mr.. Hal
leck, of New York city, perfectly
unhurt, but unable to extricate him
self from the wreck. In calm ac
cents and perfectly collected torres
he told us to get an ak and try to
cut an opening in the side of the
car. We searched around and OBJ
tanned one from a house by the
roadside, but it was so blunt that
we could do nothing with it. We
worked and stroVe to liberate the
unfortunate gentleman, who sat
there sound in limb, watching the
of the hungry flames.
Nearer and nearer they came, until |
his hair began to crisp and burn
and his skin to crack. Then, when |
we in like manner found the heat |
unbearable, we reluctantly retired, |
compelled to leave this poor gen |
tleman, with his eight fellow suE-
ferers, to their terrible fate.
We moved off until all was over.
Nine persons were thus burned to
death, and nine others injured more
DR. less severely. We next turned
our attention to the preservation of
our baggage, but only succeeded in
saving eleven trunksiout of ninety
Dr. one hundred. All the express
matter was burned up, and about
1ne-third OF the mail. Five cars
we're consumed by the fre-two
passenger, one sleeping, the bag
gage and mail car. | lost all my
clothes and other property, and es-
,aped just as l stand. The freight
train did not receive much injury,
for we disconnected the cars as soon
as possible, and ran back along the
line by hand. When we alighted
from our train, Immediately after
the accident, messengers were dis
patched both ways, to stop those
coming, and to obtain assistance.
We worked hard all night putting |
out the fire and attending to the |
who were taken to the |
surrounding houses, where every |
attention was paid them by the oc~
At 4 o'clock in the morn
ing the wrecking train came up |
from NaFrowsville, bringing with it
! surgeon. There was none nearer
he scene of the disaster than four
.een miles.