The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-03-10
cAmI NOrrebpOMNehce Oh NHe
OxFORD, MISS, Feb. 2sth, $50.


Special Correspondence Of IIn
CIarion.
OXFORD, MISS, Feb. 18th, 1870.
Yesterday l reached Water Valley, an
after learning what could about the woun
ded and killed during the terrible disaste
which occurred on Friday evening last b.
the falling of a trestle work two and hal
miles below here. on the Central Road
came on to this place.
THE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT.
= Nothing definite can be learned as to the
cause Of the accident. There are many
reasons assigned. The Railroad official,
claim that it was caused by the breaking o.
one Of the hind wheels of the baggage car
I was shown the wheel, and it was very
$ badly broken; but whether before, or by
5, the fall, / could not determine. Some per-
$ sons think that the baggage car was careen-
= ed by being too heavily loaded on one side
At this place l have been informed that for
eighteen months the bridge was known by
every one (excepO the Railroad officials) to
u be unsafe, and that after every rain, for
months it has been worked upon and prop
}. ped up. The train was going at the rate OF
thirty five or forty miles an hour, and this
of itself might have occasioned it But
whatever may have been the cause, it was
certainly one of the most horrible accidents
that ever occurred in the history of Rail
roads in Mississippi.
THE BRIDGE
was forty five feet high, over a small creek in
which there was bat little water. 1t was
built sometime ago, but at different times
has had new pieces put into it. Quite
number of persons told me that they saw
one or more decayed pieces of timber in the
| wreck. On both sides of the creek there
was high embankment. Over the north
ern one the train passed safely. The en-
| CINE express and baggage cars reached the
4 southern one. just as the hindr ost trucks
| of the latter had passed the bridge the |
crash came. The engine and tender re- |
manned upon the track, the express and bag |
gage cars rolled down the embankment |
twenty-five feet. The smoking car fell into |
the creek but upon the southern side Those
in it were principally negroesand strange to
say, there were but three persons killed "a
colored woman and two children) and few
wounded. The next coach, crowded as it
was with human beings, was hurled into the
bed of the creek forty-five feet under the
bridge, and it had scarcely touched the
ground below when the ladies coach came
pitching down upon it, striking in the centre
and sliding forward grinding into
sllapeless things, what had been a
moment before-the noblest work of
God--living men. The ladies' car
stood upon its forward end the rear resting
upon the bridge above; all the persons in it
were thrown forward and were piled upon
each other and one or two were smothered
to death before those could be gotten eff of ;
them.
Capt. Alex. Speer of Brandon, was with
the party of immigrants whom he had I'M !
der his charge, in the second coach, and was
one of those who was crushed to death by
the ladies car in its fall.
How many of these poor people there
were who were coming to cast their lots t
among us whom he had with him, may new |
er be known; as the papers which were Z
found upon his person do not account for 9
number that were known to be with him. {
| have found out this much about them.
There were for Brandon:
Frederick Pawling, slightly wounded. t
Mrs. Paving, badly hurt.
Two small children slightly hurt.
George Pauling and wife, slightly hurt.
Fred Pauling and wife, safe.
Charles and Otto Pauling, safe. A
These are all OF one family and were
going to Mr.. Carroll Stiene, of Rankin coun- d
ty, they are now at Water Valley, but will
be ready to go on to Rankin as soon as Mrs.
Pauling is able to travel.
Albert Win herman, killed; Henry Vessey, l,
safe; Thos. Watson, killed; John Peters, =
slightly hurt; Henry johnson, missing; S. o
w. Coon, killed; Louis Cameron, wounded a
at Oxford; August Fink, wounded at Ok o
ford; Chas. Hildebrand, wounded at Ok =.
ford; Jacob Chadelson, wounded at Oxford; D
Herman Eneth, safe; Richard Bustead, "
wounded at Oxford; John Falston, missing q
Lewis C. Moorhouse, killed; E. j. Weigh !.
noun, wounded at Oxford wife and two G
children dead; F. Meyer and wife, wounded I
Of Water Valley; Chris. PalsoH, wounded of =
Water Valley VIM. Sievers, and Charles 4
Trapp and wife, wounded of Oxford; Thos. c,
Combs, slightly bruised; r. B. Moore L.
killed. :,
Besides these, six had been placed under ii
Capt. Speers charge for Mr.. II. II. Estis, of Il
Carroll county, of whom four are known to ca
De slightly hurt at Water Valley. He had ~
llso six or eight for Mr.. Palmer, of Canton, W
me of whom was killed, but OF the others l d.
AN learn nothing; and was known to have ~
me or more for Mr.. E. Barksdale, jackson, "
Hiss. Miss Aggie Elliott is the only one i N
an learn any thing of; she was sitting on
he same seat with Capt. Speer. She thinks II
t was his body that fell upon her and bruis- ii
d her arm and dislocated her shoulder. bl
The says that as the car went owe the bridge D
apt Speer exclaimed my God, my :. -
wife, - and that these were the last words tf
he heard him utter. te
Col. Tate, President OF the road, was in the az a.,
aides car sitting near the forward door, and or
vas thrown against it in the fall. He was vi
early smothered to death, and lady woh y
ell nexthim was suffoeated. There were al ar
o party of Immigrants for Oakland, MISS ri
rom Scotland, consisting oftwo married men w
nd their wives and two children, one woman u
nd one child were killed, the others were
lore or less injured. ca
There were others killed and wounded, oe
ut their names have already been furnished =,
he press and will not give them. w
The citizens of this place and of Water Sc
ALLEY deserve great credit for the kindness ue
hey have shown to the unfOrtunates. Yes eli
srday twelve of the killed were buried here. ed
hey were attended to their narrow resting pI
laces by nearly every citizen of the place. %
very bell tolled their requiems. CT
What the Railroad officials are doing to co
Id the wounded who are at Water Valley, "a
am unable to say. But know that they a..
ave no one at this place in charge of them. oil
-. = 80