Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-08
Three Sleeping Cars BuFnsd---RsV.
Dr.. Deems, Of the n. E.
Church, and Wife,
Burned.
Details of the Most Soul Narrowing
of Railroad Accidents.
Particulars from Eys-Witnsssss---'
Names Of the Killed.


In the face Of the second Pacific eX-
press. An attempt was made to stop
the express, but there was not time
/ enough, and il struck the oil car and
! scattered fragments in every direc-
ton, which at once ignited, envelOp-
ing the entire express train Ia flames.
| The express train was composed OF 8
locomotive, baggage car, express car,
and five or six sleeping cars. The
| locomotive was at once hurled into the
| river and the engineer killed, and the
baggage and express cars were piled
on top of the engine at the same time.
The Chicago sleeping car was one
| sheet of flames, and though desperate
attempts were made to rescue the pas
| sengers, not one got out alive. The
/ two other sleeping cars next to it
were also wrapped in flames, but the
| passengers in them all got out safely,
/ and then the bridge took fire. In less
| than ten minutes aiterWard the whole
structure fell, carrying the Chicago
car and burying the car and its in
mates out OF sight under the water
and among the ruins Of the lOCOmO-
tive and express car.
This terrible result settled all doubts
] of the probability Of resCUing any one,
either dead or alive, until daylight.
/ 1t is thought that Rev. DR.. Deenies,
/ OF the Church Of Strangers, New York
/ city, and vile, are among che dead, as
! a gentleman stated that they occupied
a berth in the Chicago car. Charles
] CassUm, conductor Of the train, states
/ that theIe e were sixty i've sleeping car
| tickets, and fifty-twO of them have
/ found owners, Indicating that there
/ are but thirteen persons missing. The
/ passengers say, however, that the
/ Chicago car contained twenty-five or
! thirty persons, and not one got out.
All trains stopped at the wreck this
morning, and the work Of recovering
dead bodies commenced. Upon the
ice near the wreck a body was found
with the entrails torn out, and the
head and legs crushed. 1t has not
been identified up to this time.
The scene at, the track is fearful. A
corps Of engineers and physicians
from the city have arrived to attend
the wounded and dying Threessleep-
ing cars are among those destroyed.
Eighteen persons are known to have
been killed outright, and many more
have been injured. No names have
been sscertained.
ALBANY, February IA dispatch
has been received in this city from
Messrs. O'Brien, R0ache and Prince,
mem bers Of the Legislature, who are
all detained by the disastrous accident
which occurred on the Hudson river
railroad, near POUghkeepsie, last
night. These gentlemen escaped
f--sr hrrN fnkv -
other Assemblymen who were on the
train is uncertain.
A report is current In the city that
telegrams have been received from the
scene Of the disaster, stating that up
ward Of thirty desd bodies have not
as yet been identified, and fifteen
more are partially imbedded in the
debris. The work Of removing the
bodies was taking place when the
last dispatch left. Great excitement
prevails in the city over the news.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
The following particulars Of the ac- |
Cident on the Hudson river railroad
last night, at New Hamburg, are fur !
nished by the Western Union Tele- /
graph Company: A train leaving
New York at eight o'clock last even /
ing, met an Oil train on the New
Hamburg draW-bridge. The oil train |
jumped back and broke In two; an oil |
car tipped over on to the passenger !
train, and set it Oh FIRE, and the loco
motive, cars and bridge all burned up.
Three sleeping ears were among the /
destroyed, eighteen persons were
killed outright, and many more in |
have not yet been obtained.
PARTICULARS FROM AN EYE WITNESS. !
New YORK, February THE fol. |
lowing particulars in regard to the
terrible accident on the Hudson river !
railroad have been obtained in this city
from an eye witness: The freight |
train which caused the accident con- |
sisted Of about twenty-five cars, most |
Of which carried tanks filed with oil. |
Before leaving Albany every car was |
carefully inspected by WOrkmen, and |
no defect was discovered. When the |
train reached a wooden bridge over /
Wappinger's creek, New Hamburg, |
about eight miles below POUghkeep- |
sic, a sudden shock passed through |
the entire train, almost throwing it /
from the track. Upon examination /
il was found that the axle Of the tenth .
car had broken, and the car had then
broken loose from its coupling, and
the end Of the car struck against the
frame work of the bridge and lay a
total wreck upon the track. Almost at
the same moment, and before signal
or note Of warning could be raised, the
express train, which had left this city
n.
at the rate Of thirty miles per hour, |
and struck the wrecked car with ter
rible force, setting fire to the oil, scat
tering the inhammable materials and
burning fragments Of the car in ali
directions. The force Of the collision
instantly threw the engine over the
bridge into the creek. The ice was
very thick at the time, but unable to
bear the weight Of the locomotive, |
which broke through and sank. The
tender also fell into the creek. Imme-
diately behind the engine were two
baggage cars, which were followed by
sleeping cars full Of passengers.
The flames from the oil tank soon
set fire to these cars, which, after
striking the wreck, fell over into the
creek, a burning mass. 1t is said
that some passengers in the sleeping
cars succeeded in leaping from the
car ia time 70 save themselves, but
the rest were carried with the car
over the bridge, and either drowned
or were burned to death. The body
of P. IL. Vasburg, conductor Of the
sleeping car, was afterWard found
with the lower extTemities burned
away. As soon as the particulars of
the disaster reached the CITY, SuDer-
inteDdent J. M. Taucey started for
the scene, and has since been engaged
with large body Of men in search
ing for the bOdies Of the unfortunate
passengers. This forenoon the wreck
was cleared away from the sleeping
cars, as it lay upon the ice, and Wig
orOus search has been made for the
bodies Of those passengers who might
be crushed in the wreck or those
burned to death. In one corner Of the |
car q heap OF charred and blackened
bodies were found, but 80 disfigured
as to render identification impossible.
From the appearance Of the bodies it
was evident that the passengers, at /
the time Of the accident, had rushed |
in despair TO the rear door Of the car
and there miserably perished. Three
bodies, apparently those of 8 mother
and Der two children, whose arms vet
remained, were discovered closely
each other. II is ssurmised
that, finding egress impossible, they