Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-07-06
Searching For More Dead.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 4th, III.
EDITORS CHRONICLE: Independence
Day was ushered in this morn amid the
deepest gloom, the most intense anxiety,
and the deepest excitement that was ever
experienced in this community. The out
ward bound train on the Nashville and
Northwestern Road that left this city at
500 last evening met with frightful ac-
cident near Newsom's Station while cross
ing the bridge over Harpeth river, about
Is miles from the city, at about half past
nine o'clock.
stt HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
The train, which was a very light one,
was passing over the bridge, the engine
and baggage car having passed the fatal
spot in safety, the engine having cleared
the bridge and the baggage car over far
enough to more than balance IL over the
awful precipiecc. The smoking car with
but few in it was just at the end of the
bridge, when all at once, and without a
warning, the crashwas heard and the bridge
gave way. Down, down, forty feet into
seven feet of the waters of Harpeth river
in one shapeless, crushing mass went the
smoking car, the ladies' car and the sleep
ing car. The ladies' car went down front
end first, with the heavy trucks crushing
down upon the struggling, helpless, living
mass of seventy-five human beings in the
train. The scene that followed can be
better imagined than described. Just how
many were crushed to death, how many
were sm0thered, or how many were
drowned, is not known. The most intelli-
gent witness of the scene was gentleman
from Talladega, Ala, r. Il. Stone, who
was about the only passenger in the sleep
ing car, and one of the very few who es-
capped uninjured The sleeping car fell
with front end on the ladies' coach, the
rear end scraping the second abutment,
against which it finally lodged. Mr.. Stone
scrambled out through the rear or top end,
and at once went to the relief Of the dying
and wounded. Aided by few others, he
succeeded in saving several from drowning
and being suffocated to death. Cutting
open the sides of the car they dragged out
the dead and living, and cared for them as
best they could.
RELIEF AT HAND.
AS soon as the accident happened dis
patch was sent back at once, and Superin-
tendent Thomas, with Drs. Briggs, ,Buist and
Nichol, at 12I o'clock, took special train
and proceeded to the ill-fated spot They
did all in their power to relieve the suffer-
ers. At little after 5, A. NJ, the train
city.
,-. THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
The news of the disaster spread at once
over Nashville, and when the victims of the |
disaster reached the city thousands were |
at the depot to meet them. The dead
seventeen in number-were taken to |
Groomes & Co.'s, undertakers, on Cherry /
street, where an inquest was held by Cor |
- h. of =. l. II
lows:
THE CoRONER'S INQUEST.
State of Tennessee, Davidson County:
An inquisition, taken at the office of r.
HI. Groomes, on Cherry street, on the 4th
of July, 1871, before me, p. w. Brien, Cor
Oner of the State for the county aforesaid,
duly commissioned and qualified accord
ing to law, upon the view of the bodies of
ander Wright, Charles Campbell, John E.
Crockett, Wylie C.. Howard, William
Mrs. Charles Campbell and child,
Miss H. Jones, of Ohio, and Miss Emma
Yeatman, then and there lying dead and
upon the oaths of J. HI. Dashiell, foreman,
G. T. Thompson, Thos. s. Hays, ]. F.
r. o. Morris, Hiram Vaughn,
and r. A. Fraley, good and lawful men of
The county aforesaid, who, being sworn
and charged to enquire on une part OF SAID
State when, where and after what manner
he said persons came to their deaths, they
10 say upon their oaths that, having re-
viewed the above bodies, do agree unani-
that the cause of their deaths was
,ccasioned by an accident on the Nash
vile and Northwestern Railroad, by the
giving away of the bridge No. Z, across
he Harpeth river.
Signed, &c.
Among the killed not named in the In
luest were Mrs. Burns and child, whe
lived but two hundred yards beyond the
md of the bridge, who was just returning
o her home and was just ready to get off,
The train was Stacking up for this purpose
md the engineer is of the opinion that had
he train been running at its usual speed
would have passed over safely.
Mrs. Lynch, living near Newsom's, was
killed outright.
Deputy Sheriff Pendergrast, of Dixon
county, was killed.
HAND IN HAND THROUGH THE VALLEY.
Among the killed lying side by side in
he cold embrace of death, were John E.
and son, VIM. Crockett, and Mr..
yhas. Campbell, wife and little child, all of
whom must have been killed instantly
md passed side by side through the Valley
IF the Shadow of death. Mr.. Campbell was
, prominent citizen of Nashville, and had
ust started with his family to Kingston
L: IL |