The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-10
Ritl,mo.::l @(spatth.
MONDAY. 10, lsl
THE CIRCULATION OF TIE DISPATCH
,s LARGER THAN THE COMBINED ciN-
CITATION OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.
r.1.ro.n CATASTROPHE.
rrn,n OIL the Memphis and Northwestern h"il'
road Prccipitated Twenty Feet into tho iiar-
pcth River Fifteen Persons hillea "ho
T,vcnty Wounded Terrible Scene

awakened at an caTN loil -. Wy Va! va
tho ncwsbovs: Fifteen killed! Twcnty-
tbrnn wounded! Terrible railroad smash |
no on the Northwestern railroaa! boo'es
of the killed just arrived"
The mere announcement In the papers
caused the people to hurry to the unuer.
takers establishment, where the bodies OF
the killed had been taken and LAID out.
Here, i'm u room fronting on the street, we
could see through the glass doors the
bloody. manglcd, and broken bodies rs
they lay in their cotiius.
The train which met with this cataStro-
Dhc left here at half-paSt o'clock last cVcn-
ing, on the Northwestern railroad. 1t was
composed Of an engine, baggage car, TWO
passenger cars, and ono sleeping coacn.
There were fourteen passengers IN tue
front passenger car, about thirty in the Ia
dies car, and three in the sleeping car.
Most of those in the ladies' Car were on
their way TO Kingston Springs to enl ~ the
4th of July. The train, rs usual, reduced
its speed on approaching the bridge over
Harpeth river, sixteen miles from this city.
The engine and baggage car had passed
over the pier in the middle Of the river
in safety. The front passenger car
had reached the pier when the bridge
gave way under it, and il was precipitated
twenty feet into the river, falling
on its side, into eight feet of water. The
ladies' car fell, end up, Oh this. all the pas.
sengcrs falling to the front, and the seats
breaking from their fastenings and falling
on the passengers. in one corner of the
front car, under the water, was MIR. John
Campbell, of Nashville. whose leg and head
were hurt, but who, with the exception of
another gentleman, was the only person
that was left free to move. They swan
through the car, and eXtricated eight or
ten others, and brought them out with but
slight bruises. The others under the seats
were killed or drowned, and their bodies
were not yet found ut daylight.
In the ladies' car thirteen out of thirty
| were killed instantly, and their dead bodies,
| with broken seats, were piled up with and
on the other passengers. In this condition
| they were left, the wounded and dying, in
the darkness of the night. The sleeping
| Car ran half way over the break, and lodged
against the upper end of the ladies' car.
The three persons In it were bruised, but
| soon eXtricatcd themselves, and climbed
down and commenced taking out the bro
ken seats piled upon tho dead and dying,
and after about an hour succeeded in re-
licving many.
The engine and baggage cars hurried on
to Kingston Springs Station, where they
awoke the operator, and telcgraphed to
Colonel Thomas, Superintendent OF the
road. The news reached Colonel Thomas
ut half-paSt II. He ut once started with u
| wrecking train and number Of distin-
gui>hcd physicians for the scene of death,
arriving ut near 9 O'Clock. They went to
work removing the dead and dying. All
this time the wounded were fastened under
he dead bodies, and unable to move hand
or foot, some praying for mercy, others be-
moaning the loss Of dear ones, and others
rejoicing that it was no worse with them
than it was. 1t was extremely difficult
for parties to reach the wounded
without standing on or holding them
selves up by sOmo OF the wounded
or dead. One of the wounded, Mr.. Will
himself hero by telling one Of the doctors
TO stand on his leg, the thigh of which was
mangled and crushed, telling him never to
mind, but relieve the others, who were IN
u worse condition than himself.
j. M. Thompson, Of Amherst Court
house, Va, cut about the head and hip,
and having his bowels mashed, has since
died. He was under the impression that
he had been in a great battle, and cannon
ball had struck him below the knee. When
they brought stretchcr to take him out,
have been wounded in battle before, and
taken off the field on a strctcher." He was
very cheerful, but died soon after reaching
this city.
Mr.. John Scott, an employe at the Nash
Vile depot of the road, was in the centre of
the car convcrsiny with Miss Heard. of
Trenton, Tenn. John Marshall, of Nash
vile, and Judge Hornberger, of Clarks-
vile, both Of whom are distinguished law
ycrs, We're seated opposite, and with Hen
ry Howard fronting them, were convcrsing.
u nd tr-if. ,,S
wero seated in the next seat to the rear,
and Charles Campbell and wife, formerly
Miss Celia Case, of Granville, Ohio, and a
little year-olu daughter, were seated next
to the Yratmans. These were all instantly
killed, except MIR. 1eatman, who escaped
with dreadful wound on the head and, it
is feared. some internal injury. Dir. Scott
was under all these, and escaped with
bruise on the head and q crushed foot.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The following Is list of the killed, as far
as is known: John Marshall, of Nashville;
Judge Hornberger, Of CIarksyille; Henry
Howard, Mrs. Emma Geatman, of Mem
pbis Charles Campbell, wife and child,
and Mrs. Thos. Dunn, of Kingston Springs;
Mr.. Pendergrast, White Bluff; Alexander
Wright, railroad agent, White Bluff j. NJ.
Thompson, Amherst Courthouse three
men unknown.
MIR. Wright, of White Bluff, was taken
out alive, and said, after being laid on the
bank of the river, that he felt rs we'll as
could be expected, and only wanted drink
Of water, which, Immediately after being
taken, was thrown up from the stomach,
together with large quantities of blood, and
in few minutes attcrWard he was dead. 1t
is feared that others in the forward cur were
either drowned or killed.
Colonel Thomas, as soon as he reached
the city with the dead and wounded, re-
turned to the wreck to ascertain the par
licularS.
The following Is list of the wounded as
far as ascertaincd: w. w. Whee, brake
man, leg broken; V. Halle, Point Isabel,
Ind, bruised Miss Heard, Trenton, cash
IN the hand; j. w. Scott, Nashville,
bruised; MIR. Wilhote, Nashville, leg
broken; Miss Clem. Lceke, Nashville,
'ractured arm; w. Walker, Union City,
aw broken; w. E. Ieatman, Mem
Dhis, cut in the head; Thos. r. ieatman,
Kin gston Springs, hurt in the back; Con-
iuctor Lands, leg broken; Mr.. Brown, of
two Pegrams; John Camp
,elI, of Nashville, head and leg hurt S. 5.
Brown. Nashville, Jaw broken and body |
INJURED; Robert Daniel, Bedford county, |
,rm broken Tom Dunn, Kin Sston Springs. |
bruised and cut; Thomas Waine, of Edge |
leld, cut about the head.
The scene at the depot on the arrival of
he train with the dead and wounded, was |
in the extreme. The mothers,
athers, brothers. sisters, and friends of the |
yictims were there to learn the fate of some |
tear one, and many were Mortified to see,
Without being forewarned, the mangied |
lead body of that dear one. MIR. Charles
campbell, of Edgefeld, was an invalid with |
he CONSUMPTION, who had spent the last |
winter in Florida, and was on his way, with |