Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-07-12
HORRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Three cars raU Forty Rect Into the H"r-
peth River.
Seventeen Persons Killed and ~, cntS six
wounded


EDITORS CHRONICLE: Independence
Day was ushered in this morn amid the
deepest gloom, the most intense anxiety,
and the deepest excitement that was eyer
experienced in this community. The out
ward bound train on the nashville ana
Northwestern Road that left this city at
$50 last evening met with a 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.
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 ear over far
enough to more than balance ii over the
awful precipece. The smoking ear 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 70 death, how many
were smothered, or how many were
drowned, is not known, The most intelh-
gent witness of the scene was gentleman
from Talladega, Ala, Il. I. 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 tor, end,
and at once went to the relief of the dying
and wounded. Aided by a 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 a dis
patch was sent back at once, and Superin-
tendent Thomas with Drs. Briggs, BUST and
Nichol, at 124 o'clock, took a special train
and proceeded to the Inflated spot. They
did all in their power to relieve the suffer
ers. At a little after ), \. NJ, the train
with the dead and wounded returned to the
city.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED. BAL
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. 5, undertakes, on Cherry
street, where an inquest was held by Cor
Oner Brien, the report Of which is as fol-
lows adj .-.g -as--l
THE cORoNERis INQUEST. 10 iatf
State Of Tennessee, Davidson County:
An inquisition, taken at the office of II.
H. 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 comm issioned and qualified accord
ing to law, upon the View of the bodies o
j. Ct. Hornberger, John Marshall, Alex
ander Wright, Charles Campbell John u
Crockett, Wylie c. Howard, William
Crockett Mrs. Charles Campbell and child
Miss II. Jones, of Ohio, and Miss Emma
Yeatman, then and there lying dead ant
upon the oaths Of J. II. Dashiell, foreman
G.. T. Thompson, Thos. 5. Hays, j. +
Demoville, ~. o. Morris, Hiram Vaughn
and r. a. Fraley, good and lawful men o
the county aforesaid, who, being sWorI
and charged to enquire on the part of SAT-
State when, where and after what manne
the said persons came to their deaths, the,
do say upon their oaths that, having re
viewed the above bodies, do agree unani
mously that the cause of their deaths wa
occasioned by an accident on the Nash
willie and Northwestern Railroad, by th'
giving away of the bridge No. Z, acros
the Harpeth river.
Among the killed not named in the in
quest were Mrs. Burns and child, VIII,
lived but two hundred yards beyond tn
end of the bridge who was just returning
to her home and was just ready 10 get of
The train was Stacking up for this purpos
and the engineer is of the opinion that hat
the train been running at IT'S usual spec
ii would have passed over safely.
Mrs. Lynch, Living near Newsom's, wa
killed outright.
Deputy Sheriff Pendergrast Of DiXOI
county, was killed.
HAND IN HAND THROUGH THE VALLEY
Among the killed lying side by side il
the cold embrace of death, were John 4
Crockett and son, VIM. Crockett, and Mr.
Chas. Campbell, wife and little child, all {
whom must have been killed instantl
and passed side by side through the Vale
of the Shadow of death. Mr.. Campbell wa
q prominent citizen of Nashville, and hai
Just started with his family to Kingston
Springs for his health. He was a maj
much esteemed and beloved in Nashville
He was one of
THE PROMINENT OF THE DEAD.
John Marshall, Esq, one Of the YER
foremost Of the young men of the NASH
willie Bar, was victim of the disaster. III
was brother-in-law to Messrs. Charles am
Frank II. McClung, of this city. He seem
to have had some presentiment of his fate
He was reluctant TO make the trip, and S
repeatedly expressed himself. He was el
route to Charlotte to attend court at th
time of the accident. He went only on
Of q sense Of duty to his client and at tn
urgent solicitation of his senior partner
but with a certain presentimeut that som
tod ", A. :