New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-21
ANOTHER RAILWAY HORROR
AN EXPRESS TRAIN WRECKED AND BURNED
THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS UNKNOWN.

AN EXPRESS TRAIN WRECKED AND BURNED
THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS UNKNOWN.
A BRIDGE WASHED AWAY AT RICHMOND SWITCH
r. L-Tm sTOSINGTON STEAMBOAT TRAIN
PLUHGEs INTO THE cHAsN THE WRECKED
CARS BURNED-sEvEN DKAD BODIES REcoVEi'hD
ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE PASSENGERS WOUNDED
AND MANY MISSING.
10y TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBUNE.l
BOSTON April 2o-The steamboat express tra'h
which connected with the steamer Stonington rom
yew-York on Friday night met with terrible Gus
Rster. early Saturday morning near klcnfnonu
Switch "A miles from Stonington, on the stonlhgVoh
and Providence Railroad. Near Hehmonu o"l'OI
Mere is bridge across a stream called MeAuo"
Brook. Just above the bridge there Is uann "i
49, in mining a saw-mil near by. On account u
no recen+ heavy rims the water has beenYery hgh'
md some time Friday night between l. anu
,,elocl, the dam gave way under the pressure upon
z letting the water through IN solid volume anu
,arrving away both abutments OF the r'hiroau
nridce lint leaving the supersTucture. AT mldhlgnI
,ho mail train south passed over TINS bridge IN
afety. nina
The steamboat train, which consisted Oh an engine
- bo,o,ooe flats one second-class car three first
,lass messenger coaches and smoking car LETT the
.,eamboat wharf az Stonington at 80 a. NJ the
hbind On the train sped at the rate of 40 miles an
bonr rau1dlv approaching the undermined and tot
tring bridge The structure about 10 feet span,
lint the speed of the train was so great that the
engine Jumped completely across the stream ana
struck the opposite bank. The freight flats followed
and then the second-class car, both falling down
into the bed of the creek The first hrSt-class car
telescoped into the seoondcass car, both plunglng
together TO the opposite side Of the chasm The
other three cars followed. but we're not wrecked
soon rs the train left the rails the falling lamps
and the overturned stoves set ire to the cars Inc
messengers who were drowned had at least the good
fortune TO escape more horrible death from hIe
among the wrecked cars, which were soon IN names
Shreks for assistance from the sufferers ID tle
burning ruins, but fathers, mothers, brothers ana
sisters cried in vain for rescue from the flaming cars
though manful efforts were made in their behalf
Some. however. were pulled cut through car WIN
dows and some out of the water below. while others
were crushed to death beneath the ruins.
Conductor Gardiner was in the rear car when the
rash occurred, aud was jammed between the seats
but bv great exertiOn extricated himself leaped
from the car with a danger signal and ran back TO
warn the mail train only 10 minutes behind. When
he returned be found the forward cars wrecked and
IN flames
Ii is impossible to obtain any authentic list of the
killed. as many bodies are burned beyond recognl-
ton and fears are entertained that all the dead
have not been found Seven bodies have been re-
covered. FIVE only being recognizable. They are
those Of William d. Guild Of Providence, engineer
George Eldred. fireman Albert F. Allen of Provi-
dence, Jerry Dreamer of Boston, and John Callahan
Of New-York. Mr.. Allen was burned to death
having hls foot caught in the car he could not free
himself and died in torture. Almost all of the Is
seeond-olass passengers were killed in the second
GLASS car. only three or four escaping. Two wOneu
we're seen roasting alive IN the burning ruins.
The following are the names of the wounded:
Thomas Nolan, brakeman. thigh fractured
T. Mangiu, Boston. three ribs broken.
Joseph Phillips, John Carter, JOhn HOllngsWofJh OF
miss LINE Evans New-York, right ankle fractured.
j. d. Eldridge. Nev-YorE; William Finley, Boston, and
Dennis Bolton. New York, are badly bruised
Dennis Heffeman. Ireland collar bone broken.
PatTiek Wheian ana Henry steine, NewYcrk. badly
Mary and Nora Bohan injured badly The former has
leg fractured and internal injuries ne latter Aas her
Patrick Burns. New-York; Frank Johnson Eew-Bed-
lord Joseph Ouistead ProVlaencei james fie1niih,
RewY0rk, and E. ID. Crofn, New-Hork, are All badly
Ge1rso H Vernon. New-York injuries 20 head and
,.S Jones Todd same injuries Thomas Burke. head
injured Edward Messenger, severe head wound
Some % others are slightly injured and bruised.
Most of tie wounded viii recover. As soon As
possible medical attendance was obtained, and
nothuc left undone TO alleviate the terrible suffer
lnrs of the wounded, while the dead were properly
attended to.
From tue most authentic reports there must have
boeu over 50 persons killed and burned TO death
,vnie some Of the passengers who arrived bere say
60. Thirty viii probably cover the list Of the killed
IN this terrible railway disaster, the account Of
which has mortified this community since Saturday
forenoon.
LATER.-The latest dispatch from the scene of the
disaster came last night. No dispatches have been
received to-day up q this hour owing 10 the INSULT
cheney Of telegraph facilities, there only being one
wire to Richmond Switch 1t is generally believed
that other bodies are still the water, and Efforts
are being made to discover them. A temporary dam
will be constructed in order 20 allow the water be-
low to run of wheR it VIII be easier to search for
more bodies II is said that several persons are
still unaccounted fol- A temporary bridge has been
erected over the stream and trans VIII be running
again tomorrow.
The persons who have been brought to Boston, and
who are under treatment for their injuries IN the
City Hospital, are doing well as can be expected
but Honora Bohan viii probably die from her inju-
res. 1t has been more than ten years since any ac-
cident occurred on the road and the manner in
which this happened seems TO leave csDsure upon
any one.
THE STORY OF THE DISASTER.
row THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED-sTATEMENT OF TiB
CoNDUCToR-A PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE.
RICHMOND SWITCH, r. l.. April IA bridge swept
auav IN The middle Of the nigbt ny an unexDected