The daily gazette., 1874-10-08
Il Serious 1ccident on the WI
mingtOn Do Reading Il. X.
SEVERAL PERSONS BADLY HURT, BUT NOT
FATALLY.

SEVERAL PERSONS BADLY HURT, BUT NOT
FATALLY.
The train No 6, which left Reading at
four o'clock ON Tuesday afternoon, while
crossing bridge which spans the Bran
e.ywine between Mortonville and Laurel
Station, met with serious accident
about seven o'clock, Z. NJ, the particu-
lars of which are given below, as receiv-
ed from our fellow townsman, Smith
Talbot, Esq, who was passenger on
the train:
ltappears that the train, consisting Of a
passenger car and baggage car, containing
several passengers, all Of whom were ladies
except Nh Talbot and a party Of laborers
who We're IN the baggage car, while cross
ing the bridge was precipitated down a
steep. embankment into a meadow be-
meath. The train was running at high
rate Of speed. and the bridge, swung spf-
iciently from its position to displace the
track, causing the wheels Of the tender
to jump the track, throwing the baggage
and passenger car from the rails, and af-
ter running some 40 yards, plunged into
the meadow below. All the trucks were
-Trenched from the body OF the cars. The
front Of the passenger car and both ends
OF the baggage car were shivered to frag-
ments.
While the cars were rolling down the
embankment the stoves, being firmly
fastened, remained in position, but the
ti"e failing out, and the lamps being
broken, i6nited the upholstery near the
only door by which the passengers could
escape. The door in the rear end of the
car was forced open by the tiremen, the
flames Were extinguished, and the terri
fled occupants We're released from their
per 'ous situation. 1l's was the condi-
| ton of affa;rs whilst the cars We're in the
meadow. The ladies' We're all more or
less bi used, and one of them was serious
ly injured in the back. The Irish labor
er5, who were seated around the stove in
the baggage car, smoking their pipes,
wee burned considerably by the stove
falling upon them. The clothing of one
/ of them was almost entirely consumed.
Conductor Happersett was badly cut and
i bl used. He had seated himself imme-
diately behind Mr. Talbot, and in reply
to the enqr ~ as to how he was getting
along, replied that che had been engaged
/ as an officer Of the road since the com
I mencement of its operation, and an acci-
dent had never occurred" The words
had scarcely escaped his lips, when the
jar and shock were felt Mr.. Happersett,
upon Eng the shock, jump to catch
the De"rope, and, as he raised from his
1 Seat, tne car plunged down tne emDank
ment, and throw him headlong towards
the front. He seized Mr.. Talbot in the
efforI to save himself. Mr. r.. however,
cluto led the sides of the seat firmly and
went down and over with the ear. Upon
Strengthening himself Mr.. Talbot discov-
cred that he was unhurt, but he found
the conductor jammed beneath the seat
of the CO., bleeding profusely, and in a
Estate of insensib;ity.
He was removed from the car, and con
Iyeyed to n house hard by, where he re
ceived such attention as the situa, on ad
mitted of. 1he up train, which wa
nearly due, was tagged, and the passen
gers conveyed to Whining yon and thence
on their destination.
l Upon whom the responsibility fol
the fearful jeopardy in which number
of human beings were placed by the oc
cuirence it is impossible at present T.
determine. Mr.. Steen however, VIII,
Lives near the scene of the accident state,
that the bridge. which is directly on
curve, has been considered unsafe; ant
| that the engineer of II is train is in tn
practice of crossing it at high rate o
= lspeed, whereas other engineers invariabl
slow the train upon approaching it
| West O. ,ster Local Nelrs