The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-30

TUGALoo, Miss, Aug. %, 1876.

IUGALoo, Miss, Aug 20, 1915.
Editors Duly Bulletin:
! GEsTLENEE AN editorial in youI
Issue, OF the 25th inst, does, think.
great injustice to CO.. E ID. Frost, Gen
eral Mapsger Of the n. O., ST. L. 4 c.
K. r., as well as to the officials of that
/ line in general. You accuse them, Col.
Frost in particular, of endeavoring to
conceal from the public the extent of the
s'lisaster near TugalOo, in order not to
impair public confidence in the Road.
Having personally inspected the scene of
the late disaster, 'and made many in
quiries OF persons who were in the wreck,
as well as from others who arrived at the
scene immediately after the occurrence.
and who assisted in rescuing the pas
sengers, | can fully cOrroborate the
statements made by the officials of road,
as given in their dispatches to the New
Orleans press. As far as | Guild learn
tand my examination was very thoroughly
there was but one person killed outright
by the accident-.the tramp referred to,
who was stealing a ride, and who was
found some distance in front of the mail
car, between which and the tender he
was undoubtedly riding. The only other
person who was killed, or who has since
died from injuries. is the gentleman
from Montreal, who died after bling
removed to the baggage-car, and while
being conveyed to jackson. The color
ed woman, Mollie Brooks, is now at Jack
son, under medical attendance, and Is ia
fair way to recovery. Mr.. Belts, the
baggage. master, and the Chinaman,
are both also at jackson, and are
recovering rapidly. Mr.. Belts consid-
ering himself well enough now to pro-
coed to his home in New Orleans. These
three are the only ones now under med
ical treatment at jackson, or that | can
learn of at any point along the line OF
the road, aud they, with the four you
mention requiring medical attention in
New Orleans, are all that can ascertain
that were injured enough by the disaster
to require medical attendance
Your information as to the cause of
the disaster, is, in the main, cor
rect. The eulvert was of brick ma
son work with twelve foot opening, AMI
was built when the road was first
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES years ago.
The rain along the line of the
road was light; not enough to
arouse suspicious of danger in the minds
of the section bosses, whose orders are
imperative, to pass over the line imme-
diately after a heavy rain, to guard
against wash-Outs; but to give an idea
of the volume of water that came down
| the run-orlinarily dry will state
that the marks upon bushes and trees
in the vicinity, show that the water was
from twelve to fifteen feet above the
banks, and flooded the cotton and corn
fields for a long distance on each side.
The velocity of the current must have
been terrific, as large masses of masonry,
weighing several tens, were carried at
least three hundred feet from the culvert,
and are now lying scattered through
cotton field below the opening.
To sum up the casualties IRON this
disaster one person (the tramp) was
1 killed outright; a passenger died on
the way to jackson, making Two deaths
in all. Seven were injured so as to re-
quire medical attendance; all of whom
it is said, will recover, with the excep-
ton, possibly, of the colored woman.
From this statement in which 4" no
thing is extenuated," it will be seen
that the report of Gen. Manager Z. D.
Frost is strictly correct, and not in the
least colored in the interest of the
of the Railroad Company. Indeed,
all who know him, without other evil
dence, would acquit him of any such
design. For comparison, append his
report:
An unprecedented heavy food fell
last night in the region, eight and half
miles north of jackson, Miss, and II
foot culvert was washed out directly I'M
der the train. The engine, tender and
mail car passed over; the baggage car,
smoking car and ladies' coach went into
the hole. The sleeping car did'not get
off the track The passengers hurt were
in the smoking car and ladies' coach.
The summary of casualties is as fol-
lows One tramp, stealing passage,
killed; two passengers mortality wound.
ed, and ten injured, but none dangerous
!, ly.
| will add that the accident resulted
from Providential causes, which no hui
man agency could have guarded against
Very respectfully,
:; CHAs. II. TOWNSEND.