The Jasper weekly courier., 1878-02-01

Particulars of the Terrible Accident Near
TnrinsiiIe, Coan.

Moody and Sankey excursion-train acci-
dent on the Connecticut Western Road,
near Tarlilylle last night, was exager.
ated as 10 loss Of life, vet the affair was
a terrible one. Over 800 residents Of
Winsted, Canaan, Salisbury, and other
places in the western section of the
State had visited the Moody and Sankey
revival meeting and embarked for home
after service, leaving Hartford by a
special train Of eleven cars and two
locomotives. The party had enjoyed a
rare feast Of religious communion with
the great evangelists, and little did they
imagine the fearful catastrophe so close
at hand. There was no warming
nothing to lead TO apprehension. Cross
ing
THE FARMINGTON RIVER BRIDGE,
one mile from Tariffyille the train was
just entering upon the trestle work
stretching across the meadows when
an ominous crash was heard ahead Of
the train. The west span. 100 feet long,
on the Howe truss principle, had yield
ed TO the overweight Of two engines,
and, parting near an abutment, caved
into the stream, crushing through six
inches Of ice with which il was GOV
cred The first engine cleared the
woodwork Of the bridge proper, and,
turning over, landed bottom up, ire
trievably damaged Its mate went
down, enwrapped i'm the wreck of the
bridge, both landing upon solid ground.
but the baggage-car crushed through
the ice into six feet Of WATER. and de-
posted its dozen occupants in
THE ICY FLOOD,
mixed up with the myriad of splinters
into which the woodwork was shattered.
The first passenger-car was next crush
ed TO half size. Swinging around at
right angles, into its weakest spot, the
side, came like catapult the heavy
front platform Of the next car, the rear
end Of which renamed upheld against
the central pier Of the bridge. The
fourth car, striking its predecessor,
swung off diagonally, and pitched head
foremost into the chasm. This ended
the crash, for the remaining cars were
saved from going Off by the ends Of the
scribed. In moment the shrieks Of
women and groans Of men rang out up
on the piercing cold air
THE sHRIEKs or CRUSHED, MANGLED
BEINGS,
struggling to obtain release from the
meshes into which the shock had hurled
them IN the ends Of the overturned ears
The unhurt fastened 10 help the endan-
gered, and additional aid came from the
villagers Of Tariilville, who were arous-
ed by the noise Of the crash A merci-
ful Providence preserved the passengers
from the usual terrible feature Of lire
originating from lamps and stoves, but
the occupants Of the first two cars were
brought face to face with death by
drowning, as the cars forming their
prisons settled gradually down into the
water and sand. Measures for relief
were well organized by few leading
spirits, and soon the workers hewed and
tore away timbers with will until,
IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS,
every car was cleared OF its living occu-
pants, the wounded being borne away
TO the river bank on sledges hastily i'm
proyised from saplings and car-cush-
ions, and thence to the genial warmth 4
Of the cars which had remained on the \
track, and where friends were ready TO \
minister To their needs. Telegrams
were dispatched to Hartford and Win
sted for aid, and special trains arrived
soon after, Hartford contributing a
dozen surgeons under the excitement
occasioned BY the report that a. least
fifty deaths had happened and wounds
were innumerable. The worst injured
were removed to hotels and private
dwellings, people throwing open their
doors and Offering every accommoda-
tion. Two hours later the members of
the party able to travel were sent home
by special train over other roads af-
fording connection beyond the break
Meantime
SEARCH FOR THE DEAD
began. and five corpses Of women Were
taken from the wreck. all having died
from drowning. Search for the dead this
morning yielded the bodies Of six young
men who met death in the same way.
having been standing on the front plat
form when the car went down, and be-
ing pushed under water. Other bodies
are believed to be in the ruins, and will
be found by the wrecking party now
clearing away the debris preparatory 70
the erection Of a new bridge and the re-
of travel. Strange Ia say, Of
an aggregate Of thirteen deaths reported,
all but two are by drowing, only one
passenger. Fred. Hotchkins, and Engi-
neer Hatch, dying from the injuries Us
ually incident to such disaster as this.
In his sermons to-day,
MIR. MOODY
alluded In touching terms to the acci- .
dent, and offered fcrvcnt prayer for |
the recovery II the injured. Response
biliy ior the disaster l. claimed 70 at-