The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-21
Thrilling Details Of the Awful
Accident on the Mexican
Railway.
Mexico Correspondent New York World

Mexico Correspondent New York World
This route had beeL inaugurated
only three days before tie disaster.
The president and highest government
officials went by invitation 10 the ter
minus at Cuautla, and in order To
honor the distinguished party, General
Pachcco, Governor of the Federal
District. sent out three hundred sol
diers, under the command OF Ave
officers. As the railroad company had
not a sufficient number Of cars TO &C
commodate the multitude Of people
who went to Cuautly. only q hun
dred soldiers returned to Mexico on
the 2Oth instant, and on the o3d in
slant a train was made up consisting
Of, first, a passenger car for the officers
and passengers, secondly five platform
car. tsuch as are used for cattle in the
United States, and in these were
placed one hundred soldiers and thirty
seven ''soldaderas" wives who are
10y law permitted to accompany the
troops to cook and wash FOR them) /.
thirdly, a sixth platform car, laden.
with eighty barrels of alcohol; fourthly
another car, filled with lime. At the
rear was , second locomotive. THIS
train left Cuaulla at go o'clock in
the evening. In the course OF half an
hour a terrible thunderstorm COM
menced, but as this is the rainy sea
son" 1t excited no attention. About
nine O'Clock 2. NJ. the engineer of the
forward engine said to the lieutenant
colonel in command of the troops i:
49, 4 . \ ha rnnta ia nau faur fh. rod
bed may he washed out in some places
/ by this heavy rain and the temporary
wooden bridges may be unsafe. We
had better return TO Cuautla and wait
until morning" The colonel replied
Il have received orders to report IL
Mexico City early to morrow morning;
you must go on" The engineer then
proceeded slowly and cautiously.
When within a few yards Of 4 new
bridge, called Juan Atomic" which
spanned a barranca Ia deep ravine) IN
the Malpais, he stopped and got OF the
engine for the purpose OF examining
the bridge, although it was supported
by stone piers. The colonel command
ing Immediately sprang from his Cal
and demanded to know why the train
had been stopped. The engineer again
expressed his fears of the recently con.
strncted bridges. The soldiers, who
had heard the former conversation be
tween their commander and the en-
gIneer, seemed to be panic stricken
and commenced jumping from the
platform cars. The officers, dreading
a complete desertion, tried TO allay
their fears, but quite a number escaped
uDder cover of the Cimmerlan darkness
AT length. however, order was restored,
and the men seated themselves in sui
len silence, the Soldaderas calling Oh
the Great Mother" for protection,
and covering down again in the cars.
Then the lieutenant colonel, placing
his pistol G the engineers head ano
ordering two subaltCrn officers to take
charge OF the two fremen, moupted the
engine with the engineer and repeating
I'll blow your brains out ii you STOP
again, compelled the poor fellow To pu
the train In motion. No guard had beef
stationed at the bridge nor had even
lamp been placed there; the heav.
fresnet had brought down debris which
mad pressed AGAINST the two piers anC
carried them of the headlight of tn
engine shone only upon the rails which
remained and the engineer being una
bic to seen that these steel threads wer'
unsupported the train instantly plunged
into the abyss, precipltating It's human
freight into the toamlng water. Ih'
ravIne being narrow the cars were pile
on each other, crushing and manglin!
all. Then the eighty barrels of alcoho
rolled out, many breaking open as the.
fell next the lime poured over the VIC
tins, and finally came IN additional hor
ror. As the rear engine was dragged
into the ravine its live Goals fired tn
alcohol, and In a few seconds this ago
nizing mass Of humanity was envelopes
IN flames. Imagine their sufferings.
a gentleman who escaped from III
wreck OF the first car said to me las
night "Dante's description of hell con
veys but a faint idea of the horrors
witnessed. The thunder peals scenes
like the voice of an memorable tate, tn
fortunes of that doomed mass of human
beings we're made so distinct, first b
the flames of the alcohol and afterward
by the flashes Of lightning that my sou
slckened. | managed to clamb r u
the SlueS Vi Uuc TiNluc duu COuuu OH
pray: Christ, pity Them, and then
tainted"
The list of the dead, so far o%ficiall
known to this date, is loo soldiers
twenty-six soldaderas. three officers
four passengers five children, two fire
men of the first engine ana the enginee
Of the last locomotive. The wounde
number sixty-nine. Strangely enough
the engineer of the first locomotive an
the lieutenant colonel, who were tn
first to plunge into the %ravine, are bot
saved and neither is seriously wounded
] They are both to-day in prison.
FROM ASHEVILLK Col. John II
C. merOn writes to the Durham Rect7
der, July llth, that there is not tn
usual rush Of summer visitors to tn
mountains; though many are expected
He say few or nom going to Glen A
pine Springs If hotel proprietors can
\ not afford to advertise their establish
!, ment, the public Don suspects that it
kept in cheap-john style); aud tn
=, ASheville hotels are not full. 1t