Year: 1861

We soon found that the engineer, Harvey Mil
Ter, former engineer named Weaver, and fire.
man Veasey, were instantly killed. John Camp
bell, brakeman, had one leg broken and his
scalp cut off, and was otherwise injured. ii.
A. Walton, u soldier from Columbus Pa, had
a leg broken. Sergeant Cornell of the 9th
New York Regiment, and a German, were
severely injured. Immediately after the smash
up, lights were displayed behind the train to
prevent a cattle train from running into us.
We soon had the two rear cars drawn back to
near farmhouse into which the wounded were
taken, except the brakeman, who was found on
the other side of the creek. Only one piece of
the baggage was lost, but two of the California
mail bags were missing. Mr.. and Mrs. ST.
monds, the owners of the house, proved to be
exceedingly kind, and everything was done for
the comfort of all. No physician could get
there till morning. but the wounded bore up,
bravely under their disaster. Early next morn
ing, the water having fallen somewhat, and the
hoodwood having been removed from the road,
all except the wounded came to the village,
where we found two very good hotels. We
soon learned that most of the railroad bridges
and portions of the track between Scio and An
dover, as well as most of the highway bridges,
were washed away, and that our journey at
present was at an end. On Sunday morning
five of us, three ladies and two gentlemen, had
become too desperate to remain any longer, and
we started for Alfred in wagon, over what
must have been the highest hill and worst road
in Alegany County. BY coming over the hills
we avoided the streams i'll on striking the creek
near Alfred we found all the bridges gone, and
were obliged to walk through the fields, leaving
the driver to pick his way into and out of the
creek as best he could AT Alfred we found
that an engine and one car had been sent on to
Andover to meet the body of Miller, the en-
gineer, if he could be brought there.


About dark the train came along, and brought
us eight miles to Hornesville. Here we found
the streets filed with floating sidewalks, logs,
stumps &C., and the cellars nearly all filled with
water, the railroad bridge gone, and no chance
for us to leave for New York till Monday at
-21 p. NJ. by the mail train. do not believe
that 100000 will put the Erie Railroad track
and bridges in good condition, and think as
much more would not make good the damage
done to the roads, bridges, buildings, farms,
&c. | understand that but little rain fell east
of here, and that we are kelly 10 meet with no
detention after we pass over the temporary bridge
built over the Canisteo Creek at this place.
The railroad employees have of course done all
they could to further repairs, and MIR. Minot,
the general Superintendent, is here pushing mat
ters. 1t appears to me that during such storm
every culvert and bridge should be watched,
and alarm given in case of danger. man
was stationed between the culvert where the
accident happened and the bridge this side of
Scio, but he could not be at both places at once,
and it would seem that the engineer and con-
ductor did not even think of the culvert, it
being built over what was almost always dry
stream. After to-day presume trains will run
regularly from New York to Buffalo, the Buff
fao and Hornellsve division being but little
injured beyound the bridge here, which has been
temporarily repaired SIS.