| From the Athens (Tenn.) Post |
| |
| March 6, 1863 |
| |
| Terrible Railroad Accident |
| Between twenty-five and Fifty Killed |
| The Crisis publishes the
following telegraphic dispatches, which reached this city night before
last and this morning. The accident occurred on the Southern
(of
Mississippi) road.
About eighteen miles west of Meridian: |
| To C. S. Williams |
| Meridian, Feb 19 |
| The telegraphic repairer from Newton
today, reports the railroad badly washed between Newton
and Hickory. The engine Hercules, which left here with a
freight train at 4
o’clock this morning, ran into the river near the Chunkey. The
engineer, fireman and a large number of the passengers are supposed to
be drowned. Eight bodies have been recovered. The engine and four cars
are out of sight in the water. |
| J. M. Booker |
| |
| To C. Williams |
| Meridian
, Feb. 20 |
| Gen. Smith went back to Mobile
this morning. Gen. Adams left here this morning on a hand car. Gen.
Price is here, waiting. |
| A man just in from Chunky says
the engine and five cars are under water. The conductor is hurt, but
swam out. The engineer has not been heard from. Between twenty-five
and fifty persons are supposed to be lost – mostly soldiers, who
broke open every car in the train and got in there before leaving
here. The third and fifth cars had only troops and one horse – about
seventy men in the two. The engineer was forward on the engine looking
out, and the conductor was on the engine. |
| We are informed, says the
Crisis, that the officers on this train were among the very best
connected with the railroad department. They were careful and prudent
men, and no blame can be attached to them for this terrible
accident. The soldiers, before getting on the cars were warned, both
by the citizens and officers, of the danger attending the trip, but
they would not be restrained. The train was running at a low rate of
speed when the accident occurred. The engineer and conductor, knowing
the bad condition of the road since the rains, were more careful than
usual and had taken the positions of danger. The loss of the engineer
is very much regretted by the officers of the road, and by his
acquaintances generally. |
|