Martinsburg Gazette

Distressing Rail Road Accident.
A slip from the office of the Portsmouth, Va., Times, contains the following details of an unfortunate accident on the Portsmouth and Roanoke Road, by which fifteen or eighteen passengers were more or less injured, two of whom have since died.—Among the passengers was Senator Preston, who fortunately escaped with no injury.
While the train was about forty-four miles from Portsmouth, a part of the road was discovered, when too late to avoid danger, to have one of its bars loose, and elevated above the track.—One of the passengers was standing on the engine with the engineer at the moment the rail was discovered, and retreated simultaneously with him, that the track was not at its level. They were then at a distance of less than one hundred yards. On approaching they perceived an alarming elevation, and with the cry, "the rail has risen!" leaped from the engine. The crash was instantaneous. The engine was thrown from the track, its wheels and lower frame work broken. The foremost car was crushed, the second car lifted and hurled from the track fifteen feet by the third car running under it, which in its turn was broken by the collision.
There were in these cars from 25 to 30 passengers. Among them six or eight ladies living on the line of the road, who were induced to take an excursion with the view of entering the returning train. Of all these ladies not one we hear escaped without injury.
The second car, being lifted by the 3d over the rearward cars was hurled away as stated a considerable distance, but no injury was received by any of its inmates, among whom were Col. Preston of the U. S. Senate, and his lady, who escaped unhurt.
Their companions in the first and third cars were not so fortunate. The scene is described by a gentleman in one of the cars as distressing. Great difficulty was experienced in extricating the sufferers from the ruins, compressed as they were within fragments of the vehicles and agonising under their miseries. So soon as they could be drawn out they were conveyed to Rochelle's, where every attention was rendered them that was within the power of the proprietor of the mansion.
No human skill nor foresight could have averted the calamity. This, we hear, is the unanimous voice of the passengers, one of whom, a relation we believe, of Colonel Preston, was on the engine at the moment the protruding rail was discovered, and testifies to the exertions of the engineer, made with all possible skill, but alas! directed to no purpose.