Danbury Times

Accident on The Erie Railroad.

We learn from passengers who came on the steamer Thomas Powell, arrived yesterday morning, that an accident of a serious character occurred on the Erie Railroad on Wednesday afternoon. It was occasioned by the breaking of the iron bridge extended across a narrow stream about three miles above Lackawaxen Creek.

A locomotive, with twenty-three freight cars attached, had partially crossed the bridge, when it gave way, and the central cars of the train fell in, drawing the cars at either end after them. The engineer, the moment he perceived the bridge was going, had the presence of mind to draw out the valve, and was thus enabled to reach the opposite abutment, but the coupling to the tender breaking, the tender, with sixteen cars, the latter heavily loaded with horned cattle, sheep, &c., were precipitated into the abyss and smashed to atoms.

And when our informant left, yesterday morning, the dead bodies of three men had been taken out, and it was feared that others were buried beneath the rubbish. Two of them were drovers from Ohio. The other was a brakeman employed on the road. There were also sixty head of cattle killed, and a large number of sheep and hogs.

Yesterday morning's train was delayed about an hour, as the baggage was brought around the breach by about fifty laborers, who were engaged in clearing away the rubbish, but left their work for that purpose. The bridge, we are told, was only 16 feet span, and the whole loss will not exceed $10,000 or $15,000. The road will be soon repaired.

P.S. Mr. H. L. Robinson, U. S. Mail agent came in last evening from the scene of disaster having left that place at 3 1/2 o'clock, yesterday afternoon. The spectacle presented at that time, as we learn from him, was truly heart-sickening. The fragments of sixteen cars were promiscuously mingled with the mutilated carcasses of from 80 to 90 head of cattle, 100 sheep and as many hogs, in the fatal break. The stench arising from the already putrifying mass was exceedingly offensive. Laborers were employed in digging a deep trench in which to inter the carcasses.

It is now ascertained beyond doubt that but three persons lost their lives, as no others were missing. The names of the killed, as nearly as can be ascertained, are J. L. Clapp, of Painsville, Ohio, the owner of most of the cattle ;-- Randall, brakeman, of this State, and H. C. Clapp, a nephew of J. L. Clapp, before mentioned. The latter was from Mentor, Ohio.

The death of Mr. Clapp, Sr., took place under peculiarly distressing circumstances. He was discovered shortly after the catastrophe, buried among the fragments of the cars, and directly beneath an ox which was still alive, and at times, greatly distressed Mr. C. by kicking him in his breast. He could be reached, but it was impossible to extricate him until the ox was removed. He seemed perfectly sensible, and gave directions as to how he could best be relieved. He thought he could endure the weight of the ox, until it could be killed and removed piecemeal. It was therefore shot, but in his dying struggles, kicked Mr. C. so violently in the breast as to deprive him of life. Immediately previous to his death, he spoke much of his family in Ohio, stating that he had there a wife and four children.

In addition to the killed, Mr. Hatch, late conductor, was much injured ; also two brakemen. Mr. Hatch was on the tender when the bridge gave way, but saved himself from being crushed, ed in the wreck, by leaping from it. His head however, is supposed to have struck a stone abutment of the bridge in his descent, causing a bad gash. The body of the dead brakeman was brought on to his place of residence, near the Hudson river, last evening. The others were enclosed in coffins.-Journal of Commerce.