AN AMERICAN RAILROAD SMASH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 16, 18 January 1878, Page 4

AN AMERICAN RAILROAD SMASH.

Columbia, S.C, 23rd November. — Tho atartling news was received here this evening that a terrible accident had occurred on the Charlotte, Columbia, and AugUßta railroad, ahout twenty miles from Charlotte, caused by the falling of a trestle bridge that spanned Fishing Creek, while the noon train from Columbia to Charlotte was running over it, and thafc all the passengers had perished This shocking intelligence filled the citizens with horror and excitement, as ninny of the passengers by the ill-fated train were wellknown in this city. The following is the information received as to the cause of the accident: — The northwardbound paßsengertrain.cn the Charlotte, Columbia, and Augusta railroad left Columbia, on .time at 12 o'clock to-day for Charlotte. The train was made up of an express and baggage car, and two passenger coaches, the latter containing over one hundred passengers. The train arrived at Fishing Creek some time after five o'clock p.m., and ran on the bridge, which was about, one hundred feet in beiehi. Suddenly an awful crash was heard, and tbe ■whole structure fell to pieces under the weight of the train, precipitating all the cars-into the deep and muddy current below. The locomotive in charge of Fettner, had just reached the opposite bank when the bridge went down, and would have been dragged back by the falling cars had not the coupling pin fortunately broken off, and left the engine standing on the very brink of the abyss. Fetlner could scarcely realise for a moment or two the terrible character of the accident, but quickly recovering his presence of mind, he saw that unless help was speedily brought to tbe scene of the disaster, the possible survivors would soon perish. Running his locomotive at full speed to Rockhiil, four miles from Fishing Creek, he telegraphed to tbe chief railroad oflice the dreadful news. A special train, having un board the President of the railroad, and other officials, as well as a corps of workmen, hurried at the highest attainable speed towards tbe scene of the accident. Meanwhile the naws had spread in Columbia, and crowds of excited people rushed to the railroad office to learn the particulars. Among the passengers were a number of stockholders and officers of the railroad who had been in Columbia for several days with their families in attendance on the annual meeting of the stockbholders and directors of the road. These, with a large number of others, bound to different points along the line, were in the two cars that went down with the wrecked bridge.

Every effort was being made by the rescue party to release these sufferers from their terrible position, but, the violence of the current and tbe darkness interfered with the operations. The locomotive, which had returned in the meantime, was despatched to tbe Catawaba river, nine miles distant, for a boat, and it waß hoped that all tbe survivors would be rescued. But it waa feared by many tbat such as were injured by the tremendous fall could not hold on to the trees ou account of exhaustion and the bitter cold.

The creek, where the accident occurred ia ordinarily an insignificant stream, but, owing to the heavy rains ■which have prevailed io this-section for over a week, is now swollen to n torent. Its depth at the Bcene of tbe disaster is now at least twenty feet. The trestle was only about one huudred feet long, aud stood about twenty-five feet above the water level.

The cause of the accident is conceded to be tbe undermining of the piers by the action of the usual current brought to bear on them. They were undercut to such au extent that the jar of the moving train .being suddenly transferred to theße supports caused tbem to sink, and tbe weight completed the ruiu of tbe wbole bridge.