Wesleyville, NY Rails Removed Causes Accident, Nov 1866

THE DISASTER ON THE BUFFALO AND ERIE RAILROAD.

Particulars of the Accident -- Full List of the Killed and Wounded -- Action of the Managers of the Road.

In the Buffalo Courier of Thursday we have the following interesting details of the disaster on the Buffalo and Erie Railroad, which was accidentally and erroneously stated to have occurred on the "Erie Railroad." The Courier says:
The train was the day express, and consisted of three baggage cars, one express car, an emigrant car and five first class passenger coaches drawn by the engine "George Palmer," and under the conductorship of MR. BRIGGS. The locomotive was driven by CHAS. SCADDIN, engineer; and the number of passengers on the train is estimated at between 250 and 300.
The Accident.
The accident occurred one mile east of Wesleyville, between Harbor Creek and Erie, a little after 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A party of workmen had been employed making track repairs at this point, under the direction of a man whose name we understand to be MAHONEY. Two rails had been removed for the purpose of substituting new ones, and when the train appeared in the distance, one of the rails remained to be placed in position. An effort was made to put down the rail with dispatch, but it was found to be too long.
In this dilemma, it was only possible to avert the calamity by means of a signal at a proper distance from the break; but the nearest approach to this, as we learn, was a signal given a short distance off by a man who swung his hat. This signal the engineer did not see, or it was too late; and the train came rushing on to its doom, at a speed of nearly forty miles an hour, on a down grade. When the locomotive sstruck the break, the engineer instantly saw the threatened disaster, and reversed his engine. The locomotive was displaced from the track without serious injury, and the ten cars of the train were thrown clean from the trak; some of them completely wrecked, and their passengers thrown into indescribable confusion. The first passenger coach was literally crushed into fragments. Four of its occupants were killed outright, and by its destruction most of the severer injuries were inflicted. The Express car had its roof entirely carried away, and all the cars, with the exception of the last one, were more or less damaged. We cannot attempt to describe the scene which followed the wrecking of the train, for we were not there; but its terrors and agonies, its moments of awful suspense, and the dread revalations which every minute made to the almost frantic lookers-on, can be imagined by every reader better than can be portrayed. The killed and wounded were taken from the piles of debris as soon as the uninjured passengers and workmen could gain their self-possession, and amid the groans of the suffering and the lamentations of those who knew not the fate of friends buried in the ruins, they all worked with a will till the dead and the living were exhumed from the cruel pile which entombed them. The killed numbered four, and the wounded nearly forty, four or five of whom are injured so seriously as to make their recovery doubtful. The list of the killed and wounded is as follows:
Killed.
DR. WHEELER, Elbridge, N. Y.
JOHN H. WEST, aged 4 years, son of MRS. ANNA WEST, Milwaukee, Wis.
THOMAS C. HUNT, Nunda, N. Y.
MATHEW HARLAND, Sheridan, Iowa.
Wounded.
JOHN OAKSON, Muncy, Ind.; collar bone broken.
P. BROWN, New York City; head cut.
WOODFORD THOMAS, Cleveland, Ohio; eye and arm slightly injured.
H. STOUCK, Milford Centre; slightly injured.
MISS ALMIRA WHITE, Richmond, Penn.; body and hip badly injured.
JAS. WHITE, Richmond, Penn.; hip slightly injured.
MRS. ANNA WEST, Milwaukee; badly bruised.
MISS E. WEST, Milwaukee; three fingers broken.
PETER GROVE, Williamsville, N. Y.; leg hurt, not badly.
DENNIS CONNOR, Rochester, N. Y.; knee and ankle slightly injured.
CHARLES HUST, New York; head cut and injured internally.
JOHN HUST, New York; not badly injured.
MRS. KATE ALBRECHT and two children, New York; slightly bruised.
MARY GERRYNOT and three children, Rochester, N. Y.; slightly bruised.
MRS. CONNOR and daughter SARAH, Buffalo; both hurt in hip and back.
MISS SARAH AMY, Erie, Penn.; injured in stomach, slightly.
ALEXANDER LEE, Weston, N. Y.; injured in head, slightly.
MRS. ALEX. LEE, Weston, N. Y.; injured in arm and head, slightly.
DANIEL HUBBARD and wife, Unionville, N. Y.; injured in head, slightly.
JOHN BROWN and son, Rochester, N. Y.; both slightly injured.
WILLIAM B. GRAFTON, Worthington, Ohio; head and ankle injured slightly.
E. C. ROBINSON, Springfield, Mass.; head, neck and shoulder injured slightly.
J. McDONAHUE, New York City; head and arm slightly injured.
FRANCIS LYNCH, New York City; head cut, not dangerous.
EDWARD CARTWRIGHT, Buffalo, N. Y.; head cut, slightly; has returned to this city.
WILLIAM BRIDGEHAM, Silver Creek, brakeman; head cut slightly.
JOHN PARKER, Norwalk, Ohio, employed on Cleveland and Toledo road; head and side injured slightly.
S. VEDDER, Stockton, N. Y.; injured in side slightly.
RACHAEL McCLELLAN, New Mumford, Penn.; side and arm slightly injured.
FRANCIS MORAN, New York City; slightly bruised.
MRS. WEST, of Milwaukee, was found completely wedged in between heavy timbers, and covered with the debris. In her grasp was her little boy, dead. She clung to him, without uttering cry or groan, and all unconscious that his young life had been crushed out. She only released him from her hold when informed of his death, and afterwards, with heroic patience and fortitude, awaited the time when the energetic hands should rescue her from imprisonment. She was taken out badly crushed, and at last accounts hopes were entertained of her recovery. Her conduct and general bearing under the terrible trial through which she passed, is spoken of in the highest terms by all who saw her at the time.
One man had his hat cut in two by some flying fragment, but escaped without injury; and numerous others had narrow escapes from death. But at our present writing we are without the incidents which can only be gathered from those who shared in the perils of the disaster, or watched the sufferings of their fellows.
Intelligence of the accident was at once conveyed to Erie, and two cars were promptly dispatched to the wreck to carry the sufferers to that place. The cars made a second run to the scene of the difficulty, and by 8 o'clock in the evening, the dead and the wounded were at the Erie depot, where provisions had been made for their reception and care. W. S. BROWN, Esq., one of the Directors of the road, hearing of the accident, promptly summoned the best surgical and medical aid the city afforded, and was untiring in his exertions throughout the night to alleviate the sufferings of the injured. His efforts were heartily seconded by MR. JEROME, an employee of the road, and by as many of the citizens of Erie as could render effective service. Everything that could be done in favor of the wounded was done; and they were unanimous and warm in their thanks for the thoughtful kindness shown to them. Out of the number wounded only fifteen or eighteen remained in Erie yesterday, the others being able to pursue their journeys; and of this number, ten have received at the hands of the company such indemnity as both parties could agree upon, and so far all have expressed themselves satisfied with the liberality and promptness of the management.
Superintendent R. N. BROWN reached the wreck as soon as possible after the accident, and remained on the spot during the night. By his directions the debris was removed promptly, and yesterday the trains passed over the road as usual.
This is the most terrible disaster that ever occurred on this road; only two human lives having been sacrified upon it since its construction; and, in the present instance, we learn that the man in charge of the gang, near Wesleyville, has confessed before a Coroner's jury that he, and he alone, is to blame for the casualty.

The New York Times New York 1866-11-17
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!