| From the Nashville Weekly Union and American |
| |
| February 11, 1861 |
| |
|
The Railroads and the Rains
|
|
Fatal Railroad Accident
|
|
We learn from Mr. Crott, messenger of the Adams Express
Company, that the heavy rains of last Friday and Saturday have done a
vast amount of damage to some of the railroads connecting with the
Memphis & Charleston railroad. The abutment of the railroad bridge
over the Chickamauga creek, about ten miles from Chattanooga, was
washed away on Saturday night. On Sunday morning the eastward bound
train from Chattanooga, whose engineer was ignorant of the washing
away of the bridge, ran into the creek, the locomotive being entirely
submerged, together with the tender and baggage car. The engineer, Mr.
McNabb, when he drew near, blew for the breaks, and reversed the
engine, but had no time to escape. He went down at his post, and has
not been seen since. He leaves a wife and four children at Knoxville.
The fireman, Mr. Brown, jumped off the train and swam ashore with
great difficulty.
|
|
The Western & Atlantic road, which runs from
Chattanooga to Atlanta, had two or three bridges washed away, and the
water was over the track some four hundred yards between Chattanooga
and Chickamauga station. The bridge south of Johnson depot was also
washed out of its place. The bridge at Tilton station was likewise
washed away.
|
|
The New Orleans and Jackson road {New
Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern RR} was also considerably
washed away on Friday night, near Jackson, Miss.
|
|
There has also been heavy slides on the Virginia &
Tennessee Railroad.
|
|
The Southern bound train from Chattanooga to Atlanta {Western
& Atlantic RR} got as far as Catoosa, about thirty miles
from Chattanooga, on Sunday morning, when it was found that the bridge
on the Chickamauga had been washed out, so that it could not pass. The
train attempted to go back, but it was found that a portion of the
territory over which it had passed had been washed away so that it
could not return, leaving one and a half miles for it to play on.
|
|
Memphis Bulletin
|
|