| From the Richmond Dispatch |
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| August 13, 1861 |
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| Railroad disaster |
| A most unfortunate disaster occurred on
the {Virginia} Central Railroad, near the
Junction, in Hanover county, on Sundaynight last, about 9 o'clock. A
train left Richmond that evening, with a considerable number of
soldiers, including the Davies Rangers, Captain L. H. Fitzhugh, and
the Davis Guards, Captain Van Osten, both from Kentucky. The train
proceeded safely on until it reached the point above mentioned, where,
unhappily, a chasm had been made in the road by the heavy rain; but
the darkness of the night prevented the discovery of this fact until
too late to avoid the disaster. The locomotive suddenly plunged into
the chasm, dragging after it the ears, which piled one upon another in
a confused mass. A scene of indescribable terror ensued, which the
darkness made still more appalling. It is miraculous that a large
number of the passengers were not killed outright. An it happened,
however, the two companies named above were all that sustained serious
injury. To rescue the sufferers from the debris of cars and baggage,
was a task of much difficulty. One only was killed, and but few were
dangerously wounded. We append a list, furnished by Captain Fitzhugh. |
| Davis Guards--John Larkin, immediately
killed; Wm. F. Donaldson, wounded dangerously — head, left arm and
left leg broken; S. M. Templeton, shoulder and breast; Richard Long,
beck, arm and ankle; J. W. Porter, strained through the hire; T. M.
Houell, breast and back; Orderly Sergeant C. White, wounded in head,
breast, and internal bruises; John Fabin, bayonet wound; Henry
McCollough, head, thigh and knee; G. W. Smith, wounded in both legs;
P. H. Walker, wounded slightly in hip and side. |
| Davies Rangers — John Colman, wounded in
head, back, and hip; R. Overton, shoulders and leg; G. H. Coney, back,
arm and shoulder; John Kembrow, left knee; M. L. Gist, hip; T. B.
Monks, collar-bone broken; J. B. Quigings, collar-bone broken and
other bruises; J. J. C. Swin, cut in face; Lieut Wm. Gilmore, bruised
internally; Geo. Holbrook, wounded in back; Mr. Mahan, arm sprained;
S. A. Atkinson, hip badly bruised, and number of others slightly
injured. |
| A dispatch for surgical aid was received
the same night at the St. Charles Hospital, which was responded to as
soon as possible by the departure of Drs. Beale, Hancock, and Miles.
The road has been repaired, and the accident will not interfere with
the regular running of the trains. The engine
was not much damaged, though some of the cars were smashed up. |
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