| From the Richmond Dispatch |
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| October 11, 1861 |
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| Accident on the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad |
| The Lynchburg Republican, of yesterday,
contains the following in relation to the accident alluded to in our
Lynchburg letter: |
| A serious accident occurred to the Eastern
bound freight train of the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad on
Tuesday last, resulting in damages to the cars and engine
to a large amount, as well as occasioning the loss of freight,
consisting of groceries of various kinds, together with a quantity of
soldiers baggage, estimated in round numbers at $50,000 or $60,000.
Owing to the heavy rains of Monday, the mountain streams were very
much swollen, and while the train, of nine cars, was crossing Pea
creek in Wythe county, an abutment of the bridge was washed away,
precipitating the engine and cars into
the water below, and making almost entire wreak of them. Several of
the cars, we are informed, were carried by the force of the water 200
or 300 yards below the place the accident occurred at. The engineer
and fireman escaped by swimming, and a negro brakeman who could not
swim was washed some distance down the stream, when he was rescued by
the exertions of persons who witnessed the accident. No other persons
were on the train at the time. In consequence of the accident, the
running of the passenger trains is somewhat interrupted; but we learn
that the damages will be rebuilt, so as to cause no detention, by
Saturday next. |
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