Crash of the Housatonic Railroad

VOL. IX.—No. 453.]

NEW YORK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1865.

SINGLE COPIES TEN CENTS. $4.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE.

Entered according. to Act of Congress, in the Year 1865, by Harper & Brothers, in the Clerk's Office of the. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

THE HOUSATONIC RAIL
ROAD SLAUGHTER.

AGAIN we have to record a railroad accident, involving the wholesale slaughter of passengers, and caused by the carelessness of the railroad officers.

On the 14th of August the passenger train of the Housatonic Railroad left Bridgeport about fifteen minutes after 10 o'clock, a little behind time. An extra freight train had been sent out in the morning. This latter train broke down, and was overtaken by the passenger train about six miles from Bridgeport. The passenger train was backed down slowly. The conductor, H. L. PLUMB, went to the rear end of the train, and, standing on the platform, saw an engine approaching and within ten rods of the train. Pulling the bell for the engineer to stop, PLUMB and the President, Mr. HUNT, who was with him, jumped from the train, and had scarcely got off before the collision. The car struck by the engine was nearly annihilated. It was full, having forty or forty-five passengers on board. The conductor went round, and went in at the frontdoor of the rear car, but found the heat so intense that he could not remain. The engine had penetrated to about the centre of the car, and the escape of steam was so great as to suffocate and scald many of the unfortunate passengers.

By this accident five persons were killed outright, and some others died soon after. One of these was a little boy ten years old, who was on his way

home from a visit, having been recalled by his mother's death. Another—an old lady of 71—had just been visiting her son. Over twenty passengers were

wounded more or less seriously. The regulations of the road in regard to the use of red flags were not complied with, and hence the accident. Is it not

worth while to save half a score of lives by taking the simplest precautions laid down for such case, even if it does require a little painstaking on the part of railroad officers?

CANNIBALS IN HAITI.

WE print on page 557 an illustration of the execution in Hayti of several cannibals—an event which took place last year. Mr. REDPATH, in an interesting article which we publish this week on the Revolution in Hayti, speaks of the barbarous character of SOULOUQUE and his followers of today. As an instance of this inherent barbarity. it is sufficient to state the fact that when SOULOUQUE ascended the throne he accorded protection to that most montrous and unnatural sect of superstitious fanatics known as the devotees of Vaudoux, or Snake-worshipers. One of the rites of their religion is that of human sacrifice. TOUSSAINT, DESSALINES, and later PETION and BOYER, opposed this sect. SOULOUQUE was as superstitious as he was cruel, and believed that he had gained his empire by the aid of the snake. After his expulsion the sect was prudently suppressed. But last year it gave a most bloody token of its existence. The devotees began their horrid festival by an act of cannibalism. The monsters, after having stuffed and

devoured one unfortunate child, were about to gormandize upon a second victim when justice overtook them. As an example several of the cannibals were executed, February 7, 1864.

HOUSATONIC RAILROAD SLAUGHTER—HOUSE TO WHICH THE WOUNDED WERE CONVEYED.—[SKETCHED BY J. F. HUGE.]

COLLISION ON THE HOUSATONIC RAILROAD, NEAR BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, AUGUST 14, 1865.
[SKETCHED BY J. F. HUGE.]