Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1877 — TERRIBLE BAILROAD DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

TERRIBLE BAILROAD DISASTER.

tabula Mlver The Cara Take Fire, -and fr the !»• Veaeengere Abosit IAO I Lose Their Lives by Being Crushed, Burned, Franca or Browned—A Tale of Horror. Cinniajro, Dee. 89. At T:3O o’dock last evening an Iron bridge over the Ashtabula River on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad gave way under the Padflc express, a train which consisted of eleven cars drawn by two enginea. The forward engine had just cleared the bridge when It fell, and, by the breaking of a coupling-pin, was left on the track. The rest of the train fell a distance of seventykve feet into the water below. The crash of the falling bridge and train was heard at a distance of a mile from the scene, and was immediately followed by a brilliant illumination of the sky, caused by the burning cars, which took tire almost inatantto Crowds of people were soon on the ground rendering what assistance was in their power, which was little enough. About fifty were picked up from the wreck, and taken to neighboring houses. Of these several have already dial. . The most heart-rending Incidents are told. Several ■ pertens firmly wedged between . heavy Batters, yet not mortally hurt, were burned to death before the eyes of helpless bystanders. A man, a woman and a child are now known io have died in thia way. The man was roasted for full half an hour, uttering.the most pitiful cries for aid meanwhile before death eame. One of the most remarkable escapes recorded Is that of a gentleman, on# of of four playing " wnfst in a double seat Two of his companions were crushed and the third was mortally hurt, but he escaped uninjured. Two babes wore taken from the wreck alive and n<4 f#al!y injured. There is no one to X specie to" the Chicago Tribune, of the 81st, says: The disaster was dramatically complete. No element of horror was wanting. First, the crash of the bridge—the agonizing moments Of suspense as the seven laden cars plunged down their fearful leap to the icy river died; then the tire, which came to devour all that had been left alive by the crash; then the water, which gurirled up from under the broken ice, and offered another form of death; and, finally, the biting blgst. filled with snow, which froze and benumbed those who had escaped water and fir?. . It wa§ an ideal tragedy. The scene of the accident was the valley of the creek which, flowing down past the eastern margin of Ashtabula village, passes undqr the railway three or four hundred yards east of the station. Here for many years after the Lake Shore Road was built there was a long wooden trestle-work, but as the road was improved this was superseded about ten years ago with an iron Howe Truss built at the Cleveland shops, and resting at either end upon high stone piers, Hanked by heavy earthern embankm nts. The Iron structure was a single span of 159 feet, crossed by a double track seventy feet above the water, which at that point is now from three to six feet deep, and covered with eight inches of Ice. The descent Into the valley on either aide is precipitous, and, as the hills and slopes are piled with heavy drifts of snow, there.was no little difficulty in reaching the wreck after the disaster became known. The disaster occurred shortly before eight "o’clock. It was the wildest winter night of the year. Three hours behind its time, the Pacific express, which had left New York the night before, struggled along through the drifts and the blinding storm. The eleven cars were a lieayy burden to the two engin -s, and when the leading locomotive broke through the drifts beyond the ravine, and rolled on across the bridge, the train was moving at less than ten miles an hour. The head lamp threw but a abort and dim flash of light In the front, so thick was the sir with the driving snow. The train crept across the bridge, the leading engine had reached solid ground beyond, and its driver had Just given it steam, when something tn the undergearing of the bridge snapped. For an instant there was a confused crackling of beams and girders, ending with.* tremendous crash, as the whole train but I the leading engine broke through the framework, and fell in a heap of crushed and splintered ruins at the bottom. Notwithstanding the wind and storm the crash was heard by people within-doors half a mile away. For a moment there was silence, a stunned sensation among the survivors, who, in all stages of mutilation, lay piled among the Sand dead. Then arose the cries of ed and suffering; the few, who remained unhurt hastened to escape from the ahatteredjears. They crawled out of windows into freezing water waist-deep. Men, women and children, with limbs bruised and broken, pinched between timbersand transfixed by jagged splinters, begged with their last breath for aid that no human power could give. Five minutes after the train fell the fire broke out in the cars piled against the abutments at either end. A moment later flames broke from the smoking-car and first coach piled Serose each other near the middle of the stream. In less than ten minutes after the catastrophe every car in the wreck was on fire, and ths flames, fed by >he dry varnished work and fanned by the icy gale, licked up the ruins as though they had been tinder. Destruction was so swift that mercyfras baffled. Men who in the bewilderment of the shock, sprang out and reached the solid ice, went back after wives and children, and found theta suffocating and roasting in the flames. The Neighboring residents, startled by the crash, were lighted to the scene by the conflagration, which made even their prompt assistance too late. By midnight the cremaI tion was complete. The storm had subl sided, but the wind still blew fiercely, and the cold was more intense. When morning camo, all that remained of the Pacific express was* winrow of car-wheels, axles, brakeirons, tuck-frames and twisted rails lying in a black pool at the bottom of the gorge. The wood had burned completely away, and the ruins were covered with white ashes. Here and there a mass of charred, smoldering substance sent up a little cloud of dokening vapor, which told that it waa human flesh slowly yielding to the corrosion of the fire. On the crest of the western abutment, half burled in the snow, stood the rescued locomotive, all that remained of the fated train. A* the bridge fell, its 'driver had given it a quick bead, of steam, which tore the drawbead from its tender, and the liberated engine shot forward and buried itself in the snow. The other locomotive, drawn backward by the falling train, tumbled over the pier and- fell bottom upward, on the express car next behind. The engineer, Folsom, escaped with a broken leg. How he cannot tell, nor can any one else imagine. The three charred shapeleas lumps recovered up to noon to-day are beyond *ll hope of recognition. Old or young, male or female, black or white, no man can telL They are alike in the cruel ble of death. For the rest, there are piles of white ashes in which glisten the crumbing pai tides of calcined bones; in other places masses of black, charred debris, half under water, which may contain fragments of bodied, but nothing of human semblance. Among-the victims of the disaster were P. P. Bliss, of Chicago, the well-known oompcfaelrof Several popular pieces of sacred mtislc, and his wire. It was at flrat thought that Ma two children were also among the Silled, but it was subsequently ascertained had beeqleft behind *t Rome-Pm, dnd consequently had escaped the terrible «e of their parents. Mr. Bliss was on hie yto Chicago, to take part In the revival services at the Tabernacle in that c ty. He has been associated with Mr. Whittle in re. viral movement* In several part# of the West, and was a very popular and effective singer. The Taber acle tn Chicago waa at once draped in mourning, on the reception of the news of his sad death,and memorial Service* were held there and in other West- > ihcompiete up to the Ist. as the names of all on board

the train had not yet been ascertained. A reporter of the Cleveland Leader telegraphed on the night of the 81-1 tlrat in all thirty six bodies had been found tn ail stage* of disfigurement. A few which were under water show very little mutilation. Others were burned away so that al! that wa* left of a man or woman could be put in a clgar-liox. They were all laid out in the freighthouse of Ashtabula, and a more horrible sight human eye never looked upon. Some were without heads, others without hands or arms, others itill ail burned away except the large bones of the trunk. The bones were either calcined to snowy whiteness or covered with block, charred flesh. In some the bowels alone res ated the Are. The faces of such as were best preserved by water wore a look of fearful horror—eves open and staring, tongues protruding and hands clenched in hair or clothing, or held as If to ward off * blow from above. TUB DXAD. Aswtabvul, Jan. 1. Following is a revised and complete list of the dead as far as known: Mr. Aldrich, of Dea Moines, lows; LewivJ. Barney, of Buffalo; Mr*. W. H. Bradlev’* child and none, of Chicago; Mr. and Mr*. P. P. Blie*, of Chicago; C. Brunner, of Gratiot, Wl«.; Mr*. C. Brunner; two children of Mr. and Mr*. Brunnor; David Chittenden, of Cleveland; L. C. Crane, of New Haven, Conn.; M. P. < ogg*well of Chicago; Mr*. R. Cook, of Wellington, O.; William Clemen*, of Bellevue, O.; Mrs. Bmma Coffin, of Oakland, Cal.; James Doyle, of New York; Clarence Gage, of Charleston, HL: Alfred Gillette, of Cranberrv Island, Mo.; Mr*. George, of Cleveland; Ml** George, of Cleveland; L. W. Hart, of Akron, O.; H. T. Hall, of Chicago: Mrs. P. L. Hall, of Chicago: F A. Hodgkins, of Bungor, Me.; Charlea Kane, of Pittsburgh; Annie KJtterer, of Beloit, Wi*.; George Kepler, of Ashtabula, O.: Lawrence Louergrand. of Cleveland; Maggie L. Lewis, of St. Louis, Mo.: Philip McNeil, of Cleveland; Miss Minnie Mixer, of Buffalo; Mrs. J. D. Marsten, mother and child, of Chicago; Sarah S. Mann, of Cleveland; Mrs. W. R. Moore, of Hatnmondsitort, N. Y«; Isaac Meyer, of Cleveland; Birdie Meyer, of Cleveland; Richard Osborne, of Tecumseh, Mich.; Mr. and Mr*. J. D. Peck, of Peoria, 111. (doubtful); Mrs. G. B. Palmer, of Binghamton, N.Y,; George A. Purrington, of Buffalo; John Pickering, of Chicago; Daniel A. Rogers, of Chicago: G. B. Stow, of Cleveland; F. Shattuck, of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Delaware Railroad; R. Stlndel (doubtful); Mrs. Trueworthy and daughter, of Oakland, Cat; Mrs. Lucy O. Thomas, of Chicago; Charles Vogle, of Albany; 8. D. Wa<te, of Toledo; Webb, of Boston; tn* Rsv. A. K. Waahburne, of Cleveland..