Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-09-28
FrishtuI Railroad Accident.

A heart-rending accident occurred on
the Pa. Central R. R., early on the morn
ing of the 20 inst, in Juniatta County
The fast freight going eastward ran into
the rear end Of a train.
We find q full account in the Pittsburg
Chronicle, from IN eye witness.
The locomotive leaped through the coal
car, and half the next, shivering them to
fragments, and dashing their contents
in every direction. The steam and water
rushed out with great violence, tearing
an irregular, Jagged hole in the ground
from which the earth rose and settled in
showers of mud upon the tops of the tall
est trees within 8 radius of sixty or sew
enty feet.
The whole momentum of the train was
expended in driving the baggage car so
completely through the first passenger
car that the frame work of one fitted
closely and entirely within the other
The first passenger car, contained at least
fifty persons, many of whom were women
and children. These were either crushed
under the baggage car, or driven in q mass
to the rear of the car. But most horrible
10 B6ll, Tie CTdSl wal bCdAOCAl
flames were discovered in the rear of the
car, and within four minutes had envel-
oped dead, dying and mangled.
But one axe could be obtained, although
little or nothing was accomplished even
with that, one or two openings being cut
through only to find an inside wall made
by the side of the trsnsfixed baggage car.
Six persons, in all, were rescued from the
car, the remainder, being estimated at
least forty persons, were either crushed
to death, or having Leen wounded we're
burned alive.
One young lady, some sixteen or even
teen years of age, they struggled to drag
from a window, but being fast under the
baggage car, she at last drew herself back
again and persisted within. A man who
had dragged himself partly through q
window, found himself fast also, and lay
ing himself on the side of a window, was
consumed before the eyes of the Mortified
spectators. On the left side of the train
a soldier with one leg succeeded in get
ting it through the window, but was una
BILE to force his way farther, and persisted
as he was, his charred remains, after the
wood work had sufficiently burned away,
falling a headless, armless mass upon the
other track. One woman, with four chill
dren, are known to have been among the
number of victims.
How many were buried in that fiery
tomb may never be told, as everything
was literally consumed to ashes, and ut
terly beyond recognition.
Some of the passengers succeeded in
getting put some trunks from the forward
part of the baggage, whilst others uncou-
pied the rear three passenger cars, and
pushed them back out of reach of the
fire.
The mass of baggage and human re-
mains which the wreck of the two for
ward cars contained caused them to burn
a couple of hours. On the right of the
train, early in the progress of the fire, a
charred, shapeless mass rolled smoking
into the road down by the side of the
track. High in the air and resting upon
a tangled mass of iron rods and tin sheet
ing was another one with arms drawn up
upon the heart, and legs burned off to
stumps, from whose extremities the
femoral bones stood out with q horrible
distinctness and nakedness into the air.
By its side was another equally chsrred
and disfgured.
just under, and lying upon the hange
of a wheel, was another black mass,
which, with the encircling springs of a
hoop skirt, were all that remained of q
woman. The smaller ribs and other
bones of children presented, if possible,
more sad and lamentable sight. On
the left side, resting between the wheels,
and on the after truck. the fire soon re-
vealed q human head, about which the
flames Tapped and licked until the white
skull shone out.