Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-11-29
A TRUE HEROINE.
Incidents i'm the Late Railway Dis
aster at Erie.


We gather from conversation with gen
tleman of this city, a relative of Mrs.
West, of Milwaukee, who was injured in
ihe laie iedisasicr, many interesting incidents
connected herewith.
When ihc train leapcd from the track.
the first seat on The left in the forward pas
sen@er car. next 20 the door, was occupied
bv a man supposed TO be unknown, aud
who was killed. After a careful eXamina-
ton OF his clothing and luggage no clue
could be found TO his name and residence.
He was prepared for burial, and just before
taking the body 10 The grave a slip of paper
was accidentally shaken ont of his coat
Tie paycr, which had not before been dis
covered. seemed TO be leafirom small
menorandum book, was signed with his
name. and contained substantially these
words, If anything happens 10 me, or l
should lose my life when away from home
| wish 10 have my body sent 10 Sheridan,
Iowa, for burial. Hal this paper been
undiscovered for another half hOnr lie
would have been consigned 10 oblivion in
All unknown grave.
The second seat was occupied by DR..
Wheeler. of Milwaukee, uncle of Mrs.
West. With him sat another gentleman
who, hearing The sharp scream OF The en-
%ine, sprIng instantly from his scat down
along the aisle, and escaped any serious in
jury. DR.. Wheeler was killed.
The thiId seat was turned with It's back
TO the front and was occupied by Mrs.
West and her babe, which at that moment
was being fondled in lis mothers Jap. OPP
posite her sat Miss Emily West, her niece.
on The fourth scat. The car turned toward
ihe lei and was upset. Before it went
over. The end of one of the rails flew up
before the rear truck of the smoking car,
and the other end being driven a. Tue
earth. the car was insiantaneouslv and
completely stopped. but its rear end was
so lifted up that il jumped or rode over the
platform and bumpers. which were not in
jured in the least. and, as the car went
over, ''ielescoping ino the passenger car,
the roof of The smoking car going outside
and its floor passing inside, stripping The
seats and their occupants from The floor on
ihe left hand side Of the aisle, but not in
juring any seats on the right. The occu-
pants of The latter escaped any serious in
Jury. although ali were thrown over as the
car upset. but FIJI between the roof of one
and the floor of the other, as the car went
down. But all on the left hand side, with
The wreck of the seats and saloon, were
thrown over, falling upon Mrs. West and
The others who were killed.
Mrs. West was thrown ON her face. with
her babe under her: Miss West fell on her
back, but received no other injury Than the
crushing of her left hand. Miss Emma's
first question was "Auniy. can you
bresihc?" She replied. .'A little" 4 man
managed To reach her and cut the fasen-
ines Of her dress, which gave some relief.
Miss W. was released in about ten minutes.
but efforts to get Mr.. w. out of the wreck
were unsuccessfUlly made for three quar-
ters ofan hour, she in the meantime re-
naming very calm. quiet. and entirely con
scious, gentleman supporting her head
She knew her child was dead. The pres
sure was SO crushing that her eye-baIls
were forced from their sockets and hung
down on her cheeks. and the face swollen.
by the congestion or rupture of blood YES
sells, 10 more than twice IFS proper size
The body of her babe beneath her. beirg
soft and yielding, was perhaps the only
thing that saved her life.
Every effort 10 relieve her by chopping
Of the corner of ihe car with an axe was
futile. She was incapable of so much eX-
ertion as 10 speak and tell them 10 stop, al
though every blow of the axe caused her
the most excruciating agony. Hearing
some one say. "Remove that dead man
and it will release her." she summoned
her strength for the effort, and moving her
left arm, which was free, toward her light
shoulder, said, Il am fastened here"-a saw
was procured and she was sawed out
Then the earth was dug away and she was
dragged from under the car and placed on
the grass. The first question she asked
was. .Who is killed." After being told.
she then said she could not see, but not
knowing why, and dictated telegram 10
her husband at Milwaukee-.Your babe is
dead, your wife severely injured. Uncle
Wheeler killed, and Emma slightly hurt"
She then said 10 those about her, Don't
leave me here 10 die; there is life here yet
They proposed TO take her 10 Erie. mo"
she said, ''is there no house near?" To
those who said they would place her in a
wagon, she objected, asking. cannot men
carry me in their arms?" and she was so
carried, some sixty rods, TO The house Of
Mr.. Chambers the surgeons arrived about
ar hour after the disaster occurred and at
tended 10 her, replacing the eyes in their
sockets. This she does not yet know, al
though she often speaks of her having been
blind for sometime after the accident. Nor
did she ever see her babe again, since il
was playfully kissing its mamma at the mo-
ment when The whistle sounded. lis lille
crushed body was forwarded on Thursday
to Milwaukee for burial.
After her removal TO the house, a reac-r
tion took place and she coolly gave the
most iudicious directions 10 The ladies in
attendance, for heating her chilled exirem-
tiles, and relieving her pains. She still re-
mo fnc a fl,a Of Mr .I.a
unremtting attentions of whose family are
most gratefully acknowledged. She is i'm
proving rapidly, and can soon be removed
TO her home. Her heroism, GOODNESS and
self-possession, under such frightful inju-
ries, and such bitter mental suffering as
tonished all. The surgeons declare that
they never saw its parallel.