The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-12-25
From the Erie Dispatch.)

l no AuuOoV AVA1OA AhO
Slaughter Full Details Fright
full Scenes and Thrilling Inoi-
dents.
Another of the most soul-harrowing
and fearful of all occurrences, a railroad
accident in its worst form, transpired at
Angola, New York, on the Buffalo &
Erie Railroad, at about 4 o'clock Wednes-
day afternoon, the details of which, if
fully printed this morning, would cause a
shudder to creep through the innermost
6bres of every readers being. Without
further preface we hasten to particulars (;
THE TRAIN AND ITS BURTHEN.
The train and its precious freight that
was so o whirled into destruction was
the New York Express, which passed
Erie soon after IL O'Clock, about two
hours late, consisting Of five passenger
coaches, with the usual number OF bag
gage and express cars. II passed Ango'
Ia station on a speed of twenty-five miles
an hour, and upon leaving the "frog,"
which connected the double tracks at the
station, the last truck Of the last car
jumped the rails and bounded along on
the ties. The signal bell was sounded,
but the train was on the down grade,
with snow on the rails, and before any
p~erceptible effect could be produced up
on its speed it had reached the center OF
a high embankment located a few rods
east of the station, and the last car was
running wild over the embankment and
bridge. Within ten seconds Of time
when the entire train might have gotten
entirely over the bridge and embark
ments, the last car swung around so as
to leave the road bed entirely, and at the
most PERCEPTIONS point Of the embank'
ment went over, on a steep slope, into Q
gulf forty feet below. The action Of this
car caused the one ahead Of It to leave
the track and rush madly down the op'
posite side of The e%mbankment, a few
rods further along, at least twenty-five
feet below the road bed.
Now comes the horror of the scene
These two cars having parted with the
train, which could not be stopped until
some distance had been made, the last
one Of the train, and the first to leave the
the track, went over IN its end with Z
force which caused every passenger, the
stoves, and all the seats of the car, t.
sink like a dead weight to the lower end
1t turned a complete somersault, and
stopped on its side rear the bottom Of
the precipice, forty feet below the track
The other car rolled down and rested on
its side. The signal of "down brakes"
had attracted the attention of the people
at the station, but none of them were
able to reach the scene soon enough tC
render efficient assistance. We gather
from what we soon afterwards saw, and
from the lips of those who were first pres
ent, the following particulars Of
THE SCENE.
The last car Of the train had no more
than stopped its somersaults before il
was on fire. The nature Of the embank
ment, together with the ice upon the
steep declivity, would not admit Of i'm
mediate assistance, even though hun
dreds OF people bad been at hand, for nc
oHe could go down The bank hurrisdly
without fear of death. The men who
we're first at the scene managed to reach
the car BY going down, one holding upon
another, thus forming a line from the
track to the car. But they were too late
The men, women, and children in the cal
had been SO severely injured by the fall
and fright that they were alarmed and
helpless, and before the feeble assistance
which was hastily organized reached them,
the car was SO far enveloped in flames
that their rescue was impossible. The
scene at this time cannot be described
The voices Of men directed to heaven fol-
help, the shrieks and prayers Of women
asking for assistance, and the wailing O.
children, was the most soul piercing ant
agonizing sounds which ever reacne'
mortal ear. The flames were gaining
rapidly, and arms were protuded through
the shattered windows, heads were cx-
tended, and the cry for help was intensi
fed by the increase of heat, OF pain, o
agony, and the certain prospect Of de-
struction. The reader must picture thi
scene, VIC cannot describe it. Our ear
will FEVER lose the sound Of those plant
i've walls, the b~eseechings for help, tn
heart.rending shrieks, the fiery scene
and the last, last look. The few me-
who could, who were not struck dumb
worked manfully. They succeeded il
t~Liae out three persons who were re
moved elsewhere TO ole, bu. thsy onnl
not subdue the flames which were roast
ing their fellow beings alive. The
could not answer the prayers Of the agt
nized victims of Death. They could d
nothing but look at them roast, listen
them shrek, sicken at the sight, an
pray to God to deliver them from anotht
such scene. As the odor Of burnin
flesh, human flesh, rose upon the air,
seemed as though tie place had turned il
to a very hell, and. when shrieks cam
from the flames and smoke, hands wei
held aloft through the grim a~tmospher,
the world and flesh seemed o mockery /
reality, Let US close this horrible scene b
saying that from the best information "
could obtain, but Eve out of forty FIVE {
the passengers in this car escaped. tt
rest-full forty-wtre burned aliUe!
Meanwhile the other car was more 70
tunate. 1t did not take fire. The fir
man out Of it was the conductor Of Il
train, who was severely injured. 0the
came out, and when assistance arrive
many were found injured unto death.