Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-12-27
Another Railroad Catastrophe.
Frig'9rl .fccifeaf On NE Lake Shore Road
As KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED

As KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED
Another terrible calamity. possessing fresl
elements Of horror, is added to the list OF
frigh'iul railroad disasters which seem to b.
so numerous this winter. Dispatches from
Bufalo announce that a portion of the NY
express train on the Lake Shore Road. sbOu
three O'Clock Wednesday afternoon, 18th wa
thrown lIom the track by the breaking of q
car wheel, and the two rear cars rolled
down an embankment Of fifty feet; one Of
them was set OF fire by the upsetiing Of the
stoves, and out Of fifty passengers in it only
two escaped. The rest were burned to death
and al that is LEFT is a mass Of blackened
and charred remains, without any means of
ascertainiug names. The accident occurred
at Big Sisters Bridge, a quarter Of a mile
east OF Angola. Among the killed were J.
N. Strong. Buffalo; Mary Freeman, resi-
dence unknown. J. P. Hayward, agent of
the road at State Line; Jasper Fuller and
wife, Spartansbargh, Pa. Mr.. GraTes, resi-
dence unknown " II. Ross, North Bend,
Pa; E. B. Forbash. Buffalo Mrs W. Free
man, Norwich. Pa; Mr.. Hubbard, St.
GATHERINGS. c. W; Frank Walker, Buffalo.
Mis=ing-S.cphen Stewart, President of
Ol Creek Road
list Of forty wounded Is given, mainly
OF person, residing in Bufilo, Utica, and
ther New York towns We find in 1. but
one N-w England namc,a Mss Mccarthy Of
Lowell, Mass \ large number of physi-
ciau= lsi, Bufillo at four O'Clock on a spe
c.al train TO assist the wounded, who were
being brought to Buffalo, and every prepara-
tiln made TO care for their wants by the
citizens Of Buffalo. Inquosts are being held
t Angola OF the killed
The Buffalo E1Bress Of Thursday has
The following details OF the terrible ac-
e.l-nt on the Lake Shore Railroad
Juss rs the train reached the bridge the
ear was Jarkcd from the track and ran near
" across he bridge. An instant more and
ID would have reached the bank, but Just at
tie edge it Topped over on the next side, and
went with "a fearful crash. end foremost,
down tie icY-coggrei slope. forty feet ct
least, TO ;he lat below.
Il Is easy 70 imagine the frightiul wreck
70 which the ear was reduced by it, terrible
descent. Al. OF nearly all Its passengers,
Of course, were pgecIpitated into a mangled,
struggling mass at the lower end OF the car,
buried under heap Of RUNS, aud even the
slightly injured, il they were. unable TO ex-
uucale OF holp themselves.
The horror oi the situation was sufficient
without that which instantly became added
by tie igniting of The splintcred wreck from
Tie oy rturned stoves. 4 moment as one
Of the thrcce sole survivors describes II, aud
the whole was wrapped in flames. Who
can attempt O. Gcpic, the Unima ginable h0r-
TOR 0t tie scene that ensued Nearly fifty
human beings being roasted IN death, OF IN
the Tangs Of dying from horrible wounds, or
iu the Toll yg0r of lie, buried in an mex
uieablc position and committed to the flames
without hope OF rescue. The shrieks, the
gr1ans, the imprecatious-let those who
heard ttCm forget this side Of eternity If
they can.
It was some moments before any could
reach the scene 70 attempt assistance. The
second car, ~ the moanume-the car hrst
thrown IRON the track-had plunged over
the 0uposits side of the embankment, fall
ing less height but suffering almost as COM
plete wreck, and its few unInjured passen-
gers had enough TO occupy their attention.
The tram which had run soma distance be-
fore being stopped, was backed to the scene
as speedily as possible, and those on board
went To work with pr0mptitude and energy.
Blrthe steep and ice-cOyered slope to the car,
most horribly situated, was not easily de-
scended, and when helping hands reached II
they were without weapons for fighting the
flames or for breaking into thu wreck.
As soon, of course, as they could be sum
mored, the people OF Angola and nearer in
habitants ran to the spot, and 1t was not
long before many buckets were employed IN
pouring water upon the burning wreck; but
a ragIng hre Is not to be overcome with
| bucke,s, and those desperately laboring at
the work had TO suffer the unspeakablc an
I guish Of seeing their efforts made utterly
I vain. The hideous, Tem0rseless flames
cracked on; the shrieks died into means,
/ and the means into q silence more terrible,
I as the pa!i of death drew over the sccne.--
/ Except one little fragment OF the side OF the
car, nothing bnt heap OF smoking cinders
I was le,t for those gathered round TO search
INTO with sIckened hearts.