The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-12-26
THE LATEST HORROR.
An Appalling Railroad Disaster.

BUFFALO, Dec, 10.
An awful accident occurred yester
day afternoon on the Buffalo e. Fri,
road, twenty. miles from hero
near a place called Angola. The
train from the Wost, due here at l.3C
to connect with the train going East
ran of the track. Que car was thrown
down a bank thirty feet, the coach
burned up, aud some thirty persons
consumed by fro. Another coach
went down a lodge thirty feet and
twelve or fourteen passengers were
killed and n number wounded. As
soon os information Of the accident
reached Buffalo, word was conveyed
to a number Of our physicians, and by
4 o'clock number Of them had
reached the depot, and in company
with VIM. Williams, President, n. n.
Brown, Superintendent, and other Of.
fcals of the road, took q train, and
at D o'clock Tho scene Of tho accident
was roached--tho bridge crossing the
Big Sister Greek, about a quarter Of
a mile east Of the village of Angola.
The train to which the accident
happened, as before stated, was the
Buffalo & Eric Railroad, New York
Express, from Cleveland, and due in
this city, at 1880 p. NJ, but was two
hours late, having been detained by n
broken bridge on tho Cleveland 4
Toledo road. 1t was composed Of
threo Grst class coaches, filed with
passengers, aud a smoking car and
two baggage cars, aud was under the
conduc,orship of Mr.. Frank Shcr.
man, Of this city. Silver Creek was
;he last station stopped at prior to
the accident, and Angola was passed
about 3 o'clock, the train going, as il
is stated, ut speed of about twenty
miles an hour, from Angola to the
bridge over Sister Creek. The road 10
down grade, aud it is possible the train
was going ut greater speed than
that mentioned, when the casualty
occurred. BE that as il may, every.
thing was apparently all right when
the bridge was reached, aud when the
train had crossed half way over,
fearful jerk was experienced by those
on board, aud the next moment
coach was detached, aud went plung-
ing of the bridge and down an a
byss to tho ice, distance Of some
thirty or forty feet. ,-., ;t
The brakes were at once applied,
but before the train could be stopped
the coupling Of the second coach had
become broken, aud IT too, got of the
track and rolled down the embank-
ment. landing on its side OF the bot.
tom. So suddenly had all this hap
pcned that not Que Of tho inmates Of
either of the two coaches had timo to
make their escape, aud without a mo.
meuts warning, some forty or fifty
persons we're hurried into the presence
Of their Maker. The scene which
was presented to the eyes of the in-
mates Of the other cars when tho train
stopped, was a fearful ono.
Tho car which first went over the
precipico took fire instantly, and be
fore any person cohd get to it, flames
made rapid Roadway, aud in few
moments was all blaze Those per-
sous on the spot proceeded to render
all assistance they could, but only
four or five persons were saved from
the burning car,
The remainder, somo forty or fifty
men, women and children, were con
sumed with the car. While a portion
Of the passengers who had escaped,
gave their attentions to the burning
car, the balance attended to the 9th
er, which had also taken fire, For.
tunatoly, the flames in the latter in
stance we're oxtiuguished before they
had reached much headway, aud as
speedily as possible, the injured, dead
aud dying were taken from the car,
and. with the few rescued from tho
burning coach, were conveyed to res.
idcuccs near at hand, How many
persisted 10 the burning car, il is inn
possible as yet to say, andvcFy prob
ably will uot be known for somc time
The place whore the first car struck,
after Icing precipitatod off the bridge,
was difficult Of access, aud after res
cuing the half dozen or so persons
before the flames had made much
hcodway, no attempt was made last
night TO disturb tho remains of those
who rcrished in tho burning ear,
An examination of the track show
cd that the accident could not have
been oceasioned from it, aud must be
referred to defective wheel or axle
tn, roal cause will probably never be
asGsrtained,