The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-12-25
TIE RAILROAD HORRO,,.
Full Pnrtfc ulars of the Accident M, n, n
Lake shore Rotd-Forty Persons Rocs.-
ed Description by an Eye Wii-
Terrible Scene. 81

Ta.-,,,sn ASeAuent Occurreu-A
The telegraph ON last Wednesday
night gave us meagre particulars of a
terrible accident on the Lake Shore
Railroad, which occurred on that dav
near place called Angola, twenty-one
miles from Buffalo, the train from the
West, due at Buffalo at l; 80, running
off the track at that point. We have
the following additional particulars
fron the Erie Dispatch. The train
passed Angola station at, 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 pounded along the ties. The
signal bell was sounded, but the train
was on a down grade, with snow on
the rails, and before any perceptble
effect could be produced upon its speed
it had reached the centre Of a high
embanlSment located few rods east Of
the station, and the last car was run
ming wild over the embankment and
bridge. Within ten seconds of the
time when the entire train might have
gotten entirely over the bridge and en-
bankmcnts, this last ear swung around
so as to leave the road bed entirely,
and at the most PERCEPTIONS point Of the
embankment went over on Il steep
slope, into agulf forty eetbelow. The
action of this car caused the one ahead
of it TO leave the track and rush madly
down the opposite side of the embank-
ment, 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 track, when over on its end with n
force which caused every passenger,
the stoves and all the seats of the car,
to sink like a dead weight in the lower
end. 1t turned a complete somersalt,
and stopped on its sidenear the bottom
of the precipice, forty feet below the
track. The other car rolled down and
rested on its side. The signal of"down
breaks had attracted the attention of
the people at the station, but none OF
them were able to reach the scene soon
enough to render efficient assistance.
We gather from the lips of those who
were first present, the followingparticu-
lars.
The last car Of the train had no more
than stopped its somersaults before it
was on fire. The nature of the en-
baukmcnt, togcather with the iccupon
the steep dcclivity, would not admit of
immediate assistance, even though
hundreds Of people had been at hand,
for no one could go down the bank
hurredly without fear of death. The
men who were first at the scene man
aged to reach the car by going down,
one holding upon another, thus for
ming line from the track to the car.
But they were too late. The men, wo-
men, and chrildren in the car 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 theirrescue was impossible.
Thesccne at this time cannot be describ-
cd. The voices ofmen directed to heaven
for help, the shrieks and prayers of
women asking for assistance, and the
wailing of children, was the most soul
piercing and agonizihg sounds which
ever reached mortal car. The flames
were gaining rapidly, and arms were
protrudcd through the shattered win
dows, heads were extended, and the
cry for help was intensified by the in
crease of heat, of pain, Of agony, and
the certain prospect of destruction.
The reader must picture this scene, we
cannot describe it. Our cars will never
lose the sound of the plaintive wails,
the bcseeching for help, the hcart-ren-
ding shreiks, the fiery scene and the
last, last look. The few men who
could, who were not struck dumb,
worked manfully. They succeeded in
taking ont three persons, who were
removed elsewhere to die, but they
could not subdue the flames which
were roasting their fellow beings alive.
They could not answer the prayers of
the agonizcd victims of Death. They
could do nothing but look at them
roast, listen to them shrek, sicken at
the sight, and pray God to deliver
them from another such scene. As
the odor ofburning flesh, human flesh,
arose upon the air, it seemed as though
the spot had turned into very hell,
and when shrieks came from the flames
and smoke, hands were he'd alolt
through the grim atmosphere, the world
and flesh seemed mockery and worm
in reality. Let us close this horrible
scene by saying that from the last in
formation we could obtain, but five out
of forty of the passengers in this car
escaped. The rest-fally forty-cere
burned alire
Meanwhile the other car was more
fortunate. 1t did not take fire. The
first man out of it was the conductor
of the train, who was severely injured.
Others came out and when assistance
arrived many were found injured unto
death. 1t was soon cleared of its NOR
tai contents-much sooner than the
flames could consume the other car
and its contents. AS the injured ones
crept or were brought forth from this
car. they were removed TO the residence