Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-27
Tho Terrible Scene in the Burning Rail.
r0ad Cara

The Eric (Pa.) Dispatch gives the
following account Of the destruction OF
the two rear cars on the Lake Shore road.
1t says:
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, went over on its end with 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 somersault, and stopped on
its side near 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 at
tracted the attention of the people at the
station, but none of them we're able to
reach the scene soon enough to render
efficient assistance. We gather from
what we soon aherward saw, and from
the lips of those who we're first present,
the following particulars Of the scene;
The last train of the car had no more
than stopped its somersaults before it was
together with the ice upon the steep de-
clivity, would not admit of immediate
assistance, even though hundreds of peo-
pie had been at hand, for no one could
90 down the bank hurriedly, without
fear of death. The men who were first
at the scene managed to reach the car by
going down, one holding upon another,
thus forming line from the track to the
car. But they were too late. The men,
women and children 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
their rescue was impossible. The scene
at this time can not be described. The
voices of men directed to heaven for
help, the shrieks and prayers of women
asking for assistance, and the wailing OF
children, were the most soul-piercing and
agonizing sounds which ever reached
mortal ear. The flames we're gain
ing rapidly, and arms were pro-
truded through the shattered win.
dows, heads were extended, and
the cry for help was intensified
by the increase of heat, of pain, of agony,
and the certain prospect of destruction.
The reader must picture this scene, we
cannot describe it. Our ears will never
lose the sound of the plaintive walls, the
beseechings for help, the heartrending
shrieks, the fiery scene, and the last, last
look. The few men who could, who
we're not struck dumb, worked manfully.
They succeeded in taking out three per-
sons who we're removed elsewhere to die,
but they could not subdue the flames
which were roasting their fellowbeings
alive. They could not answer the pray
ers of their agonized victims of DEATH
They could do nothing but look at them
roast, listen to them shrek, sicken at the
sight, and pray to God to deliver them
from another such scene As the odor
of burning flesh, human flesh, rose upon
the air, it seemed as though the place
had turned into very hell, and when
the shrieks came from the flames and
smoke, hands were held aoft through
the grim atmosphere, the world and flesh
seemed a mockery in reality. Let us
close this horrible scene by saying that
from the best inform alton we could OBJ
tain, but FIVE out of forty of the passen
gers in this car escaped. The rest-ful
| forty-lDere burned dIiUe