The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-12-24


! rhrasnane neeera - punAsisl = A1eei
tisnAl 60 InssrsssAng easssoAs6
IFron H. Buffalo Express, pss.is.l
lis easy 70 imagine the ftSkafuf wreeh -
which the car was reduced by'its terrible -
scent. All, or nearly I'll is passsnsess,. al
course, were precipitated into naa9ls4
struggling mass 1t the lower end Of the car,
bsre y11sra hsap Il rnias. aad svsn -
slightly Injured, II any there we're, unable To-
e1sricats 1e1&p thenselves. The horror Of
the situation was sufficient without that
whieh iasssaely hsmms aA1sa b. ths ignit-.
ing Of the splintered wreck from the over
tnrnsi aovss. A moasnt, - ono e thss
three ssle asassiscrs describes Is - the
whole was wrapped in flames. The DRY wood
Of the car burned like heap Of kidding
and it was little more.
Who can attempt to depict the unimagina-
BILE horror Of the scene that ensued. Nearly
fifty human beings being roasted eisnee e
death. or in the panas Of dysns from hcsr,oie
wounds, orin she fnil vigor Of life, buried in
an inextricable position and committed to
the flames without hope Of rescued The
shrieks, the grcans, the imprecations-
those who heard them forget this side of eter-
nifty II they can.
How many ths flames devoured in this car
cannot Be told with certainty. II was we'll
filled with passengers, probably, says one OF
the survivors, not less than fifty, and only
three are known to have escaped.
TIE VAIN ArrEaPT Ar REscuE.
Ii was some minutes before any one could
reach the scene to attempt assistance. The
second eur, in the meantime-the car FIRST
L. r. ~, Nod nh
the opposite side of the embank ment, falling
a less height, but suffering almost as COM
plete wreck, and its few uninjured passen.
gers had enough to occupy their attention.
The train, which had run some distance be.
fore being stopped, was backed to the scene
as speedily as possible, and those on board
set to work with promptitude and energy.
But the steep aud ice-covered slope to the
car most horribly situated, was not easily de.
scended, and when helping hands reached il,
they vere without weapons for fighting the
DANES or fer breaking into the wreck.
As soon, of course, as they could be sum-
moned, the people Of Angola and nearer in
habitants ran TO the spot, and it was rot long
iefore many buckets were employed in pour
ing water upon the burning wreck but a
raging fire is not to be overcome with buck
cts, and those desperately laboring at the
work had to suffer the unspeakable anguish
of seeing their efforts made utterly vain. The
hideous, re;norseless flames cracked on; the
shrieks died into means, and the means into
a slince me re terrible, as the pail of death
drew over the scene. Except one little frag-
ment Of the side of the Car, nothing but a
heap of smoking cinders was left for those
gathered around to search into with sickened
hearts.
H. Of 81 Nd .,l,,
IL burned up to handful Of undis;lnguisha-
be ciuder. i, is impossible to tell. nor can it
be known in ali cases. probably, for many
days who they we're. Only as distant friends
ii uire for missing ones likely to have been
upon the lll>faied train, can lhe terrible list
u mortality be mnde up.
THE SECOND CAR.
As we have already stated, the car next
the rear one was that with which The disaster
originated, but It's fate was less terrible than
the fate of the car following. The headlong
plunge OF the latter threw it over but not un-
I'll the bridge had been passed, and it made
rs descent on the opposite or right side of the
enbankment. where The height was not more
thsn twenty five feet. The crash was only
less awful than that already described. /,
WAS not followed, however. by the more
flfbtful calamity Of the FIRE. Twice the car
was klndled by the Goals from the broken
steve but the passengers were in less help
less situation, and the flames were extin-
guished.
One man only in this car. Mr.. Haywood,
agent Of the road al State Line, met death
outright. A the ear pitched down the bank
It as broken IL two near the middle, the
break IN the roof opening for an instant,
and at thu. instant Mr.. Haywood was flung
upward into the assure, which closed again
before he fell and crushed his body to Jelly
Several others IN the car received mortal in
jurles, among them our lamented township, !.
Mr.. Forbush, who was in a dying cor n,ion
when taken out and who expired " =, after
Very few of all the inmates of = car-as i,
vas well fllel-escaped mir - a,d betwenr
llirty and forty are 10 t. ~, of wounded
nR nAfE' srArFMsxr.
), oe - ...e - persons who escaped from
lhe iea, I - AS Mr., !. Mayer, the travelling
$50 '. .istori, who is now ut the Buffalo
ps"'' i Hospital, under treatment for severe
~ probably rot serious injuries in the back
ucai and ankles. Mr.. Mayors statement II
our reporter was rs follows:
[ had Just stepped cut of the closet whei
felt the jerking OF the car as it was throw
from the track. | sprang up instantly am
caught hold OF something in the roof Of n
car. suspending myself. This saved me whel
the car went over the bank from being pitch
cd lorwar1 with the rest of the passenger
into the heap where every one was helpiessl
buried in the crash Of the ruins. Exactl
how erawled out do not know. ] was on
of only three that escaped. | saw an oil
gentleman and his wife get out of the wreck
am sure not another person escaped. Th
ca, was full--not less than fifty persons,
should think, within it. Those who were M
killed outright were burned to death. In
wreck was all in flames in moment. | d
not know how even ! and the two have met
toned could have escaped.
RELIEF.
The news Of the disaster was immediateI
te'egr aphed to this city, and at 4 o clock
wrecflng train of three coaches left for A,
COLA. bearing Drs. johnson, Whitmore. Ricl
ards and piehl, with VIM. Williams, Pres
dent of the l.. s. X. Il. Co., r. n. Brow
md number Of employees of the road. =
) 10 Angola was reached, and all that Il
physicians art could do was done to allevis
the horrible snifsrings of the wounded. II
, midnight train last night bore additional al
aud number of physicians have volunteers
10 leave the city this morning and aid IN ca
: ing Tor the sick
t ExCifENENT Iy TIE CITY.
Meanwhile reports which needed no exa
gersiion. in fact were susceptible OF MOI
which would exceed the terrible reality, b
gan 10 spread throughout the city and
honseh holds whose members or friends we
supposed to be on the train, the widest alar
prevriied.
The telegraph Offices were besieged bype
; pie frantic with terror, and the wires we
: loaded throughout the evening with the me
sages of suffering and death.
No pen can picture the terrible suspen
' that prevailed when it became known til
e many had been burned beyond recogniho
f Many would have thanked God for the wor
: news that could be brought to end the ag
nzng uncertainty.
To know that father husband, or brot
er was on the train, and be unable to obta
:; tidiaes of his safety, or of his being maine
a left no chance for hope against the convi
q ton hat his shapeless form was smoking
The undis,inguishable mass beneath the bur
4 Ing ruins.
r AS the evening wore on the Offices of t
company were thronged and the depot b
Il came so crowded that it WAS found necessa