Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-05-02
The Erie Railway Disuster.

Mr.. NJ. A. Bakeslie, resident Of Olean,
n. Y, who was passenger in one of the
cars which went over the embankment,
says:
II was awakened by the sudden stopping
OF the cars. There was wrench as if the
coupling was breaking All was quiet in
the car yet. sprang from my berth to the
floor just then the car was dragged by the
Others over the embankment. l then threw
myself full length upon the floor and held
fast as the car went over and over. The
outer roof was torn off, and the sides fell
outward l was about to rise when the in e
ner roof of the car came crashing down,
and was held by broken framework within
three inches of my head. Crawling out
over dead and wounded, / managed to eX.
tricate myself from the wreck The ladies'
car was on fire, and on every side of me
sufferers were shrieking and groaning in
agony. The moan came up when the fire
of the car went out, and the passengers then
began to eXtricate the dead and wounded.
helped to clear away the rubbish of the
wreck" Mr.. Blakeslie declares shat it was
the most perfect wreck that could be ina
gined, nothing but mass of chips and
splinters remaining of tho three sleeping
and one ladies' car. I counted five dead
bodies in She car that was in. There were
five or SIX killed, and afterward burned in
the ladies' car, and saw five more dead
bodies upon the railroad track should
Judge there were at least fifty badly wound
ed. I was told by friend of mine, Mr..
Porter, that the train was running at the
rate of forty or fifty miles an hour. 1 was
told at Salamanca, when embarked, that
the train was then thirty minutes behind
time, in consequence of having been delay
ed some time near Cory, Pa, in picking
up the body of man who had been killed
by the train passing over him."
| A Port Jervis letter says To day the first
wreck was cleared away, and black, smoul-
derind ru ins mark the spot where once lay
four large cars. 4 half mile this side the
remains of the freight train wreck of last
evening is seen, broken into pieces, one Cal
| laying dismnnted IN the stream, with the
! freight strewed along the sides. An cx
| animation of the rails at the curve showed
| that they were in frightful condition
worn and ragged. The time and heart
rending circumstances of the first accident
! did not prevent those human vultures who
| hover over disaster from preyng upon the
unfortunate. Tales of robbing of dead anG
wounded could be told that would make th,
heart sick to dwell upon. Mr.. Douglass
Division Superintendent, dragging his
bruised form from the ruins, sat down or
the hill, and almost deranged with pain
gave orders for the care of the wounded
While thus sitting, half unconscious from
intense pain, some villain stole from MIN hi.
pocket-book and Masonic papers Pocket
books were ritled, rings torn from fingers
Destruction and deViltry went hand in hand
When the poor MANNED creatures reached
Port Jervis they had hardly any clothius
I, nit A oil oir =,
lated. A charred body lay in mass of EN-
bers at the bottom of the ravine in pockc
soaked with the water that rushed along th
bottom was ar Accident Insurance ticket G
$4,000 This alone gave clue to the mar
} for his body was burned beyond recogn
tion. The fire had burned all around th
: ticket Mr.. Purinton, of Cortland, took
$4,000 accident ticket. This gentleman,
+ is said, has Life assurances policies upon hi
life for upward of 100000.
On this dark scene of horror ray c
glory falls. 1t is the devotion, the heroisn
of the ladies of this town. 1t is hcroisl
that can endure the moaning, the sorrow
I the chamber of death. 1t would fill thi
e column with names of noble ladies VIII
: have in one way or another watched by th
side of the suffering. Their names are Ii
) gion. Never seeming to tire, during th
j long nights, the silent watchers moved
5 only woman-a ministering angelica
move.
"Are you better, my poor fellow 2" sal
!. a reporter to sufferer this morning. "Ho
g can l help but be, with such an angel for
nurse 2" was the answer.
9 The Coroners jury have rendered Il
n following verdict
o "From the evidence before us we ha,
arrived at the conclusion that tho decease,
Tobias Erich, came to his death from Il
= track at Carr's Rock, Pennsylvania, the a
! l cident being caused by broken rail- III
! occurrence, in our opinion, might have be,
avoided had the train run at less spec
l owing to the unsafe condition of the road
Q The report in morning journal that ii
y wreck was burned last night after the kill
Q and wounded had been rem owed, lacl
:, confirmation.