Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-01-11
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE BUFFALO & ERIE r. r. DISASTER.


terrible and heart-rend1ng calamity,
which occurred of the Buffalo & Erie
Railway Wednesday afternoon, at Ango-
la, about twenty-one miles west of this
city, resulting in the death of forty
persons and the iniuring, more or less,
of over fifty others.
The particulars as obtained on the
ground, by reporter from this Office
last night, are as follows:
The New York Express Train, con-
sisting of two first. class and one second
class coaches, coming east, and due
here at / 20 in the afternoon, had been
delayed in consequence of freight
train being off the track further vert,
and was about two hours behind time
at Angola, and did not pass the station
there till eleven minutes past three.
HOW THE DISASTER OCCURRED.
About a quarter of mile-or, it
may be-. trifie less--this side of the
station is a small stream called Big
Sister Greek, over which there 10
trestle-work bridge of some one hun
bred and twenty-five feet span, the
roadway being between sixty and seven
ty feet above the water.
At point few rods west of the
bridge the rear car was thrown from
the rails by a broken wheel. The
wheels on one side of the cars ran over
the ties, and those on the other upon
the bridge, crashing through the COW
ering and breaking some of the ties.
The car was dragged in this position to
the opposite side of the bridge-at
which place the descent was greatest
when the coupling by which it was at
tached to the other car parted, and it
plunged end foremost down the de.
clivity, turning over, 1t is said, two or
three times, and resting on the bank of
the creek.
The other car did not leave the track
until distance of something like one
hundred and fifty feet had been reach
ed, when the coupling of that also
parted, and it wac hurled down the en-
bankment on the opposite side. This
car also turned over in the decent and
rested upon its side.
THE REAR CAR TAKES FIRE, sAND TWENTY
THREE OF THE PASSENGERS ARE BURNED
| ALIVE.
| The most shocking feature of the
disaster was the fate of those in the
rear car. OF course, when the car
/
was overturned, the contents setting
fire to the coach, and twenty-three hu-
man beings were literally burnt alive,
while fifteen others were crushed to
desth. Their cries for suecOr were
truly he TT. rending. The car was to-
tally consumed. but two of all the num-
Der inside escaping. None of those
who thus persisted could be recognized.
The remains were gathered up and re-
mo we'd to the freight house.
THE SECOND CAR.
The embankment was not so high at
the spot where the second car went
over, and but two of the passengers
were killed, though almost all were in
| iured, some of them it is feared fatally.
The news of the accident spread like
wild-fre and soon goodly number of
the inhabitants of Angola were at the
scene. The wounded were released
from the wreck of the car with the ut
most possible speed and borne to
houses near by, and rendered as COM
Portable as possible until the Larrival
of
| MEDICAL, AID FROM BUFFALO.
Mr.. Williams, President, and Mr.
Brown, Superintendent of the road,
were advised by telegraph of the disas
ter, and Immediately sent for Drs.
Pratt, Won Guysling, E. Barnes, John
son, Wetmore, Blanchard, Richards,
Diehl, and others, to attend to the
wounded. Drs. Pratt, Won Guysling
and Barnes remained at the National
Hotel, on Exchange street, to receive
and care for those who were brought to
| the city, while the others named-ac-
companied by Mr.. Williams and Mr..
Brown-started on the cars for Angola,
where they arrived about five O'Clock.
| DIR. Curtiss, Of Angola, was also pres
ent and assisting, as was DIR. +. +.
Hoyer, of TOnawanda, who was on the
train when the accident happened, but,
being on the second car, fortunately
escaped with trifiing brnise. All these
eentlemen-assisted by the kind viii
layers, men and women of Angola
worked untiringly in binding up the
wounds, and relieving, as far as medical
skill could relieve, the sufferings of the
wounded.
The remains of the dead, other than
those burned, were taken to the freight
house, and placed upOn boards to await
the arrival of collins which had been
ordered from Buffalo by the authorities
of the road.
WHERE THE WOUNDED WERE LYING.
AT the little domicil of Frank Il.
Griffith, situated short distance from
the scene of the disaster, our reporter
found MIR. and Mrs. Ira Babceck, of
Syracuse, who are mentioned as badly |
injured. They were on their way
home from Oil City. They were quite |
comfortable at two o'clock this morn |
ing. W. II. Moore was also here, and |
was sleeping soundly at the hour above
mentioned.
Mr.. Griffith is apparently an humble,
Woodworking individual; but be and |
his family very evidently possess hearts
to feel for the misfortunes of others, |
for they are as kind, attentive and |
tender to their manned and bruised /
guests as if they were of their own
kith and kin.
Passing under the railroad to the
opposite side of the track--that on
which the burned car fell-in company
with DIR. Wetmore, of this city, our
reporter visited the residence of Mr.. |
Josiah Southwiek, a spacious house,
where were Charles Wood, check-agent
on the road; Mrs. Chaydyn and her
little girl, the latter lying very low with
a fracture at the base of the skull;
Misses Maria and Mary Sayles, with
fbpYr fofI /, ~, "a tharo 1