Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-01-03
THE ANGOLA CALAMITY.
Vivid Description ofthe Calamity by Mr.
Thomas, One Of the Few Survivors.
Boom lAs ulIe. nsraIa, p,esmssr %.

lhomas, one OF The Few Survivors.
From the u,Ioi Herald, December 20.
The 10 o'clock train from the West
last Saturday night, brought to Utica Mr
Amos ii. Thomas and wife, two Of III,
victims orthe late terrible railroad accident
on the Lake Shore Railroad. They are sc
badly injured tkat they were obliged to be
carried on. mattresses to their residence
No 20 Breese street. Mr.. Thomas in
juries are principally across bis hip. aud
stomach, and although bad, are not az
severe as those received by his wife. Mrs
Thomas was most severely bruised FROM
head TO foot. Her face is discolorod. her
left ankle severely sprained, aud her whole
left side literally backened with conlu-
sions She suffers considerable pain, but
is considered by her physicians 10 be out
Of danger Mr., Thomas and his wife were
in the last aud il.hted cur from which, Il
Is said, but three out Of iifly passengers
escaped alive, aud they we're two Of these.
Mr.. Thomas thinks, however, that five
passengers did finally escape alive from
this car, one OF whom has since died. lie
occupied the fourth seat from the front,
and his wife sat in the third, directly In
front of him, The first thing he heard
was the humping sound Of the wheels
coming in coutact with the ties, and at
once knew the car had run from the track
Nearly all the passengers in the coach
Immediately jumped up on their feet. and as
the car swayed TO aud fro they would rush
to whiche,ef side was uppermost, to PRO,
vent It's ovestufhing. = Lis continued Tor
perhaps half 4 minute, and then the car
struck the bridge, being still in On upright
position. 1t passed nearly across when the
rear end was thrown so far from tho track
that the coupling, being insufficient 10
sustain tho great strain upon IL, broke
aud the car went, end first, crashing down
the side hill, the lower end just reaching
the edge Of tho creek. Before the car fell
nearly all the frightened passengers were
standing 10 the aisles, Mrs. Thomas alone
keeping her seat. Her husband was IN
aisle, but still holding his seat with firm
grasp. When the ear took It's fearful
plunge, the fact that Mrs, Thomas was sit.
ting in her seat and her husband firmly
clinging to his own, alone saved their lives
aud prevented them from being buried
among the hot stoves and burning seats,
and crushed and roasted mass of human
beings in the rear end Of the car. How
Mr.. Thomas camc outside of the car, he is
utterly unable TO tell lie states that he
was not unconscious; that he found him
self in a single Instant after he was thrown
from his feet lying upon his back the
roof of the car entirely swept away; the
car itself literally broken into thousand
pieces, aud he himself looking straight up
into the sky. 1t seemed to te all done in
few seconds of time. lie found him
self with heavy pieces Of the wreck lying
across his legs, and pressing one Of them
upon a sharp, broken iron which entered
his clothing near tho thigh. His frsi
thought was for his wife, whom he discoy.
cred was lying near, but before he was
able to render her assistance, she had been
taken out and cared for by citizen oil
Angola. At his feet lay man bleeding
profuscly from wound in his head, but
who was able TO free himself from the de.
bris, and then had strength sufficient Io
assist Mr.. lhomus, until ut last the latter
was able to crawl out Of the wreck upon
his hands and knees, and thus make his
way up the bank. lie was taken into the
passenger car that stood upon the track,
and afterwards removed 10 private house
and medical aid procured. Mrs. Thomas
was rendered insensible by the fall. The
FIRST she remembers was feeling the blood
running down her face. Casting her eye
toward the lower end Of what was once
the ear, she saw the flames eight or ten
feet high, but the passengers were 20 GOV.
cred with the ruins that they could not be
seen. The IRE was sd near that she mus
make an effort 10 escape or burn. In try
ing to rise. her injuries we're so severe, the
effort rendered her insepsible again. She
would probably have added one more tc
the list of the dead from this shocking
disaster, had not citizen Of Angola, Sec
ing her fearful position come to her rescue
After making the effort TO get up, she re
members nothing more until she found
herself in private house. A succession o.
fainiing fits followed, and as she recovered
from each she declared that she was entirel,
unhurt, and it was only some time afIel
the accident that she was convinced sh,
had received injury. 1t was probably tive
hours after the accident before medical aiC
could be procured. Two physicians wer,
aboard the train, whose attentions wer,
fully occupied with those more severely
injured.
A large bundle lay upon the ground tha
had evidently rolled from the seconS
passenger car. This had been passed ove
and pushed about by people bearing tn