The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-09-01
Frghtful Railroad Disaster.

a frightful accident occurred on the
night of the 26th of August, on the
Eastern Railroad, at Revere, a point
seven miles from Boston. The accom-
mediation train started behind time, and
while stopping at the station at Revere
the Portland lightning express over
took il and telescOped it, killing twenty
one passengers outright, including three
women, and wounding forty or fifty
more. The ears took fire and were con-
sumed. Most of the wounded were
scalded and their limbs fractured. The
killed and wounded belonged mostly to
/ Lynn and Salem. The rear car was
crowded with people, every seat being
occupied and many standing i'm the
aisle. Among these the locomotive
rushed as quick as a flash just as the
/ Beverly train started, mangllng and
/ killing them in n most frightful man
neT. Simultaneous with the collision
the head cap of the boiler broke, and IN
an instant the wretched sufferers were
shrouded in cloud of kissing steam,
and deluged with boiling water, which
brought instant death TO many of the
wounded and will prove fatal to others
who have not been otherwise seriously
injured. The lamps spilled their con-
tents, but the fire, if any, was undoubt-
edly extinguished by water and steam.
Although the Beverly train was just
moving when the collision took place,
the motion did not prevent injury to the
cars in front. The coupling between
the two rear cars broke, and the platforms
of all of them jammed up together with
the smoking car, overlapping the lug
gage car, and rods and timbers mixed
inextricably. Fortunately the entan-
clement was not so great but that pas
sengers succeeded in getting out quite
speedily. Happily for them they did so,
for the kerosene lamps were upset and
the contents spilled on the upholstery,
and instantly the smoking car was i'm a
blaze. The flames travelled with great
speed from one ear To another until
three of them were embracedin the fiery
folds.
The dead and wounded were taken out
carefully, and speedily placed on plat
form or i'm the depot. Some were
pinned with splinters, some had arms
and legs broken, and others We're man
gled beyond calculatiOn-many, i'm fact
a majority of the dead, We're apparently
free from bruises, but the peeling of the
skin, and the deathly pallOr which over
spread the face and flesh, told plainly
that steam and scalding water had been
a frightful and effective agent of death
lTwenty-four persons are known to have
been killed. The number of wounded
is between thirty and forty, most o.
whom will recover. The public senti-
ment is very strong against the con
ductor and engineer of the expires;
train.
Further particulars of the railroad ac
cident represent that of the scene of the
disaster there is little to be seen. In /
ditch at the side of the road still smoke
the embers of the burning cars, but thi:
is almost all that tells of the disaster
I'm the town hall of Revere still lies hal
n dozen bodies. They are horrible L
look at. Bloody foam lies upon theil
black, swollen lips. Their eyes protrud,
from the sockets; discOlOred patches o
flesh hang loose from their cheeks, anC
great flaps of boiled skin dangle from
their hands. They have been crushed
cooked and tortured, and deeper thar
all mere physical disfigurements, on,
sees something still more awful to loOl
upon in their faces-a haunting look o
unspeakable agony.
The officers of the road are almos
crazed by the accident and seemed no
to know what to do. The killed an6
wounded are nearly all Boston, Salem
and Lynn people.