Connecticut western news., 1871-09-08
The Eastern Railroad Disaster.

l to Beverly to visit some friends, and took I on the accommodation train. C His statement of the sad disaster by !, which some thirty persons lost their j lives instantly, and many were seriously injured, is an exceedingly interesting one, and we give it in full:
 I went to the Eastern Railroad station < to take the 7:15 accommodation train for Beverly. There was large number of passengers waiting for the same train, and great deal of impatience was mani fested because it was so late. It was 7:45 o'clock when the train came in which was to go out again. A grand rush was made for seats, and they were filled so quick that we could not get seats together. We were in the first passenger car, the third from the rear, near the door. I sat in the seat with gentlemen whom believed to be sea- son ticket-holder, from the fact that the conductor merely nodded to him when he took up the tickets. held my little girl in my arms and my wife sat in the seat directly behind me with another lady whom I did not know. The aisles of the cars were all crowded. When we reached Somerville there was 8 stop, and the whistle sounded. It was something unusual, and created good deal of ex- citement in the car. The windows were all showed up, and the passengers look ed out. The conductor, who was taking up tickets, called out "Please keep yeur seats; there is no danger !" The woman who was sitting with my wife ap- peared good deal troubled, and said ''There is something wrong about the train. I know there is something going to happen" Just after we left Somer- vile the gentleman in the seat with me put his head out of the window, and said :: The express train is behind US; I can see it." The passengers all seemed to feel nervous, as if they had some pre- monition of what was coming We made the regular stop at Revere, and had just got under way, moving very sl )wly, when the crash came. Although the window was open, I did not hear the whistle.
 The shock threw down some who were standing Tn the aisle, and also threw my I child out of my arms. I always suppos- l ed that in 8 collision of the kind the blow came like thunderclap and was over, I but here 1t was long, grinding crash,
 lasting, it seemed to me, fully five sec
 onds. Instantaneously with the first
 sensation the lights were extinguished
 and inside the cars it was total darkness.
 Some one called out, ''The danger is all
 over-don't be afraid p The passengers
 were trampling over one another in their
 fright and excitement, and l called out
 the same words. For second it seemed
 as if they would have some effect, but
 the next instant man near the rear
 door shouted "The car is on fire ''
 and the excitement was fercer than ever
 We all got out at last. My wife had
 tainted and laid her on the grass, tell
 ing my little girl to stand by her while I
 helped the others rescue the injured. All
 this time the air was filled with the
 shrieks and groans of the wounded, and
 the excited cries of the unhurt passen-
 gers and those who happened to be in
 the vicinity. Men were running about
 Tn the greatest excitement and for a few
 minutes there was no system of action.
 The engine had struck the rear car full
 In the center, entering about two-thirds
 of the way, carrying passengers and seats
 before 1t Tn a crushed and confused mass
 to the forward end of the car Tue blow
 broke the cap of the engine, and the
 boiling steam poured in full volume
 amongst them, scalding those who were not already crushed to death Several
 gentlemen, residents of Revere, and pas
 sengers, with more presence of mind
 than the rest, began to tear of the
 sides of the car, to release the sufferers.
 After several intellectual attempts strong
 rope was procured and the sides pulled
 away. As fast as we could get at the
 bodies we carried them into the depot,
 and laid them on the floor. The wound
 ed in both cars were taken to the near l act hO11Snc on1 I.
 most seriously y injured, who were placed 1n
 the Pullman car to be taken to Boston.
 The only one saw injured on the express
 train was the baggage-master. He was
 at the brake at the rear of the baggage
 car when the collision occurred, so he
 said and was caught between the plat
 form of the two cars front and rear. He
 was sitting upon the platform of the bag
 gage car, the other one tapping over and
 resting upon his thighs. One of his
 handswas terribly bruised He was in
 that position over an hour, and yet bore
 his pain with the greatest fortitude, talk
 ing with the men around him constantly.
 A jackscrew was finally procured and he
 was taken out and put on board the
 Pullman car. One of the first men I
 saw when I got out of the car was 8
 young man, well-dressed, holding up his
 han Is, with his face apparently scalded and bruised. The blood was dripping from his fingers. I asked him if he was
 hurt. He said, "I don't know I feel
 all fire" I looked and saw that his clothes had been nearly stripped from
 his back, and he was somewhat but not
 seriously injured. He was very anxious to know if his face was disfignred. I told him "No," when all at once he threw up his hands, and with yell ran up the track as fast as he could, and I saw no more of him. A momentafter I
 saw a woman lying upon the grass, her Z right arm fearfully crushed between the elbow and shoulder, and her face badly scalded. She must have been suffering
 intense pain. I asked her what could
 do for her. She replied, "There are l others hurt a great deal worse than I am. Go and attend to them. I can
 bear it." She was taken to house nea1 by and laid upon the floor, with bun- dle of bloody clothes for a pillow. She ) would not let the doctor attend to he1 7 injuries until she knew that the others t had been seen to. There were several l others badly hurt ill the same house. } After the train had been thoroughly cleared, got my wife and little girl g l place to stay, and got on a Lynn horse , car. l went to Lynn and spread the
 news, and train was sent up.