Middletown transcript., 1871-02-11
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out the land occurred on Monday night,
on the liuc Of the Hudson River Railroad.
At New Hamburg, 8 miles below Pough-
keepsic. All the dreadful elements Of
other disasters in the past were repro.
duccd in this. intensified and combined
together. increasing the horrors Of each
by the presence Of the others. There
were the terrifying crash Of tho collision.
the fearful plunge down int an abyss
amid shattered ears and splintered bridge
:imbcrs; the waters where some found
refuge iu mn icy death from the lurid hell
Of iirc which gave the crowDing horror TO
the awful scene Never before in al the
long chapter Of catas,rophcs on our lines
Of travel. has there been one equal 10 this
in its multiplicity Of ,errors.
A freight train. mainly made up Of oil
ears, started from Alban, in the evening.
on the down tru,k. There were twenty
five cars in this train. Almost Mt the end
Of the wooden bridge over WaPpingers
Creek. Mt New Hamburg. an axle Of the
tenth car in the train, an oil car. broke,
tipping it sideways, and letting II down
upon the ties. For few yards further
TO the entrance Of the bridge. IL dragged,
then. striking timber. was tossed over
on the up track. and instantly all the cars
behind il were piled on it, n mass Of
wreck II was the work Of an instant ard
while the echoes were still but half n
wakcncd by the awful crash, upon the
chaos glared the headlight Of u passenger
irain-thc Pacific press--dashing on
wnrd with lightning speed on the up track.
Yards, hot even rods. measured the space
which it dcvourod in brcath--before
there could be motion TO check its ad-
vance, before even there could be one
warning shrek from the locomotive be-
fore one on the doomed train could leap
into the black peril Of uncertainty on Ell
ihcr hand or even see the horrid fate n.
: head. Then. with terrible noise, as Of
an earthquake. the locomotive plunged in.
D to the mountain Of ruin heapcd upon the
track. Down on it came laundering all
the cars which followed in its wake, each
with n crash. mingled with the wild
= shrieks of its terrified inmates The loco
$ motive had burst open the oil tank Of the
= fatal tenth car the instant Of striking it,
, From the iirc-box Of the locomotive the
+ flames lrapcd up to the heavens. The oil
dashed high in the air by the shook. ig.
: ni,el there and where it fell there lay n
4 sea of fire. Another aud another oil.tanl;
exploded aud gave their boiling, flaming
e con,cp,s to feed the swelling fury Of tbs
-, fire. Up, up. round the cars. and dowp
. over the timbers Of the bridge, tapping ol
e with tongues Of flame. binding the mad
d dencd one. who strovc to escape, shroud.
y ing the awful death. cells where. FROM
r. their sheep. tho miserable ones had N,
II time for any thought but wild alright and
70 agony, were hurled into eternity, From
y y the bridg into the waters Of the creek
eighteen fee, bonoa,b, plunged the engine
10 Of the express train. down upon it fell til,
l. tender. n baggage ear. aud and express
/, car, then the Buffalo sleeping coach
,c whence none escaped alive. and over thes,
III poured the liquid fire raincd down from
!" the bridge, MS il, too. fell. with its load o
m the remaining cars Of both trains. $,
fierce was the fire that nothing could b,
u done To save those so instantly cdvclopet
y by it. It wrapped two cars SO guickl,
IA that few escaped from them uninjurcd b,
it. Down beneath the ice. drowned. lal
of SONG, fortunate that their death had beef
= less horrible than that of those cngulfed il
-, the fire others, still more fortunate, hn,
known no pain. but in that sudden crasl
lei had taken, pl unconscious Of its cause
y the short step from mortal life to inmor
N. tality. In two Of the slcepihg.cars i'm
Ike mcdintely following the Builalo coach til
&c loss Of fe aud Injuries were great Fro,
- those behind. most Of the passengers es
capcd-:cw wi,hou, serious injuries. brol;
Ter en- bones. hurns, anl bruises. but with lfc
ne Looking before them. they saw, wrappe
in the fire, the rhaos Of wreck In the
-. cars. mingled with the roaring and crnek
ID, ling Of the flames. rcsonnding the shrirl
Of the poor wrc,ches in their death ngon,
'o- fur beyond all human aid. in that iniernl
NJ. furnace. Thoy stood upon the Ice. scan
q,d ,ily clad for most Of them had been In
undresscd, preparing for sleep when Ii
'' down TO zero As the ice melted. Il
nd ears upon the it sank down into tho wat
on beneath. and them the burning timbers
r., the bridge For hours the furious Aam,
.sL M rcvellcd in their work Of ruin Their lur
glare rcddenrd the skies; the ice and sue
ate brough. out in keen relief the branches
was the tall pine. and made blacker the sha
nm. ows behind them on tho snow-clad sid
ed Of this awful eorge-ths valley Of dca,
rms Near the wreck lay human body. up
=, the ice. Its outrnils were torn out,
,ird hsoa and legs crushed. The CHASTITY he
rors Of the scene could have had no mo
'ith vivid climax. Such un object in the for
anu ground made complete a picture viii
,dcc will never fade from the remembrance
those who gaxcd upon II.
y.ac a. Who were lost was the anxious inqui
among the survivors. % or 30 at le,
aud had gone down in the Buffalo slcepiu
!. ., coach. not one Of whom was there siigl
i'", hira est hope Of saving from the moment Il
the the fire swallowed it up.
The number Of killed and wounded