New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-26
RAILROAD HORRORS.
OVER A SCORE OF VICTIMS MANGLED OR
BURNED TO DEATH.

THE MISCHTEF CAUSED BY BROKEN WHEEL
"A FEARFUL FALL FROM TRF STLE-THR
FLAMES COMPLETE THE WORK OF DEATH,
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIsU Rl
NAYvuIR NJ Y. Dec. 25-The acc Ident near the
little town of Prospect just above here proves TO
have been one Of the worst rded in the rail-
road history of this country Fro m an insignificant
cause rich harvest Of death hr a resulted and one
of the most melancholy featu res Of the slaughter
is the fact that the roll of Wet ms can never be fully
made up. 1t appears from Areful examination Of
the ground. to-day that alb cut 20 rods this side of
the trestle bridge, and VIII en- on O short curve. q
small piece broke out of the DANCE of the forward
iefthand wheel of the rec truck of the teuder. On
straight stretch of tra' * no harm would have re-
suited, but pressed as the wheel was against the
outer rail or the curve, pieces varying In
weight from two ounces to two pounds
broke off in succession, until three
quarters of the AI rye was gone, when the wheel
mounted the rail- asde four revolutions on it tbe
dents from which may be plainly seen) and then
dropped outside ne rail, the whole truck of course
leaving the trac X This was fully eight rods from
the trestle and yver that distance and half way on
the trestle wb ich is 800 feet long, the truck was
dragged cut ing deep into the treste ties, which
were only tw % inches thick, with every revolution
OF the vince n The truck worked to the left until,
near the center of the trestle, the outer wheels
dropped ger the end of the ties, and In some way
not aceo mted for threw the end of the baggage
car and forward end Of the passenger coach OH the
track Both cars slid down until their centers rested
on II edge Of the bridge, whore they remained
staff onnTy for instant and then the weight OF the
owe Hanging trucks tipped them completely over,
an d. bottom side up they fell perpendculary to the
sound below. distance of 20 feet. When the cars
druek. the trucks crashed through the bottoms Of
them and as the stoves Of the passenger cars were
directly under the trucks they were crushed to
mecca and Immediately the woodwork Of the cars
took fire. Of &C people known to have been in the
two cars but one escaped unaided. namely, the
brakeman on the passenger coach, who jumped clear
of the cars as they were falling. When it is added
that the train was running at the rate Of six miles
an hour when it fell off the bridge, the substance of
all that is known, far to the cause of the acct
dent is given.
The woodwork of the passenger car, thickly
coated as it was with yarnsh burned freely and be-
fore anything could be done by the force at hand to
prevent it the flames enyeloped both ends of the car
and oEept rapidly toward the center. Penned
within it at this time with possible chance to ex-
trcate themselves 43 adult passengers the con-
ductor and one child OF those seated in the ends of
none escaped but help arriving about % dead
and living were taken out Of the center of it, and
the flames were extnguished or moro correctly
speaking went out for lack of anything further to
feed upon. The remains of the other passengers
were then recovered, and all brought to this place.
The roll fOots up as follows:
Saved all more OF less injured, 90 dead, 10 miss
ing7
The dead with four exceptions, were burned so as
TO be unacceptable from the features, and there
are but three that could possibly be identified from
the shreds of clothing adhering TO the roasted nesh
Five were headless and without limbs, and the re-
naming ones had the flesh all burned OIL the extrem-
tiles The eight missing supposed to have been
completely consumed. and there are pieces OF skuls'
watches and the like sufficient to partially justify
such belief. The dead identified are:
NJ. Haight, Brocton, n. Y.
VIM Osburne. Westdeid. n Y
Con Maloney. track-master, BroctOn, n. Y
John White, Lancaster, n. Y.
Edward II. Bell. Sherman, N. Y.
Frank Taylor, baggage master Cory, Pa
John Ryan Farnham, N. Y.
Four Others are known 20 have been the train,
namely: Catharine Kelly, Kitty Ryan, and Mr.. and
Mrs Wilbur F Rice all of Ttusville, Pa ItsthOught
they will be identified tomorrow, friends are here
for that purpose. The case of the two last named
is peculiarly sad one. Mr. Rice the only son OF
James Rice leading citizen of Titusville and his
wife the only daughter of Austin jackson OF Roches
ter n. Y. They were married on the 5th OF this
month, and were on the way to Rochester to spend
Christmas.
Judging from the clothing, baggage, and appear
once of those coming to identify them, number of
the dead belonged to the lower classes. The bodies
are laid out in the freight-house here, and will be
kent several DAYS for Identification. The following
il the only correct list Of the injured that has been
made:
Levi Briggs Angola, NJ ", injured internally.
john A. Hilton, Smith and JaInesSts. Roehes-
Mrs. James McCGrtin badly bruised and delirious; her
child IA unujured husband missing. -
VIM II. Lee CORY, Penn, bruised, but vent nome
JACOB Berlin. Irving N. Y. head badly bruised;
VIM. II. TcEnOr, Ttusvtlle. Penn, shoulder Drokeh'
right elbow crushed aud otherwise bruisedi VIII prop
IaSSe Curtin T1tusSiile Penn, feet burned badly.
George Miller. Fredoma. n Y, badly bruised
Henry Miller Titusvtlle, Penn, arm broken.
J. j. Marks Ttusvile, Penn, injured about the head
Eliza seelcy Ripley n. Y, injured In the chest
Ray Flanders conductor, Cory, Two ribs broken ana
Earl w Bacon mail agent, injured in the hack
Julius A. Durham, PleSsantville, Penn badly bruised
II 8 sissin sherman, " y. fact burned; gone home
Holm Douglass Dundas, Ont. breast-bone broken and
injured badly in tho back. .
yohn Cowdrey, Cory Penn. injured internally in the
region of the stomach.
Barney Cook Lancaster, injured internally and very
badly viii probably de-
Coroner MiDton to-day impanelcd q jury, who
viewed the bodies and tomorrow the taking OF evil
den6e will begin.
GENERAL PRESS DIsPATCHl
Mr. Bacon, mail agent. reported dead is only
slightly injured having secured the registered letters
and exsricated himself by jump. OF the killed FL
have been recoveped and 10 are charTed a. to be
unknown are in the Chautauqua House awaiting
relatives and one at Prospect There are yet three
20 Eve bodies under the runs reduced TO ashes ano
distinguishable ony BY pieces of skulls and bones.
The train was going on down grade OF 80 to 81 feet
70 The mile end was about so rods from Prospect de-