New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-27
THE PROSPECT SLAUGHTER.
SHOCKING DETAILS OF TIE LAST RAILWAY
HORROR.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO 1as TRlBU

TBr TELEGRAPH TO InB TRIBUsBl
MAYvILLE, Dec. 2G.-The work OF ldentny-
ing the victims OF the accident at Prospect mas oeen
greatly FASTENED by the arrival Of relatives and friends
on the morning train and tonight there arc only nVe
bodies unclaimed The Identification In every instance
required the most careful examination for relatives
we're 10th 10 admit that the burned aud frozen trunks
admitted 10 their inspection were the of those
they had parted with in health scarcely two days be-
FORE In instance bright gold breast pin adbering
TO the neck OF nearly beadless and lmbless body TO-
cether with a bracelet found on the stump
OF the left arm, furnished the necessary evil
dence. Another lady was identified by
few shreds Of black silk sacque,
lock of mokeblackened hair and thimble One man
was recognized by o partialy.burned photograph OF
himself and common briarwood pipe found uninjured
the remnants OF his clothing. and another by single
.ase TOOTH The expectation that the recently married
Mr. and Mrs Rice OF Ttusvlle would be ldentined To-
day was fulfilled and the grief OF their fathers may 30
imagined but not described Ttusyle suffered heavily
for in addition Mr. and Mrs. Rice Charles Metz KITTY
Riley and Joseph Curtin from there. The others
identified to-day are James IL. McCartiD, Miller
Station, Penn; william Rankin, Mayville, N T.;
and John Cardot Sinclairville N Y. saie Key Oe-
longing 10 Orye Swift Of Cory, Pa was found and as
he was known have been the train ne was probaDy
entirely consumed or IL among the trunks tis imposs
BILE 20 identify Counting Mr. Swifps remains there arc
four bodies unidentified one s that OF nursing mother
and is supposed that heG babe was totally consumed
This woman could he easily Identified as large portion
OF her dress Is uhburned. The number missing Ia re-
duced 10 three It is possible that people now on the
way will supply their names When they VIII get mere
II ia impossible 70 say add to the general horror OF
the situatlon there is driving storm which has
blocked the railroad that got here nor can
those here get away
OF the wounded, Mr. Tckuor ia stin alive, but cannot
possibly recover; Mr. Cook is somewhat better tonight
but is injured internally, and the doctors say he VIII die
John Cowdry Cory is injured internally and severely
but may recover and conductor Flanders VIII probably
recover The remainder Of the wounded are all tmprov
Ing and are not considered in any danger The Coroner
has adjourned the inquest until Saturday to give time
for the Identification Of the four remaining bodies and
to await results in the cases Of those injured The fol-
lowing statements are made informally
STATEMENT OF JOSEPH iiAfRg
have been in the employ OF the Buffalo, Cory and
Pittsburgh Railroad running from Cory to Broeton IN
the capacity OF engineer since the road was but I'VE
years. was engineer OF train No. 6, which met with the
accident near Prospect Tuesday; the train consisting
of engine and tender No. one baggage and one passen
ger car left Cory ten minutes late, and had mace
up none OF the lost time there is heavy down grade
Going into Prospect probably about eighty feet TO the
mile and it is necessary shut OF steam about three
quarters Of a mile this sde did so on this
occasion, but noticed tnat on account OF
of the train was SO retarded that would not reach the
station without using steam; when a0Out midway on
the trestle which is go feet long took hold OF me
lever TO let in stea ana then the first time noticed
that the rear truck Of the tender was on the toh
blew once for brakes and Immediately reversed the
engine: as did tho becord snapped; as soon as
had attended 10 these duties looked around aud saw
the two falling bottom SIDE up dowh tue dTeste
saw them strike the ground and the trucks sink INTO
them: attended the engine. and then went down 10
the wreck and assisted In exlcatlnG the ueau ana ln-
STATEMENT or cLAUDE HANSON.
raroading Is years, and IN the employ oil
f1ta Ruf
weeks; wac yesterday rear brakeman on train No 6;
there was no other brakeman the tran but the bag
gage man Frank Taylor always assisted me- coming out
on the rear end Of the baggage for that purpose
before the tender truck left the track we were In our
proper stations, and had taken up the slack OF the
train We stood facing each other, the forward end
of the passenger coach and be on the rear end OF the
baggage car the shut of about threequarters
OF mile FROM Prospect Station, and at the time OF the
accident were not probably running faster than
Ave OF six miles an hour; the nfst ln'lnatOn
received that there any trouble was ABOUT MO
way the rese when the cars parted the corners on
the ght side closing together barring any escape
nseS ar coach plunged about Sa oTer the left hand
side OF the trestle apparently hung baanced there Tor
the car completely over and 1t fell bottom side up 10 the
ground below distance about 90 feet the baggage car
ior and ] chung 10 the hand rails; l
shouted 10 him TO Jump but he paid attention
TO it when within about rhe ground let go
aud jumped to ceor the car was struck by the corner Of
it, aud TO this | attribute the saving OF my life, a. 1t
fnng iust out OF the way of being crushed when
got up said TO Taylor, Are you hurt q nc sad, am
dying then shouted 60 the engineer Tor jack screws
to raise the car but seeing that we could do nothing
with them called Tor water aud nc came with IL; we
released Taylor who was tue only visible; called
three TO the conductor but received no answer all
that could hear at that time one mau Rroaning
aud saying that the stove was on top or him.
seeing that nothing could be done unaided ran to
Prospect Depot distant about 80 rods, and finding
omnibuses standing there started them on for AID and
doctors absent about ten minutes, and when
got back the engineer, trackman and myself began
shoveling on the flames which had broken out at
each end the car; three other tfaekmen soon came
and them extinguishing the flames and began
ourselves take out tho sufferers; got ont five all
alive but one Edward Blu OF Sherman, N Y, died almost
az taken cut by the time the last OF the five
out there had probably 40 farmers and truck
men reached tho scene and were heaping snow
they did not succeed in extingishing the fames but
kept them subdued found Flanders the conductor,
OF with hs feet fast In the
aud slowly roasting he begged Of to get him out
II had to cut ms feet OF passed chain around his
him out, the flesh parted from his feet OF his
ribs were broken by the chain there lady lying
TANNED the help had by this time arrived
aud we extngushed the flames, and proDped up the
lower sides of the four more were then taken out.
living but y since dead; another had his right
leg burned on; New-Iork woman was burned TO
CRISP nothing but the steel hoops OF her skirt and small
piece of the body remalnng the others charred
and backened trunks what was eft OF the at the
lower left hand side then pulled away and the
remainder taken out and laid cushions the snow;
IL fully hour from the time Of the accident before
all were got out.
The railway officials are doing everything requisite
for the comfort OF the injured, and have OF
furnished collins for the dead. The road has been
operation years, and this is the first accident
sutng In the OF lives passengers that has
happened The Western Union Telegraph operator VIM.
H. smith, remained at his instrument 4s hours send
Ing without assistance, several hundred private mes
sages and all the Press reports