The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-12-27
The Cross Cut" Railroad Horror
Passengers Imprisoned in the Wreck
and Roasted Alive,

/
Passengers Imprisoned in the Wreck
and Roasted Alive,
Heart.rending Sights & Sounds
Thirty Lives LOst...NameS OF the
Recognized Dead and Wounded.
ERIE, Pa, December 98.-Ths imme4
dlate cause oil the accident at Prospect
Station was broken flangc on the tender
wheel. About sixty rods from the Sta.
ton is treStlework some twenty feet
high, over which the locomotive and ten.
der Of the eastern bound express passed
in safety, but the baggage and passengers,
only two coaches being in tho train, were
thrown from the trestle and fell thirty
feet and struck top doWnwards. The
weight Of the trucks crushed in the cars
closing up the windows, and to render
the situation even more terrible, the pas.
senger coach was partly tilted up on the
side and there were absolutely no means
OF escape. Almost Immediately the cars
took fire, the passenger coach burning at
both ends.
Some hSlEdozen persons waiting at the
station were soon at the scene Of the acci.
dent, but they worked at on immense dis.
advantage. No water could be had, and
the snow that was scratched up had little
effect in staying the flames. Only two
axes were available, aud the woodwork
Of the cars was bolted together so firmly
and intriCately that but little headwaY
could be made with.them. ALI tho time
these efforts were being put forth the
flames were steadily gaining, and the
shrieks of the imprisoned victims as the
scorching heat cnVeloped them was ap.
palling TO the stoutest hearts.
Now and then a rope was put
through 4 CreVice and the sufferer
pulled out by main strength; some.
times it would be lileless body, and tue
Charred arms, legs or head would drop
of in the struggle, In three or four in.
stances the head was thus separated from
the trunk, and in as many more cases
the body was berett Of It's limbs. The
body oi lady was thus rescued from tho
flames, the head and one arm swapping of
like piece Of charcoal, while the other
arm was untouched, dainty kid glove
covering the hand and her fingers wear.
ing their jeweled ornaments. The body
will doubtless be recognized with tho aid
Of the rings, but for these it would have
been impossible to identify 1t. The bodies
OF three other ladies were taken out,
neither OF which, 1t Is believed, can be
recognized by their friends. In all it is
estimated that fully ten Of the nineteen
forms removed from the burning cars are
unacceptable.
1t is supposed that in addition to tho
bodies recovered q number Of others
were consumed in the burning car, and
that but their blackened bones will be
discovered when the fire iSextinguIshed
and tho ashes raked over. Adding these
to the number injured that will die, it is
estimated that the total number of lives
lost will not fall short Of thirty. The
whole number Of persons in the cars at
the time Of the accident was about forty
Eve.
Frank Taylor was leaning against some
object, and seeing an acquaintance pass.
ing, called him by name The friend
turned around and saw Taylor ap.
parently unInjured, but suddenly he
said "tell my wife" and fell over dead.
He must have died from some internal in.
Jury, but the inmates ot the burning cars
were shrieking for aid and Dir. TaYlor's
friend didn'tseC him again until his corpse
was brought In and placed with tho 9th.
ers. After the groans Of the dying were
stilled In death, the stencil arising from
the burning bodies is said to have been
sickening. With no means Of extinguish.
ing the flames, and the heat being too in
tense to admit of all the bodies being ex-
tricated, nothing could be done by the
spectators but 10 stand quietly by and see
the remains slowly consumed.
LATER
The following is a later special from
the scene Of the disaster to the Erie Dis.
patch:
MAYvGLLE, N. Y, December 26.-Tho
bodies thus far identified, arc Mark
Raight, Of BroctOn, MY; Wm. Il. Os.
borne, Westaeld, N. Y; Herman Ryan,
Farnham, N. Y; Edwin II. Bell, Sher-
man, N. Y; Con Maloney, Brocton, N
Y; Frank Taylor, Cory, Pa; Jno. White,
Lancaster, N. Y; Augusta Cardat, Ark.
wright, N. Y; Chas. MeIz, Eden Corners,
near Argols, N. Y; Mr.. and Mrs. Wllburn,
and F. Rice, Titusville, Pa; E. Joseph
Curtin, Titusville, Pa; Kate Reilley, Dun.
kirk, N. Y; VIM. Rankin, laborer, from
Canada; Jas. II. McCarten, Miller Station,
Pa. There arc only four bodies yet un-
recognized. All the wounded but Mag
gle Curtin, W. e. Tickuer, Mrs. Cornelia
McC Corten and Fsyette Flanders, left Pros.
pect Station for their homes. At the
Chattaqua House, Msyvlllc, Jno. Douglass,
Canadian, lett shoulder and breast broken,
may recover; John Cowdrey, Cory. head
cut and internal injuries; Barney Cook,
Lancaster, bad internal injuries recovery
very doubtful. All the others arc doing
well. There were 8s paying passengers
on the train, and FIVE employees back OF
the tender.
At the inquest Henry Miller and J. J.
Marks testified that tho train ran very
fast. W. Il. Lee and others contradicted
1t. The fireman says five miles per hour.
Orville Swift, OF Cory, was on the train.
His body was not recognized. Two OF
the four bodies unclaimed are in ShapeleaS