Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-27
Two Trains Collise and a FaSseD
ger Car Falls Through q
Trestle 20 f eet high
Taking Fire from the Stoves, it is
Utterly COnsun Aed, and With,
it 40 Pr ssesgers. .
SickeniDg ard SOul-HarrOwing.
Details-L eglesS, Armless and
Headle'sS, CinJered Bodies.
No Help Can be Offered and By
Sta nders Remain Until tine e
Ordeal of Fire has been
Passed.. -fvr-r

Passed. -wwE
ERIE, December a6.-The iuane,Iiate
cause OF the accident Al Prospect Sta
ton was broken dange on q tender
wheel. About sixty rods west of the
station is a Jrestle-woTk some twenty
feet high, over which the locomotive
and tender Of the eastern bound express
train passed in safety, but the baggage
and passenger cars (Only two coaches
being on the train) were thrown from
the trestle and fell thirty feet, striking
top downward. The weight Of the
wheels crushed in the cars, clesing up
the windows; and to make the situation
even more terrible, one passenger coach
was partially tilted upon its side, so that
for the occupants of that side there were
absolutely no means of escape.
Almost Immediately the cars took
fire, the passenger coach burning at
both ends. Some half a dozen persons
waiting at the station, We're soon at the
scene Of the sccideIl Il, but they worked
ST an immense disas 1vaatage. Nc water
could be had, and tlle snow scraped up
had little effect in staying the flames.
Only two axes were available, and the
wood work of the car was bulted to-
gether so firmly anil intricately, that
but little Roadway could be made with
them. All the time these efforts were
being put forth the q ames were steadily
gaining, and the shriels of the inspris-
Oned victims, as the scorching heat en-
velOped them, was appalling to the
strongest heart. Now and then rope
was put through q crevice and fastened
TO form and the sufferer pulled out by
main strength. Sometimes il would be
a lifeless body, and the charled arms
and legs or head would drop off in the
struggle. In three or four instances the
head was thus separated from the
trunk, and IN as many more cases the /
body was beueft Of its limbs. Thef
body Of a lady was thus rescued. /
from the flames, the head and one arm |
swapping OFF ike a piece of charcoal. Z
while the other arm was untouched a 4
dainty kid glove covering her hand, and
her fingers wearing their jeweled orna- /
ments. The body viii doubtless Oe rec
Ognized with the aid Of the RIGGS: but I
S-or these II would nave been impossible /
TO identity i. The bodies Of three other /
laiies were taken out, neither Of which, 4
il is believed, ran be recognized bv /
friends. In all it is estimated that fuIly 4
ten Of the nineteen forms removed from
the burning ear are Understandable.
IL Is sup2c Jsed that in addition TO the
bodies recf.vened, n number of Others
were consumed in the burning cars, and
hat nothing but their blackened bones
viii be discovered when the fire is ex-
iinguisfed and the ashes ralyed over
Adding these to the number Ct injured
that VIII die, it is estimated that the to-
al number of lives lost will not fall
lhOrt of thirty. The whole num-
Ter of persons ia the two cars
" the time Of the accident was
Desr9 Out fOrty-fve, Frank Taylor, of
It Dry, was leaning against some
lbOicect, and seeing an acquaintance
JOr- gsssing called him by 9anie. The
,bjf5end turned around and saw Taylor
lssrbparenty UninjGred, but suddenly lac
rifotid, "Tell my wife, and fell oyeri
%, lead. He must have died Sfom some
a thermal injury. The inmates of the
easurning cars were shrieking for aid, and
1sSIIir. Taylor's friend did not see him 1
regain until his corpse was brought in
iTGnd placed with the Others. After the
{ Toans Of the tying were stilled iudeath
lA1ihe stencil arising from the burning
~ ,Odies Is said TO have been sickening
hey ith no means Of extinguishing the
and the heat being too intense
With admit Of all the bodies being extri-
ames, q, nothing could be done by the spec
} admis but 10 stand quietly by and see the
zted, MONS slowly consumed. The follow
it0rs but 70 scr special from the scene of
smains slowly & the Erie Dispatch:
* is a later speItNEw YORK, December
le disaster to the Hhus far identified are
MAYvIIAE, NEW BroctOn William
The bodies thus field, New York;
lark Haight, "Farnham, New York; Il
|. Osborne, V, Sherman, New York;
erman Ryap Fey, BroctOn, New York
dWin II. Bel; or, Corey, Pennsylvania; I
AZ OH -vy5i1sls, Lancaster, New York;
August Carist, Arkwnght. New York;
Mr. and Ms. Wilbur, F. Rice, Titus
vile Pennsylvania; =. Joseph Curtin,
J, Titusville, Pennsylvania; Kate Riley, !
Dunkirk, New York; William Rankin,
lsbOrer from Canada; James II. McCar-
ten, Miller Station, Pennsylvania. -Four {
bodies only are vet unrec0gitizgd. All {
the wounded but Maggie Curtin, w. III.
Tickunor, Mrs. Camelia McoarJeIi and
Fayette Flanders, were left at PROJECT
Station for homes a. the ChataqUa
House, Maryville. john Doug
lass, Canadian, left shoulder
and breast broken, may recover John
; Cowdney, head cut and internal inju-
d Es; Barney Cook, of ian easteT had
T..
sui All the Others are doing Well.
There were thirty-eight paying passed.
gen on the train, and five employees
bach of the tender. At the inquest
Henry Miller and J. J. Marks testified
that the train ran very fast. w. II. Lee
AMI Others contradicted il. The fireman
SAYS II ran five miles per hoiir. Orville
Svfft was carried on The traini the body :
was not recognized. Two Of the iour
bodies unclaimed are shape. ess masses.
Douglass, who was in the car twenty
five minutes, says that several persons I
wee killed outright, while others We're |
whiting about until killed by suffoca-
tioa. Some were conscious until burned
70 death. The inquest adjourned 70 !
Saturday, TO take the testimony OF con-
du6tor Flanders.
Several prominent gentlemen OF Ten I