, 1872-12-29
The Disaster on the Buffalo, Cory
& Pittsburgh Road.
Nineteen Persons Killed, and
Over Twenty Injured.
Terrible Scenes --- Human Beings
Crushed aud Burned Alive.
The Accident on the Indianapolis, Peru
& Chic-go Road.
Twenty-Five to Thirty Persons Injured---
Se:ccal Chicago People Among
tie Number,


I:on, Tie Gu:ato Courier, Dec. q.
The calm OF Christmas eve was rudely broken
by the terrible news flaahel over the tcegraphlc
wires, Of al accident attended with horrible SUI
ferlnG and loss OF life, on tho Buffalo, Cory L.
Pittsburgh Railroad. On this road there WAS no
natural road bed, and the route had to be laid up
hill and dowa dsle, necsssitating deep cutg,
steep en1bank1nents. lofty trellise3. and heavy
grades. TEorc arc numerous places along the
line we'll calculated to appan the heart OF tho
ti1nid traveller. The Cros6-Cut Road was built to
relieve the necessities OF the oil producers. It
does not appesc to have been successful enter
prise, for short time ago it was forced into
bankruptcy, aId being sold By order OF the Court,
WIS bid in for the boadAoldors for the sum of
eGO0.OD0
By the first train Wednesday morning re-
porter Of the Courier Was despatched to the
scene. Arriving at Brocton about 8 o'clock, he
foun Z train Oh the Ctoss-Cut in waiting, being
tie first thai had been put in readiness to go up
the road since the accident occurred. Brocton,
which is the next station beyond Dunki-k. is
about fifty miles from Buffalo, aal it is at that
point that the C:oss-Cut Railroad lcyins. Pros
pecs Station. the vicinity "i:oEo the disaster took
place, is eight railcs from Brocton.
| PROSPECT.
From Brocton the road continually and rapid
~ ascends tolling its way up the Chautauqua
hills. Prospect is nothing but & stopping place
"a little station house where there is g telegraph
Office and not far away two or three farm
houses. The station takes its namo because of
the broad downward surrey of landscape which
tie site commands. About sixty rods beyond
the station is great gully or ravinc, with steep
and rugged sides, and in warm weather small
creek coursing through it. This gully is CROSSED
By high trellis several hundred feet long, vary
ing in height from fifteen to twenty-five to thirty
feet. In winter time it is bleak cold place, and
Ir;fk otpu inf ff,a
Here was the scene Of what VAS one OF the most
dreadful accidents that can be found in the rec
ord Of railroad catastrophes, and passengers
hereafter they pass over that fatal trelis must
shudder at the remembrance.
THE DooLED TRAIN.
The mail train bound for Brocto1 left Cory
at 1:20 p. NJ, Tuesday, in charge Of ConductorFay
Flanders and Engineer Joseph Haire. It con-
sisted Of tle locomotive "Gyron F. Bsmus,
baggage-car, aud one passenger-car. The latter
was strong and nearly new COACH and to this,
perhaps, those who escaped annihila:ion owe
their lives. The working employees consisted Of
the conductor, engineer, fireman, baggage
master, and two brakemen. The coach contained,
as far be calculated, about forty-Hye
passengers at the moment Of the catastrophe.
The train proceeded Gu its way in tia usual
manner. stopping at the accustomed stations, re-
ceiying and discharsins Passengers, baggage,
and mails,
INTO TIE GULF.
The train sped OIL, vending its course down
nTcachcd the high trelIis near Prospect =! Ition
None dreamed Of danuer. or yist that tie angel
OF death swept over the route with them. T!tou-
sands Of traius Ind crossed the same trollls, and
over even moro dangerous places on the line Of
the road, aud no accident Of uncommon proper
tons hcd ever taken place. The grade at TINS
locality is frcm cighty-two to cghty-tiye feet to
tie mile. Ercea had beoa reduced: preparatory
to stopping at tho etation. 1u regard to this
disaster, the common charge Of running at
reckless apecd cannot be made. The train moved
at a rate not possibly exceeding eight miles
bour-moycd comparatively slow along. as if ad-
been faster, perhaps the dangerous gulf might
have been safely passed. aud the catastrophe
eyertcd.
Tho accident ut Prospect was caused by the
tie rear wheels Of tho tender KailToad travel
lars can mediate how little thickness OF iron,
which NAV be Of poo- quality and badly cast.
and nav Ie affected by either heat or cold is the
on1- defender TINT stands between them and
death. niece only about the size of & mans
hand broke off. but this enough to cause tho
troin to leave the track. Tho truck became de-
tached from the tender, and, dragging the tank
over tie tics, tie engine kept to the rails and iu
smother moment was beyond danger. The bag
paoo-car and messenger coach with scarcely the
Tnruiur Of second. we're hurled from the tres
lie into the bottom of the gully. The height
Of tue trestlo at tnia immediate point is II feet
The distance tho cars fell in their slanting
course was about Is feet. The driited snow in
eli probability broke tie force Of the fall somo-
what. vet tto shock must have been tremendous.
We have heard Of no person who CHANGED to be
80 stunted AZ to witness the descent OF the cars,
but the EigEt NAV be readily imagined as one
most thrilling and fearful.
THE WRECK ON FIRE.
OF itself. the precipitation of the full freiShted
passenger car into the bottom of the abyss.
was enonsh to effect fearful havoc Of human
maned with the trucks uppermost, the roof
and eidss being crushed in and upon the hapless
vi,tims> Sa,ne. lot us hone tho many, Of those
doubtless killed outright. But tie horrors OF
Anrola and New Hainbureh we're to be re-
enacted. Tho wrecked car took fire from the
nvartnrned stove. The flames spread with
LIGHTNING cclcrity, and tho hapless Victims who
were vet alive found themselves imprisoned in
fery toElb. Their shrieks rent the air, and
es people from the neighborhood hurried to the
scene the horrible smell Of burning flesh met
thcir nostrils. The train was due at Prospect
At 3.o0 aud that WIS about the time of the dis
sstar.
Tla ncon1o Of the Neutrality-suspicious. Of the
Farm hnusen. track laborers. etc.-rushed to the
snot A soon a. the fact became known, and q
fe~o;o f-1,t 7r;tt, TIM namoo tn cayo human he-