St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-01-03
CalanitieS.
THIRTY PERSONS ROASTED TO DEATH.

Pittsburg railroad near Prospect sta
ton. few miles from Brockton, \. Y.
| Tuesday afternoon. was Il broken hangt
on the tender-whecl. About TO rod.
west of the station is Il treStle work
some 20 feet high, over which the loco
motive and tender of the eastern bound
express train passed in safety, but the
baggage and passenger cars, only tive
coaches being in the train, were thrown
from the trestle, and struck top down
ward. The weight of the trucks crush
ed i'll the cars. closing in the windows
and. to render the situation more terri
bile. the passenger coach was partly
tilted on its side, So that for the Occu-
pants Of that side there was absolutely
no means of escape. Almost immedi-
ately the cars took fire, the passenger
ear burning ut both ends. Some half d
dozen persons who were waiting at the
station were soon at the scene of the
accident. but they worked at an i'm
men>c disadvantage, as no water could
/ he had. and the snow that WAS Scrapcd
up had little effect in staying the
! flames. Only two axes were available,
and the woodwork of the cars was
bottled together 50 firmly and intricate
! " that but little Roadway could he
made with them.
All the time these efforts were being
put forth. the flames We're steadily
| gaining. and the shrickS of the impris-
OnCd victims aS the searching heat en-
vclnpcd them was appalling to the
stoutc>t heart. Now and then rope
was put Though Il crevicc. fastened to
a form. and. the sufferer was pulled out
/ 10y main strength. Sometimes it would
he Il litclcs> body. and the charrcd arms.
legs or head would drop off i'll the
struggle. In three OF four instances the
head WAS thus separated from the
trunk. and i'll many more CASES the body
WAS bcrctt of its limbs. The body of Il
lady was thus rescued from the flames.
the head and one arm Swapping of like
Il piece. of charcoal. while on the other
hand WAS Il kid glove untouched, coy
cIing lis icWclcd ornaments. The body
will hc doubtless recognized with the
aid of the rings: but for these il would
he impossible to identify it. The bod
les of three other ladies were taken out =.
neither of which it i believed can he
recognized.
1t Is estimated that fully 10 of the ~
bodies have been recovered from the
burning ear. 1t i supposed. in addi-
ton t" those recovered. a number of
others were consumed in the burning
ear. and So completely burned that
nothing but their hlarkrmcd bones will
he discovered when the fire is cNtin-
gui>hcd and the ashes rakcd over
Adding these to the number injured
that will die. il is estimated that the
l.. III
number of persons in the two cars at
the time of the accident WAS Ii. After
the accident. Frank Taylor. ON" of the
rescued passengers. Wa> leaning against
some object. and seeing an acuuaint-
anc" passing. called To him. The
friend turned around. and Saw TaNlor
apparently unimiurcd. hut suddenly he
said. Tell my wife and fell dead.
He must have died from internal iniu-
ric>. but the inmates of the burning
ears were shricking for aid. and Mr..
GaN lnlS friend did not see him az lin
until his corpse WAS brought in.
After the gInaI> of the diving were
>tillcd in death. the stencil arising from
the burned bodies i said to have been
sickcning. With no means of cXtin-
gushing the flames. and the heat being
too great t" admit of all the bodies he
ing extracted. nothing could he done
hut To stand quietly 10y and see the re
mains slowly consumed.
Later and fuller accounts of the acct
dent Tuesday night. Dec. 2lth on the
Buffalo. Cory and Pittsburg railroad.
near Prospect station. serve only to
hightcn the first impressions of that
horrible disaster. Claude Hanson. the
brakeman. makes the following vivid
and circumStamtial statement on We'd
nc>lay:
| have been railrnading IL years. and
in the employ of the Buffalo. CORY and
Pittsburgh Railroad for five weeks
was yesterday rear brakeman on train
No. Il there was no other brakeman
on the train. but the baggage man,
Frank Taylor. always assisted me. COM
ing out on the rear end of the baggage
ear for that purpose before the tender
truck left the track We We're in our
proper stations. and | had taken up the
slack of the train we stood facing each
other, on the forward end of the pas
scnCcr coach. and he on the rear end of
the baggage ear: the steam WAS shut
off about thrcc-quarterS of Il mile from
Prospect station. and at the time of the
accident we were not probably running
faster than five or SIX miles an hour:
the first intlmation | received that there
was any trouble WAS about midway on
the trestlc. when the ears parted the
corners on the right hand side closing
together, barring any escape that way
ut the same time. the forward part of
the passenger coach plunged about half
over the left hand side of the trestle.
apparently hung balanced there for Il
second. and then the weight of the for
ward truck tipped the car completely
over. and it fell bottom side up to the
ground below, distance about 26 feet
the baggage ear fell in the same way,
the weight of the rear truck tipping it
over; as We went down, Taylor and |
chung to the hand rails; shouted to
him to jump, hut he paid no attention
to it when within about ten feet of
the ground let go and jumped to clear
the car; was struck by the corner of it.
and to this attribute the saving of nv
life, as it flung me just out of the way
of being crushed when got up said
to Taylor: Are You hurt ?" he said. Il
am DIVING" then shouted to the engin-
eer for Jack screws to raise the car. but
seeing that we could do nothing with
them. | called for water and he came
with it: We released Taylor. who was
the only man visible; | called three
times to the conductor. but received no
answer; all that | could hear ut that
time was one man groaning and saying
that the stove was on top of him; see
ing that nothing could he done unaid-
ed, | ran to Prospect depot, distant
about eighty rods, and finding two ON
nibusos there, started them off for aid
and doctors: was absent about fen