Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-01-01
The Lasi Railroad Slaughter.

Inc LAST hallFodu SlauShttF.
EsIE. Pa. De. 2j.-Thc iwmediais
cause OF the ssidenl At Prospect Stated
was broken aangs on the tender wheel
Aboai sixty rods west of the station Ts
tresi le work ZONE iWeLiy feet high. over
which locomotive aud tender Of the East.
ern.bound express passed in safety. bat
the baggage AMI passenger cars only two
coaches being IN the train. were throWu
from the trestle and struck top downward.
The weight OF the trucks crushed in the
Ears closing up the windows, aud, to render
the situation more terrible, the passenger
coach was partially tilted upon its side,
so that for the occupants Of that side
there were no means Of escape, Almost
Immediately the cars took Gre, the pass
enger coach burned at both ends.
Some half dozen persons waiting at
the station we're soOu at the scene Of acci-
dent, but they worked at an immense dis
advantage. No water could be had, and
,ho snow that vas scraI cd up had little
effect 10 staying the flames. Only two
axes we're available. and the wood work
of the cars was boltei together so firmly
aud intricatbly that but little Roadway
could be made with them.
All the timo these efforts were put
forth the flames were steadily gaining.
and the shrieks of the imprisoned victims
as the scOrchng heat envoloped them we're
appalling to the stoutest heart Now and
then rope was put through crevice,
iastcn to a form, and the sufferer pulled
out with main strength. Sometimes it
wouly be a Iifcless body, aud the charcd
arms, legs, or head would drop of in the
struggle.
In three or four instances the head
would be separated from the trunk, and
in as many more cases the body was be.
rett of its limbs. The body Of lady
was thus rescued from the flames, the
head and one arm swapping of like a
piece of charcoal while the other arm was
untouched a kid glove covered the hand
and fingers wearing their iowell0d orna-
ments. The body will doubtless be recog-
nized with the aid Of the rings. But for
these it would have been impossible to
identify it. The body Of three other la
dies were taken out, neither Of which it is
believed, can be recognized In all it is
estimated that fully ten Of the nineteen
70 rms removed from the burning car are
unacceptable.
1t il supposed that. In addition to the
bodies recovered, number Of others were
consumed in the burning car, ami that
nothing but their blackened bones will be
discovered when the fire is extinguished
and the ashes raked over. Adding these
to the number Of injured that will die, it
is estimated the tctai number OLIVES lost
will net fall short Of thirty, the whole
number of persons in the two cars at the
time being about forty-iivc
After the accident Frank Taylor of
Cory, one of thclrcscued passengers, was
leaaing against some object, aud seeing
an acquaintance passing called him by
name. The friend turned round and see
ing Taylor apparently uninjurcd, said,
TELL my wife," and fell over dead.
He must have died from internal inju-
ry but the inmates Of the ubrning cars
were shrieking for aid, and Mr.. Taylor's
friend did not see him again until his
corpse was brought in and placed with
the others. After the groans Of the dy-
ing were stillcd in death, the stencil Of tke
burning bodies is said to have been sick.
ening. With no means of extinguishing
the flames and the heat becoming too in
tense to admit of all the bodies being ox-
tractel nothing could be done by the
spectators but to stand quietly by and see
the remains slowly consume.