St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-01-03

Nv tho time the last of the five was tax
on ont there had probably twenty i"i
mers and truckmen reached the s'en.'
and were heaping SNOW on the flames,
some usiug their hands. They ana ho'
succeed in extinguishing the flames;
but kept them subdued. we ioIil"
Flanders. the conductor, near the cen
Tor of tbe car. with his feet fast III the
ri, and slowly roasting. He begged
of us ~ get him ont. even if we had T."
6>1t his fzptf. We passed IA cham
around his rnder the arms, and
three of us hold. pulled him out,
The flesh .-sfftcd from his feet and some
of his ribs We're broken by the chain !;
there WAS a lady lying near him, but
we could do nothing for her, as she was
i'll the seats; more help had by
this time arrived. and we cXtingIishcd
the flames and propped up the lower
sides of the car; four more then taken
out one was living, but is since dead !;
another had his right leg burned of ; II
New York woman was burned TO Il
crisp. nothing but the steel hoops of her
skirt and IL small piece of the body re
manning; the others were charred and
blackened trunks what was left OF the
ear ut the lower or left hand side WAS
then pulled away, and the remainder
taken out and laid on cushions on the
SNOW it WAS fully an hour from the
time of the accident before all were got
ont.
OF the fOrty-thrce persons on board
the train. not more than ten or twelve
escaped with their lives. OF the re-
mainder. the bodies of all but five have
been identified Nearly all were fear
fully charred. and some burned be
vond any likeness to humanity. One
lady was identified by IL scrap of il
black silk sacque, Il lock of hair, and IL
thimble and others by things equally
slight. of those killed. no less than
five belonged in Titusville, among
them il Just married couple.
FOURTEEN PERSONS KILLED OUTRIGHT.
FORTY OTHERS INJURED.
The Sahbath-School attached to the
Baptist church at Newbury, in the 9TH
ward of Williamsport, Pa, assembled
on "Wednesday evening to participate
in the ceremonies OF Christmas night.
Some 300 persons were present. The
ceremonies had commenced, and Mr..
kimSlOe Of NilliamspoIt WAS making an
address. when the floor gave way, pre-
cipitating the whole aSScmblagc into
the cellar below, The church was con
structed with an upper audience room.
and it was in this that the congregation
had assembled. The interior dimcm-
Sions of the floor are % feet wide and
10 long. There WIS Il center girth.
with .ioistS thickly placed on each side.
and through the center from above
were two bolts connecting with this
main girth. Evidently the weight of
those assembled sprung the trm>>-hear
crS. and, the supporters slipping ont of
their places, caused the terrible cataS-
trophe This is evident from the fact
that the thinkers were not broken. The
gas pipe. two inches in diameter. he
meath the center gnth WAS bent double
by the immense weight.
When the crash came. there Went up
a hcatrcnding vail of mamglcd human
ity. Children wildly >hrickcd for their
parents, and the grnams of the wounded
and diving filled the air. To add to the
horror. the oil lamps of the cdtice igni
ted. and hade fair to destroy all III Il
general contiagratiun. Those outside
worked with Il will. and used every
possible effort to rescue the living. The
church WIS NOW on fire. but prov WIDEN
italy the flames could hc reached. and
they were speedily cNtimgui>hcd. Be
fore the floor sunk many of those with
i'll We're able I" reach the windows. and
lrapcd To the ground Il distance of ID
feet. At II o'clock. p. m. the dead
bodies We're removed. There were
some ~ or 81 wounded. many of them
and some will probably die.