The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-01-02
RAILROAD HORRORS.
HUMAN BEINGS CRUSHED AND BURNED
ALIVE. .ts

ALIVE. n&
1 as SD
Christmas was made a time Of sorrow
all over the country by accidents on the
railroads, river disasters. and fires in the
cities. The terrible story from the But
falo, Cory & Pittsburgh Road is 6su1al
indeed Nil eteen persons were crushed
to death or roasted in the cars while they
were on their war to family reunions
and Christmas festivities, and twenty
Others were badly wounded. The &C
count that follows is from the Buffalo
C0urSer: s" ,-&'9t
t TIE DOOMED TRAIN
The mail train, bound for Boston, left
Gerry al 1:20 p. NJ, Tuesday, in charge Of
= nductor Flanders and Engineer Joseph
Hare. 1t consisted of the locomotive
"Myron p. Bemus" baggage car, aud
one passenger car. The latter was a
strong and nearly new coach, and to his,
perhaps, those who escaped annihilation
owe their lives. The working EMPLOYEES
consisted OF the conductor, engineer. fire.
man, baggage-master,a and two brakemen,
The coach contained. as far as can be CAL
cnlated, about torty-fve passengers at tile
moment OF the catastrophe. The trsin
proceeded on It's wsy in tbs usual manner,
't"pping at the accustomed stations, re-
ceivng and discharging passengers, bag
gage, aud pals. ..-.... .rf..
INTO THE GULF. sl y ans
The train sped on, vending its course
down the slopes If the snow covered hills.
1t approached Tho high trcllis near Pros
pect station. None dreamed of danger.
or visit that the angel of death swept over
The route with them. Thousands Of
trains had crossed the same tretlis, and
over even more dangerous places on Ehe
road, and no accident of uncommon pro-
portions had ever taken place. The
Fne grade at THU locality is frorn eighty
two to eighty-ave feet to the mile.
Speed had been reduced, preparatory to
stopping at the station. In regard to
this disaster, the common charge Of run
ming at u reckless speed cannot be made.
The train moved at rate not possibly
exceeding eight miles an hour-moved
comparatively slow along, as if advancing
deliberately TO its fate. Had the speed
been iaster, perhaps the dangerous gull
might have been safely passed, and the
catastrophe avsrted.
The accident at Prospect was caused bv
the breaking off of a portion of the
fange of one of the rear wheels of the
tender. Railroad travellers can mediate
no" little thickness OF iron, which may
De of poor quality and badly cast, and
may be affected by either heat or cold, is
the only defender that stands between
them and death. A piece only about the
slze OF mans hand broke of, but this
WAS en- ugh to cause the train to leave the
track. The truck beca me detached from
the tender, and dragging the tank over
tles' the engine kepttO the rails and in
another moment was beyond danger The
baggage car and passenger coach, with
scarcely the warning OF second, were
hurled from tho trestle to the bottom of
the gully. The height of the trestle at
this Immediate point is II feet. The dis
lance the cars fell in their slanting course
was about % feet. The dritted snow in
all probability brake the force of the fall
somewhat. yet the shock must have been
tremendous. We have heard of NO per-
son VII CHANGED to be SO situated as to
witness the descent of the cars. but the
sight may be readily imagined as one
most thrilling and fearful. 10,
..n " Tnn WRECK ON FIRE. as
or itself. the precipitati Of the fall
fre:ghted passenger car into the bottom
"t the abyss, was enough TO effect q fear.
full havoc of human life. The coach sruck
top down, and remained with the trucks
uppermost, the roaf and sides beira
crushed ia and upon the haplsss victims.
Some, let Us hone the many, of these who
arc included in the list of the dead, were
doubtless killed outright. But The hor.
rora OF Angola and New Hamburger were
to be enacted, The wrecked car took fire
from the overturned stove. The flames
spread with Lightning CELEBRITY, aad the
hapless victims who were yet alive found.
themselves Imprisoned in fiery tomb.
TT cir shrisks rent the air, and a. the poo
pie from sthe heighborhood hurried to.
the scene the horrible snsll Of burning