Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-01-10
The Prospect station Horror.
AWFUL sUFFERING-sTATEME OF A
PASSENGER.

railway uisaster az iiosPoCb otosioh w
the Pittsburgh Chronicle:
We were running along down the
grade from Mayville at the rate of, /
think, easy twenty miles per hour. The
first intimation we had that anything
was going wrong was the car jumped
along the track think it made six or
eight jumps. At the first jump some OF
the passengers got up. / held to the
seat and said to Miss Gordon, We're
gone sure" She caught hold Of me and
chung to me saying, "God save u.s.
These were the last words she said. just
then the car gave higher jump and
lurch to one side. Then it fell off the
trestle, and in falling turned bottom up.
| think it was about thirty feet to the
ground. The passengers nearly all fell
into the top of the car when it turned
over. The moment the car struck the
sides gave way and he bottom came down
upon us. Miss Gordon was still close to
me. In the crash her head was split by
the arm of the seat She died instantly
Her blood covered me. 1t got into my
hair and eyes and clotted there. | felt
pain in my side but did not know how
much / was hurt. / did not lose con-
seriousness, but was partially stunned for
minute or so. The first thing notic-
ed was hole in the floor of the car just
above me. / put my hand through the
hole. About FIVE minutes afterward
some one began cutting me out. 1t was
twenty minutes before the hole was large
enough to get me out Of When first
heard the people at work cutting the
hole noticed that the car was on fire,
but did not see the flames for two min
utes or SO after | felt the heat. The
smoke was thick and oppressive. At
this time noticed Mrs. Curtis and child
and Mr.. Curtis. Mrs. G. was grooming,
but the child though slightly injured was
laughing. Mr.. Curtis think was dead !;
at least he showed no sign of life; he
was lying close to me, badly cut. The
bodies of Mr.. and Mrs. Rice we're close
to me; neither of them made any noise
or spoke; l think they we're both killed
in the general smash-up that took place
when the car struck the ground. Had
they been alive, would have known it,
l think. 1 was wide awake and knew
everything that was going on near where
/ was. Within ten minutes after the
car went off the smoke became very
dense. I was afraid the Curtis child
would get smothered, and 50 wrapped ii
up in my coat. There was great deal
OF grooming and shrieking as the fire
gained Roadway. There were SO many
cries / could scarcely distinguish what
was said by any one person. For the
last FIVE minutes / was liz there it was
terrible. knew people were burning
up all around me, and some of them
were alive. l could smell the burning
flesh and clothes. The smoke and heat
were fearful. 1 tell you was weaken
ing. Finally they got the hole about
big enough for me to get out of. put
the child through the hole, and then got
out myself. Some one took the child
away. was all bruis, d up, but there
was no blood drawn ON me. / was the
only one in the car who was not cut.
The fresh air revived me little, and |
looked for my brother, George Miller. |
heard man hallooing for help at the
other end of the car; went to him he
said his legs were burning off. caught
hold of him and pulled. He was fast in
the zinc of the stove; / pulled at him
about five minutes and got him all out
but his feet; then weakened out, fell
down and tainted. remember we both
fell together. When / came to again ]
was lying beside fence. Some one had
carried me there. Pretty soon | noticed
my brother. He was leaning against
the fence and laughing at me. He said
l looked so queer. He did not know
that he was hurt. He had just got out,
Didn't know how he got out, but thought
through the door Of the baggage car.
One ear was nearly torn off. 1t was
hanging by shred of skin. His head
was bruised and his left foot was badly
burned. The boot was burned off; also
the sock up above the ankle. He didn't
understand the thing at all. By and
by somebody came and took him to a
farmhouse. staid for probably an hour
longer. but | was so weakened did not
pay close attention to what was going on
l hung on the fence most of the time
occasionally as / felt strong enough
would lend hand at helping the peo
pie out of the car l think l was the
first man out of the passenger car. AT
ter | had fainted and come to, l looked
around. There were not more than five
or six working on the car. Mrs. Curt:
and four men bad been got out. / could