The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-01-02
CONGREGATIONS, Accidents, sc.

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The accounts Of the various disasters by
fire, railroad accidents, &c. which have laden
ed the columns of the city daily papers are
truly horriiying. The burning Of Barnum's
Museum and Meuagerie, in New York, on
the 23d. involved loss of 100000 to the
proprietor. His extensive collection of curl
osities, animals &C., was almost totally des-
troyed in few hours time. Only two ele-
phapts and giraffe were saved of his entire
Menagarie This is the third time the great
Snowman has been burned out within the last
eight yeara-1865, 1868 and 1872. A num-
Der of adjacent buildings and business houses
we're burned at the same time, involving
loss Of STA, 900.
Among the animals lost were CRATES, Ben
gal Tigers, Sea lions, polar bears, an arctic
seal, ten cameIs, lions. one elephant, and nu-
merous others Of less Importance On the
evening of the Oath. fire broke out in an
other part of New York, originating in job
printing office. The flames spread rapidly to
fifth and sixth floors, occupied as . bindery,
where some sixty girls were employed, who
were ignorant Of the existence Of the fire until
they were almost surrounded by the flames
After great suffering, and the desperate efforts
of one or two brave men, way was effected
through which all of the women except seven
made their escape. They were burned it is
supposed.
Other fires throughout New York city and
State, New Jersey, and other portions of the
country, took place within short time Of
each other, involving great loss of property
anilife. Is
Added to the terrible suferings and losses
connected with these fires we have numerous
disastrous railroad accidents to record, occur
ing about the same time On the evening Of
the 24th the mail train of the Cory and
Pittsburg Railroad, in Pa. was thrown off the
track, the passenger and baggage cars and
tender following distance of twentys six feet,
killing nineteen persons and wounding thir-
ty-6ve, some of the former fearfully man
gled and burned
Another railroad accident occurred on the
Chicago and Indianapolis express train on the
oath, ipjuring twenty persons badly, and sew
eral of them fatally. The train was thrown
from the track by broken rail.
A passenger train on the Atchison, Tope-
ks and Sante Fe railroad, while stuck in a
snow bank IL miles west Of Newtown, Kan.
was run into by freight train and had two
cars telescoped, killing the conductor and an
other man, and wounding four or FIVE others.
! At Newberry, Pa. while some 800 men,
women and children were participating in
christmas festivities, on the evening Of that
day, at the Baptist church, and the dis
tribution Of presents going on, there
was peculiar shake, a quiverlng of the tim
bers that denotes a sudden downfall, which
| was followed by terrible catastrophe. The
audience were on the second floor. The
girders, truss-bearers and supporters gave way
precipitating the occupants to the floor be-
| low.
/ When tie crash came there went up wall
of mangled humanity that caused the blood Of
all fairly to curdle. Children wildly shrek
ing for their parents, the groans of the woun.
ded and dying filing the air. with lamenta-
ton and distress, many beneath TIE timbers
crying 10 the name Of God for deliyerance,
while the oil lamps had kindled FIRE that bid
| fair to destroy all in general confagration
| Those outside worked with will, and ev-
cry possible effort was made to rescue the
living from the mangled mass. Several times
the church was Oh fee, but providentially the
flames could be reached and were speedily
extinguishsd. Many within, who were able
to reach the windows, burst out the lights
and leaped to the ground, distance Of four
teen or fifteen feet Before Il O'Clock T. NJ !.
the bodies were removed and identified In
the panic several were wounded by being run
over
These fearful disasters were followed by
great snow storms al. over the country, caus-
ing many deaths and destroying a great deal
Of property.