Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-20
days. all right. In letter from that point
June 9sh, to the Boston Journal Mr.. Stont
describes the smash-un. He SAYS:

days. all right. In letter from that point
June 9sh. to the Boston Journal Mr.. Ston5
describes the smash-up He says:
The trip, so far, had been almost per
feet success. With the exception OF the
HOLSTERS, among which there had been con.
siderable mortality, although forty-one still
remained alive and well, all the fish were In
first rate condition, and there was every
promise Of our coming into Sacramento
with large number of at least ten of the
eleven kinds of fish which left the eastern
coast.
| took on three tons of fresh water at Lake
Michigan and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and
three tons and half of ice at Chicago and
Omaha in anticipation of the long stretch OF
bad water country Immediately west OF us,
and having all the preparations for the rest
of our journey in perfect order was feeling
very hopeful concerning the result.
About thirty miles from Omaha, ut Elk
horn River, Just as we were eating dinner,
there came a sudden violent shaking OF the
car, then n crash and then the tanks and
| casks of ice seemed to whirl about Us IN
every direction in most bewildering coniu-
sion The next moment the flooring OF the
car went to pieces, and the water boiled up
around us in every direction. With some
severe bruises my two assistants, Mr.. Will
lard T. Perrin and Mr.. Myron Green, man
aged to get out Of the door into the river,
as the ear was sinking. | was following
them, when heavy cake of ice struck me
on the breast and face and threw me back
again to the very end of the car, and the
cakes of ice and tanks piled up around me
and wedged me in there. Then rush OF
water loosened them again. and | made
all tha and mn
ment after found myself outside, just as
the water closed up over the door with
such rapidity that second later escape from
the car would have been. impossible. We now
found ourselves in the river, and swimming
back to the car, one end of which rested on
bar and was out of water, we climbed up,
and crossing over to the PROSTATE engine by
plank reached the land. The current
was running with great velocity at this
point, making the situation much more
alarming. Mr.. Perrin received two cuts,
one on the ear and one on the head,
which. though not severe, bled pr0fusely.
He was also considerably bruised and
famed generally. Mr.. Green was famed,
and somewhat injured in the back, though
not disabled.
Considering that there were four tons of
heavy articles in the car each weighing
from one hundred to one thousand pounds,
and that they came pell-mell upon us when
the car went down, and that we had less
than seven seconds in all to leave the car
alive, we think that we were fortunate to
escape both from being crushed to death,
and from being drowned in the car.
The aquarium car, which had been 50
carefully and thoroughly prepared for its
purposes that not even the smallest detail
in its preparation had been neglected, is
now a total wreck, and all the fish are in
the Elkhorn River.
have Just been ordered back to Wash
ington with my two assistants, by Hon.
Spencer F. Baird, United States Commits
Sioner of Fisheries, to take fresh supply
of shad, and make another attempt with
them to cross the continent under the aus
piccs Of the United States Fish Commission.