The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-01-03
Frighttul Railroad Accident
Further Details cf the Horrible Burning
up Of Thirty Passengers on the
BrOctOH and Gerry RaiLVoy,
IHesd0y-I'ainful In
cideHts Of the
Scene.

ERIE, PA, Dec. 2J.-Ihe immediate
cause Of the accident at Prospect Station
was a broken aange on the tender wheel.
About sixty rods west Of the station is a
trestle work some twenty feet high, over
| which the locomotive and tender of the
eastern bound express passed in safety,
but the baggage and passenger cars, only
two coaches being in the train, were
thrown from the trestle, and fell thirty
feet and struck top downwards, The
weight Of the trucks crushed IN the cars,
! closing up the windows Aud, to render
! the situation even more terrible, the pas
! senger coach was partially tilted upon its
/ side, so that for the occupants of that
! side there were absolutely no means of
| escape Almost Immediately the cars
| took fire, the passenger coach burning at
/ both ends. Some half a dozen persons
! waiting at the station were soon at the
/ scene of the accident, but they worked ut
an immense disadvantage. No water
could be had, and the snow that was
scraped up had little effect in staying the
| flames. Only two axes were available.
and the woodwork Of the car was boIted
| together so firmly and intricately that but
little Roadway could be made with them
All the time these efforts were put forth
tAtS LAftLlAIo Wei HbG"4AllN gaming, anu tllE
shrieks of the imprisoned victims, as the
scOrching heat enveloped them, were ap-
palling to the stoutest heart Now and
then q rope was put through the crevice,
fastened to a form, and the sufferer pull,
ed through by main strength Sometimes
1T would be a lifeiess form, and the chars
red arms. legs or head would drop off in
the struggle. In three r four instances
the head rims faH
trunk, and In as many more cases the
body was bereft Of its limbs The body
Of lady was thus rescued from the
flames, the head and one arm swapping off
like piece Of charcoal, while the other
arm was untouched, dainty kid glove
covering the hand, and her fingers wear
ing their jeweled ornaments. The lady
will doubtless be recognized with the aid
of her rings, but for these it would have
been impossible to identify her The
bodies Of three other ladies were taken
out, neither OF which it is believed can
be recognized by friends In all, it is
estimated that fully ten Of the nineteen
forms removed from the burning car are
unrecognizable. 1t Is supposed that, in
addition to the bodies recovered, a num-
Der of others were consumed in the burn
ing cars, and that nothing but their black
ened bones Will be discovered when the
fire is extinguished and the ashes raked
over. Adding these to the number ~
jured that will die, it Is estimated that the
total number Of lives lost viii not fall
short Of thirty The whole number Of
persons n the two C rs al the tame of the
accident was about IS.
Frank Taylor, Of Gerry, was leaning
against some Object, and seeing an ac
quaintauce pass cali him by name.
The friend turned around and saw Taylor
apparently uninjurgd but suddenly lie
said, Tell my wife, and fell over dead.
He must have died from some internal in
jury; but the inmates Of the burning car
were shrieking for aid, and Mr. I'aylor's
friend did not see him again until his
corpse was brought in and placed with
the others
After the groans Of the dying were
stillcd in death, the stencil arising from
the burning bodies is said to have been
sickening. With 20 means of extin-
gushing the flames, and the heat being
too intense to admit Of all the bodies be
ing eEtricated, nothing could be done by
the spectators but to stand quietly by aud
see the remains slowly consume.
Prospect Station, where. the accident
occurred, Is in the State 6f New York,
eight miles south of Brocton, which Is a
station on the Lake Shore road, forty nine
miles west Of Buffalo The "CIoss>cut-
road, which runs through Prospect, is
only forty >three miles long, and connects
Buffalo with the important station of
Cory, Pa, where the Philadelphia and
Erie, the Atlantic and Great Western
and the Allegheny Valley TO Pittsburgh
all meet