Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-03-18
Death on the Rail.

bell rope, which, after the English fash
ion, which seems so senseless to ever,
American, had been discarded by thu
railroad company on that train. The fir
was caused-by the bursting or breakage o
lamp in the closet or saloon, at the for
ward end of the passenger car, which wa
the last car on the train.
The passenger who first discovered thu
fire seems to have made fatal error il
not at once giving the alarm, when i
might easily have been extinguished. In
stead Of doing this he attempted, as h
says, "to avoid excitenent," to Put it out
by smothering it by seat cushions. But
one cushion after another he failed to de.
tach, and when at last he succeeded IL
getting one, he found it too stiff to be Of
any use. BY this time the flames had
filled the closet and soon bxrnt through
the wooden partitions. There was appa.
rently ample time to have stopped the
train if the engineer could have been
signaled. The bell rope was pulled, but
it had no connection with the engine. The
conductor who reached a forward car,
was unable to make his way to the engine
until it was too late, and so through the
night and darkness the burning car sped
Oh, while the forty panic-strcken passen-
gers either persisted in the flames, Or flung
themselves headong through the windows
to what seemed almost a certain death
upon the track. For more than two
miles, the road was strewn with the maim-
cd and bleeding forms of men and women,
who had thus endeavored to escape one
form of obstruction by flying to another
Eight persisted many who escaped death
will be manned for life, and all for want
Of bell.rope properly connected with the
engine.
The London Canada Free Prets says !:
ION this train the bell-rope has been
for some time discarded az useless ap-
pendage, owing to the difficulty of ad-
justing it between cars of such varying
construction; and, also, on the "accom-
mediation" train on the Sarnia express Is
generally made up, it was not thought TO
&c necessary; and there is the authority
Of the company's officials for the fact
that, for some time past, the bcll-rope Oh
the Ssrnia trains has been dispensed with
entirely"
Mr.. George Moncreff, of Potrolia,
gives very circumstantial account of the
origin Of the fire. He says: II heard
slight noise in the forward saloon, and
vent to ascertain the cause. | found the
lamp had fallen, and that small quaint :
ty of oil had taken fire on the floor.
l went for cushion quietly, to avoid cx-
element | tried another and wrenched
it off, but found it was stiff and would
not stifc the flames. | then got another,
but found on my return that the fire had
climbed the sides of the closet inside. Al.
this took but moment. [ ran to the
rear OF the car for the conductor, at the
same time telling the people In the rear
to sit quiet, that there was no danger.
AT this, some one cried out, isn't there?"
and | looked around and saw that the
flames had eaten through to the main
compartment of the car, and some one
had opened the closet door, which | had
closed behind me. Flames we're also is.
suing from the opening. then hung
with my weight en- the bell-ropo, but the
car did not stop. The excitement by this
time became panic. The smoke was
sitting, and travelled out of the rear door,
which was kept open by those trying to
escape, as it carr led by whirlwind. 1t
seemed as if u thousand pair of bellows
famed the flames. | took my vsise and
smashed three windows in succession, and
by this time saw that the flames were
gaining SO rapidly that my only safety
lay in escape. l did not realize this when
first broke the windows, and when | did
it was impossible to aid any one else. |
climbed through window, let myself drop
hauling up to the foot Of an embankment
about twenty feet high. When | got up
l thanked God for my narrow escape. ]
saw the next moment culvert about six
feet from where | frst alighted on the
ground. W. Ii. Murray was then getting
up on the Other side of the track, few
feet on the west Of the same culvert. The
pittible cries that rent the air on all side
as l dropped were indiscribable, and
hope TO never hear their like again"
Mr.. Daniel Decow, who was in thu
smoking car, states that when he first saw
the fire coming through the forward doc
he closed it to prevent draught, but thu
next moment two Indians opened it ant