Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-31

i great neslifS OF runs cONtFta lhe nuHuftt
men, women and children who had so sud
denly been called to their death. The three
CHARRED BODIES
lay where they had been placed in the hurry
and confusion Of the night Piles of iron lay
on the thick ice or imbedded IN the shallow
water Of the stream. The fires shoulder IN
great heaps where many of the helpless VIC
tins had been all consumed, while men went
about in wild excitement seeking some trace
Of lost one among the wounded or dead
The list of the saved and wounded having
been already sent, the sad task remains ol
discovering who may be among the dead
The latter task viii be the most difficult Of
all, until the continued absence of here OF
there friend will allow of but one expla-
nation-that he was among those who took
this fatal leap. All witnesses so far agree
as TO
THE MAIN FACTS OF THE ACCIDENT.
It was about eight O'Clock, and the train
WIS moving along at a moderate rate Of
speed, the Ashtabula station being Just this
side Of the ravine. Suddenly, and without
| warning, the train plunged into the abyss,
the forward locomotive alone getting across
IT safely. Almost instantly the lamps and
stoves set fire TO the cars, aud many, who
were doubtless only stunned, and who might
otherwise have been saved, fell victims to the
fury of the flames.
0p.m.-The following has just been re-
ceived from Ashtabula depot: General Su-
perintendent Paine is here, and says there is
no prospect, at present, of ascertaining the
names of the killed and wounded. The
railroad folks are doing what they can to get
the names, but it Will be late before anything
will be known. On the arrival of the Cleve-
land train, the surgeon of the road organized
his corps of his assistants, and made a tour
of the various hotels, where the wounded
were attended TO- such help being given to
] eaca as was possible. The people Of Ash
tabula lent wiling hands. and all that hu,
man skill and mercy could do to save life or
ease pain was done. The train which came
from Cleveland for the purpose, was imme-
diately backed into position, and long before
| daylight the least wounded were being pre-
pared for transportation TO Cleveland, to be
sent to the hospitals or home.
THE SCENES
among the wounded were as suggestive al
! sssutt - the wreck IN the valley. The two
hotels nearest the station contained major
I ity of these They were scattered abOut On
| temporary beds on the floors of the dining
rooms, parlors and Office. lnone place man
with broken leg wouic be Gf1er the hand OF
| tie surgeon, VINO rapidly AID slnllfplly went
al his work. In another T-iln covered with
bruises, and spotted over with pieces Of plas-
ter would look as though he h8d been showed
upon, except where the Gark lines of blood
across his face or limbs told a different story.
In some other corner a poor woman moaned
from the pain she could not conceal, while
over it all there brooded that hushed feeling
of awe that always accompanies calamities of
| this character
Toward morning the cold increased, and
the wind blew fearful gale, which, together
with the snow, which had drifted waist-deep
at points along the line, made all work ex-
| tremely difficult. At six O'Clock the beds IN
the sieeping-car of the special train were
made up, and such of the wounded as could
be removed were transferred there. From
an interview with Mr.. Charles Collins, chief
.ciyil-englneer of the road, learn that the
bridge was a Howe truss, built entirely of
iron and about eleven years old, was SIXTY
nine feet above the water and had an arch of
one hundred and fifty feet long in the clear,
the whole length Of the bridge being one
| Hundred and fifty-seven feet. It has been
tested with six locomotives, and at the time
of the disaster was considered as being In
perfect condition. 1t was built In the Cleye-
! land shops. Mr. Collins gives no opinion as
to the cause of the accident, expressing him
self as being utterly unable to do so. He esti-
mates the loss in the bridge alone as being
nearly seyenty-flve thousand dollars, but has
no opinion as to the total loss by cars, etc.
As soon as the debris is cleared away and the
bodies all taken out, which will occupy a
couple Of days, a temporary bridge, which
was built for the Wilson avenue crossing, and
is at Collingwoad, viii be put up. Heexpects
TO have a running connection made within
ten days. ] have just returned from the
ruins, and have seen the
MoULDERIsG REMAINS
of at least dozen bodies, only one of which
has any semblance whatever of a human
body. By the side of another heap of embers
was found q pair of scissors and TUT OF
grayish hair. No other means of identified
ton could be found, although the hunt may
be more successful when the removal of the
upper rubbish begins. The iron of the bridge
Is twisted in
ENDLESS CONFUSION
with that of the cars, and the locomotive is a
wreck in every part. By this time nearly all
the woodwork is burned away.
The following special TO the Leader is the
very latest received up to one o'clock: Chas.
5. Carter, of Brooklyn, New York, says he
was sitting IN a palace-car with three others,
|
denly he heard the windew-glass III the for
ward part of the car breaking, and almost
instantly the ear began to fall He was seat
ed with his back toward the front, and as he
went down he sat as quiet as he could. and
held on. When the car struck al .tna f.sstom
of TIE rayine he found himself almost dFsisls~i
alth ugh one of the gentlemen . - ~ 9gg.A
hina whose name he did not know, EFzs iSIiie,l
instantly. while another, a Mr.. Sh3shert.. u
New York, had leg broken Mr Carter
saws the front Of the ear was much lower than
the rear. and that the flames in front beean
10 eat their way upward, and spread with
great rapidity. He turnd to the assis taace q
Mr.. Shepherd, and with great difficulty sac
ceeded IN getting him out, the broken leg
impeding e.eir advance. When Shepherd
was fairly out, Carter returned to the as
sistance ofa woman who was
CALLING FOR HELP,
IN the front Of the car. He got her cut, End
as she was quite thinly clad, gave her his
oveuoat. After reaching a hotel he found
! himself severely bruised In several places.
In The great peril of the hour a man rushed
down to tbs seeEe Of the disaster ready to
b -. He saw q woiasR Struggling for life
and went to her assistance. lie CaI4lad her
! b, ,sain force 10 the solid ice, and then urged
t+I tu- Efff-@ tiif NFHt httsh " AAsc
=. rescue Of the daugfiSs, sweet child of three
or four years Of age. The tFeseberous board
IN stEntering had caught the child in is
grasp, and Tie fire completed the terrible
work. The man Sss cgIppelled to see the
child enveloped in flames, 10 heza lf- 'HelT
me. mother, ringing out in the agony O
death, and on thf ears of the cruel night II
moment she was lost, sgept up by the sharT
leagues Of FIRE, while her mother, IN helples,
asony, 5s,l 70 the earth in deadly swoon
There vas ismilg on board named bennett
on the vay freEp Seg Io.k State 70 Jetfer
son, Ashtabala ecans. the fatfer aud mother
we're got out Of the wreck. the childrea vert
only sSyed 10y beng tossed from the arms o.
one alAn ~ another over pile of burning
wood; one of the fGur was seriously injured
and all were scratches sAeh1fis. - sSs.sstIlr-
day morning the mother, VINO EaS ssstiessfs,
gave birth 10 a child, the event being hasten
| 81 by the excitement she had undergone
Mrs. frsIas, sf Rochester. who was 80 badly
burned about the love- paytOf the body is in
a precarous condition, and Il Z Gle opinion OF
Schneider that she has but slight chance for
life. Shepherd, whose rescue was previously