Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-01-05

to L. S. & NJ. s.; other freight will low.
Considering the terrible plunge-ihe
enormous amount Of material thrown To-
| gether in the confined lOcAity-the fierce
ness of the storm and severe cOld-the
depth of the gorge and precipitOus bARks-
the depth of sRow-the water that sur
rounded the wreck and the natural recoil
from the pain and danger Of going into it
to render assistance, am he closing up Of
calamity by fire-this occurrence has scarce
lybsen surpassed in horror. by anything
preceding it. ..r :.
Our list Of the lost gives IS, while the
number Of bodies, more or less burned. is,
we believe, about 20. Our list cannot be
assumed to be accurate, but approximately
so. The discrepancy, then, between the
numbers of the lost and the bodies found,
is sufficient to raise the thought that there
are some yet held by the engine-not yet
disturbed-or that some may have been
carried down the stream, which is rapid
enough to have effected this, though the
bodies had sunken. 1t is not probable that
many could have been caught under the
engine and tender, as these evidently went
down first, and the cars, as they success
| lively passed the east abutment, we're piled
up in that portion Of the chasm. II this
discrepancy cannot be accounted for in
either of these ways, We are left to the con-
clusion that number Of the victims were
wholly consumed, and, therefore, never to
be found.
Wednesdays the first day.that
has not witnessed more or less Of crowd
of interested spectators at The Eess 1t
msnt of the bridge. We d3ed ts.takea
look at what ives going on about s'p. m,
and found comparatively few about the
premises, except those who were earnestly
at work upon the new bridge. A large
force of hands were at work in preparing
and raising the timbers for this. wood
structure. A considerable portion of the
debris on the north side had not yet been
disturbed, and the engine remained where
it fell. The timbers for most Of the bridge,
together with the rods and other irons,
ready for use, are upon the ground, and
the work is going on with energy and a
promise of early completion. In the mean
time passengers and baggage are transfer
red from one side Of the gap to the other
in sleighs-traveling some mile aud half.
The opinion has been asserted by some
! of the passengers, as well as the news
agent, that a car had jumped the track,
and was dragging along on the ties at the
time Of the disaster, and this is brought
into account in some measure for the Civ
ing way of the bridge. Whether that may
have had anything to do with producing
the result, the testimony comes from sew
eral witnesses that seem to be worthy of
credit, that it was, at least, one Of the. at
tendant incidents of this awful event.
Reports are out that Mayor Hepburaior-
dered the Chief Engineer of the Fire De-
partment not to throw water on the burn
ing wreck. Such are not the facts. The
Mayor left the whole charge Of the Fire
Department under the control Of Chief
Engineer Knapp, and he, the Mayor, de-
voted all his time in helping ths wounded
and finding places for them, and has been
to work ever since, night and day, taking
care Of the same.
INCIDENTS.
The conductor of the Chicago Express,
No. 8, whose name We were unable to
learn, took the last passenger train over
the bridge previous to the accident he
was also conductor on the last train over
the bridge at Angola, previous to that dis
aster.
A clerk in the postal service on this di-
vision-Stilss by nams--stsppsd into the
freight house where the remains are depos-
tied, without being aware thkf he had
relative on the train, and found and secog-
nized the body of brother-in-lRw.
A single arm was found among the de-
bris, on a finger of which was a fine ring
which it was supposed might lead TO iden-
tifcation.
The remains of Geo. Kepler have not been
recognized. But besides the telegram Of
his intention to take the fatal train,
quantity Of Of spool thread, purchased in |
Erie after his goods had been packed, and
placed in his pocket, Was found among the
debris, partially burned and recognized.
". G. Haskell, having ben at the East
and intending to take this train, only miss
ed it by finding the person be wished to |
see, absent from home;
Mrs. Geo. B. Raser, visiting at Erie, in
tended to take this train on her return, and |
such was the understanding that her hus-
band expected to meet her upon its arrival, |
Friends also urged her to wait for it, BUT
she determined in the face of all to take an |
earlier one, anticipating her expected arrival |
and escaping the accident. I
]. d. Smith, wife and child, took this |
train for their home in Kingsville, from
Elmirs, but determined to stop off at Gil
rard. Kingsville friends, came on Satur- /
day expecting that the bodies, perhaps, Of
the little family were among the injured or
or lost.
The stories about Mss Joa feF5W, Of TINS
place, being on board the train and escap-
ing with slight injuries, have no founds-
ton.
The names of Mr.. Geo. ". Waite and
lady of Ashtsbuls, given in the Cleveland
Leader IS among the seriously injured is
not correct,
A gentleman by the name Of Sturges, Of
St. Paul was in the last sleeper, and got
out with few scratches and bruises. He
not only released himself but helped out
some two or three others. One of these
was laFGa man with broken leg, whom it
was difficult to draw through the window,
even with the help Of another person. Mr..
Sturges was mistaken for ansther person
named Carter. sf - Il
The wounded that were taEsa 70 eists-
land, are reported as doing well, and sew
eral have already left their quarters for
their respective destinations
The supposed remains Of Rev. DR.. Wash
burn, prove not to be those Of that gentle
man. His clothing, and especially his un-