New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-27
OFF THE TRACK ON THE BRIDGE.
RECOLLRCTIONs OF A LADY WHO WAS on The


ASiiTABILA TRAIN.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: DR.. Gray of Springfield, Mass, was one
OF the victims Of the Norwalk Conn, calamity, many
years ago. when many persons lost their lives In conse
orcncc Of running train Of into open draw or
bridge among them several other physicians, then re-
turning from a medical convention held i'll New-horK
CITY His daughter Mrs. Bradley, with II nurse ana
child year and half cid, were on the tram WHICH broke
down the Ashtabua bridge. From copy of aletter re-
Gently written, or dictated from sick-Ded by Mrs
Bradley at her husbands fathers in Chicago AIN put in
possrssion Of the following facts OF which, thus
stated by her near relative, throw moro light than any
thing which has been published and IN fact proof upon
the true OF the accident.
Mrs BradIey's nurse and child had been put to bed in
lower BERTH and she rad taken the berth above them
disrobcd herself as usual ana lain down. Presently she
felt violent humping, like the wheels of the car goin.
over logs which caused her child to cry out in fright
This long enough to enable her 10 sit M IN her
berth and hastily to pull over her some articles she had
thrown off, when she became sensible Of going down,
down. down, and tlem OF an indcscnla5e crash rot
vithsiandng all, the burning sht III her Deith was no;
exiur,iSnrl She discovered tHat Ter nurse and enid
had crushed 10 death, the bot ON ~ the ear beng
all broken to pieces and that her Own Em' would nave
been broken and pinned down had sine not r"cn sitting
up when the final crash came. Throu-h mole Dr,Efn
in the top of the she succeeded in getting
upon tho top, whcre she was witness OF mdescrDabc
ices in the top ~ and cries FOR help uttered in
fIrh chorus O sai rinc agony as almost l"ra'Hen
lf her effort for her salvation. she was moi SrIs.
bic of much bodily injury herself. and she soon saw
MAJ, in IN, water below whom she called for assist
aurr He was probably the engineer OF the locomotive
winch al got over the bridge. He came and she GpanG
uto his landing IN three feet of water aI lc No
another rcr>u escaped ron. thHt car he led her Dy Tie
Land 9r1uud the wreck the side Of the oppsii bank,
tEeu gave her MS own boots ana "FrrcoA, alu "eht
hack into the waiter TO help a wounded man who had
ca led Tor assistance.
nav Ia the Light the already burning tram, and
walked half mile ur her 70 house where She arrived
i,dle frnlru and Thoroughly exhausted ~HD has since
been very ill., but is understood to De- recovering.
There can be- 40 doubt That portion OF the tram
i, of tn s,cod engine was off the tack 70. dis
taurc before arriving al bridge, "id t lie silUc
lure of enc bridge struck by successive ear vince in
md Nitd SIri violence IL" bridges, II
any could sustain. L. ought hoHccuri % De understood
f. de>Turti0U IL certain n train or ears IN uli motion
OF fine track strikes bridge. TIE aC, ut nt 5G' 20
wears ago at the Des Jardins Canal in Canada, VII Nr
Zimmerman and some tn others lost thrii Ives sb
,y happened IN the same manner II this catastrophe ut
AShtabulH I.
Aftr- OyE Jan. 10, 1877.