The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-01-04

but the snow drifts prevented us see
ing much of the surroundings. l dc
not think we were going quite II
miles an hour. One engine hal gol
over; but it was almost pulled back
with the shock. The whole train was
on the bridge when the structure sud
denly went down, and not vestige
remained of her There was no such
thing AS running off the track. The
bridge broke with terrific smash
with the weight of the whole train
upon it. The first sound | heard was
q cracking in front of the car. heard
this twice, and then heard similar
cracking sound in the rear. / then
became conscious of sudden sinking
of the car. The cars seemed to be
sinking down into the gulf below.
There was general crash, and | was
recalled to consciousness by shock OF
landing in the snow creek eighty feet
below. The first thing I heard was
:" "ohioH SSleaii. ~ was, tlilk,
Miss Bingham. She cried: .Oh, help
me" Some of the passengers had
got out of the windows, and | then
heard the cry of fire. AS the lady
cried | broke the window. A gentle
man helped me to push this lady, u
Miss bingham, think, through the
window. then jumped out after her.
She sank in the snow. l scrambled
out of the window then. I think l
was the last In in the car, as most of
them had got through the windows
the car was on fire at both ends; at
one end know, and think at both.
As soon as got out found the snow
in the creek was very deep, nearly up
to my waist; certainly up to my knees.
pulled Miss Bingham out of the
snow and carried her on nv back to
the bank. | stumbled three times,
and the third time n gentleman help
ed me to get her to the only house,
small sort of engine house, that was
on the hank. saw the fire was gain
ing rapidly on the train. 1t burned
like oil. AT that time i didn't
know there were any lives lost
We saved all, or nearly all, the
people in our car. There were some
broken arms and legs, and some severe
bruises and cuts. The wind was blow
ing very strongly at the time and
there was heavy snowstorm The
wreck covered the whole space be-
tween the two piers, and the burning
train was the length of the bridge.
Some Of the ears were smashed all to
pieces, and the others lay wrecked in
every conceivable shape. The fire was
very clear and hot. BY the time | got
out | was completely exhausted, and
lay there crampeI for about three
quarters of an hour. They brought
about fifty-two alive into and around
the house, and then they transported
them to the town, very short dis
lance, say quarter of mile or so.
They We're all badly hurt. Think two
of these died after they were taken 10
the town. One lady gave birth to a
child at the hotel in the town, and one
man died who had his leg cut off.
The scene | surveyed from the en-
gine-house on the bank was perfectly
sickcning. The whole train was mass
of fire, and the wounded were living
about the wreck and crawling away
from it. The heat was so intense at
that time that one could not get very
near. The sight was dreadful. Heads
were cut, and arms and legs broken
and mangled. After and others got
to the engine house no one could re-
turn. Within fifteen minutes after
that time the heat was so intense
that no one could approach the train
and those who were buried under il
had to crawl away as best they could.
There were great MANY in the cars
who could not get out, the cars were
so damned together. The towns
people did everything that possibly
could be done, but they could not get
near the burning wreck within half
an hour after the train went down.
The hotel is about quarter of mile
from the bridge. The people crowded
the bluffs on either side Of the ruined
bridge, but could not get near the
spot. The depth from the bluffs to
the bed Of the river is about seventy
or eighty feet. The wounded were
carried to the hotel and kindly cared
for. Three or four physicians were
promptly on the spot, and went from
one to the other of the sufferers and
did all that medical skill was capable
OF. The lady who gave premature
birth to the child in the night was
injured by having her foot smashed.
The scene was an awful one in its
horrible details. One lady was strip
ped of all her clothing by being drag
ged through one of the car windows.
She was badly cut and was carried up
to the hotel. The survivors were
bleeding from cuts and mangled
and many Of them charred
with fire and blackened with smoke.
the trainmen looked very badly bruis-
ed and used up.
believe that Mr.. Bliss got through
window and expected to be able to
pull his wife and children through.
This is only my conjecture. Their car
was blocked up completely and the
family damned in so that escape. ex-
sept through the windows, was impos-
sible. The ears were burning at the cx-
tremities from the stoves at each end.
l believe Bliss was burned to death
trying to save his wife and two little |
ones. A number of the surviving pas
sengers heard the shrieks of the wo-
men end children, but could not get |