The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-01-18
i Ashtabula Hor f-St
! Lady Passenger. 4

VS. Hiss NJ. Shepard, of Rim, lis, d
Of Re survivors of the ASH abul aisastl
CTS the following ac1Qunt of er exu
r. = to the Chicago 1eaaasaS:- 49, I'd
81 had berth in tho sleeping Car Pal
atine., There were twenty passengers on
the car: two ladies when we started and
two more afterward. A very severe snow
storm set in at Rochester, and we all
expected to be showed in. At Ashtabula
sbefAxeywewuEesnthFe0 Uf~.1Um hC0sy
hind; this was between eight and nine
O'Clock In tie eveaing. ! mink va MiSse
running faster than We: dfd aifew. motAe16
previously. The people In the CDR were
talking, eating, or playing cards, and the
was given IS by candle beine knocfed
down, the glass in the lamps being shat
tered and the bell-rope breaking. The
other lights fell, there was bump, then
a horrible crash.
A gentleman near me said, oh! my
God. we're going down. Then we COM
mcnced to fall, and we went down, down,
seats, grasping them, while others rose.
1t was quite dark now. stood up in the
centre of the aisle, holding ON to the seat,
and thinking l would be less liable. TO be
injured by the breaking glass and the
splinters from the sides Of the car. As
we went down everything was as silent as
the grave, but when we had struck ter
rible shrek arose from the wreck. There
was another crash at the same time, but
not so loud as the first. When we went
down, splinters, glass, ETC., were whirling
around in the car, the berths were slipping
down, and there was general confusion.
Something fell on me, but it was
nothing very heavy. It was dark and
could not see. Some gentleman also fell
over me, but recovered himself moment
afterward. I could not tell who it was as
it was dark. Some man said the car
would be ON fire in minute, and we must
hurry out. Another said, the water is
coming in, and we will be drowned On
my way out, a perfectly uninjured man
grabbed me as CROPPED my way along on
hands and knees, and said, . telp ME !:
don't leave me; save me- and ever 50
many such things as that, but couldn't
see his face. A woman wanted me to help
her husband, who was jammed in be-
tween the floor and a berth. tried to
get him out, but could not. Some men
called cut and said they would come and
help him. Then l went to the door,
walking over the furnace in my course.
There was no fire caught in our car.
How to get out alive could not i'm
agine. The cars around me were either
ablaze or covered with such masses of
rubbish as to almost completely hem me
in. But saw man climbing up the
rubbish, and followed him. rot on
the side of the car, which had turned
over, and crawled along on it. 1t seemed
to be filled with people, jammed together,
screaming and crying for help. There
was another man behind me, and both
tried to help me along, but it was too
slippery, and found I could do better
crawling along by myself. When we got
to the end of the car these men-Mr. Ty.
Ter, of st. Louis, and Mr.. White, Chicago
helped me down. When I got down
found myself in the water, snow and ice
up to my knees. Mr. Tyler was bleed
ing about the head, face and hands, with
dreadful cash over his eye. Mr.. White
was unhurt,- and he told me It was his
eighth railroad accident. Under the cor.
ner there was man whose head Law low.
er than the. rest of hls body, and his limbs
were all crushed by the car. he asked
us to help him, and we did 60 as hest WE
could, until others came and carried hin
away, suffering intensely. do not know
| who he was. All this time the Ashta.
bula fire bells and the bell OF the engine
that had passed over we're ringing furi-
ously. The binding snow fell around US,
Illuminated by the light of the fire which
had attacked the wreck. The banks
looked as high as those near Niagara 81
first. The bridge had broken off short a,
each end, leaving nothing but the abut
ments.
| BY this time there were plenty of mer
around to help us, but there was perfec
panic, very few having any presence Of
mind at all. Many who could have saved
themselves as well as not had to bt
dragged out of the cars, or they woull
have been burned to death. The womeI
really showed the most courage, and We
there were few of them saved. We wer,
helped up the hill to the engine-house
pushing through the snow and ice, ant
clambering up the steep, rugged banks O
the creek. The injured were brought in
some OF them horribly mangled, but very
few of them unable to speak. Their
were three ladies there-a Mrs. Graham
OF New York, Mrs. Bingham of Chicago
another lady and myself. NV escape wa.
most remarkable, my only injury being M
more than scratch upon my wrist. Mrs
Graham was only slightly injured. Mrs
Bingham had her left leg and spine hurt
and the other lady, whose name l dom
know, was also terribly injured.
Before we had got up the hill thu
whole train was on fire; we heard tn,
shrieks of the wounded and dying, ant
the whole scene was as bright as day
Men were working aa hard IA thew f.nrlt
to help the sufferers out of their fer,
prison. A physician came in about hal
an hour, and we took buses and went t,
the village. We were drenched through
and through, and our clothes frOze to us.
Children,x fashions.