Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-11
CLEVELAND. Dec. 30.

At7:30 O'Clock last evening an iron bridge |
over the Ashtabula River on the Lake Shore |
81 Michigan Southern Railroad gave way un- |
der the Pacific express, train which con- |
sisted of eleven cars drawn by two engines |
The forward engine had just cleared the |
bridge when it fell, and, by the breaking of
a coupling-pin, was left on the track. The |
rest of the train fell distance OF seventy |
five feet into the water below.
The crash of the falling bridge and train
was heard at a distance of mile from the
scene, and was Immediately followed by
brilliant illumination of the sky, caused by
the burning cars, which took lire almost IN
stantha Crowds of people were soon on the
ground rendering what assistance was IN
their power, which was little enough. About
fifty were picked up from the wreck, and
taken to neighboring houses. Of these sew
eral have already died.
The most heart-rending incidents are told.
Several persons firmly wedged between
heavy timbers, yet not mOrtally hurt, were
burned to death before the eyes of helpless
bystanders. A man, woman and child
are now known to have died in this way.
The man was roasted for full half an hour,
uttering the most pitiful cries for aid mean
while before death came. One of the most
remarkable escapes recorded is that of
gentleman, one of party of four playing
whist in a double seat. Two of his compan-
ions were crushed and the third was mortally
hurt, but he escaped uninj ured.
Two babes were taken from the wreck alive
and not fatally injured. There is no one to
claim them.
A special to the Chicago Tribune, of the
3lst, says:
The disaster was dramatically complete.
No clement of horror was wanting. First,
the crash of the bridge-the agonizing mo-
ments of suspense as the seven laden-cars
plunged down their fearful leap to the icy
river-bed; then the fire, which came to de-
your all that had been left alive by the
crash; then the water, which gurgled up
from under the broken ice, and offered an
other form of death; and, finally, the biting
blast filled with snow, which froze and be-
numbed those who had escaped water and
fire. 1t was an ideal tragedy.
The scene of the accident was the valley
of the creek which, flowing down past the
eastern margin Of As1tabula village, passes
under the railway three or four hundred
yards east of the station. Here for many
years after the Lake Shore Road was built
there was long wooden trestle-wOrk, but as
the road was improved this was superseded
about ten years ago with an iron Howe
Truss built at the Cleveland shops, and rest
ing at either end upon high stone piers,
fauked by heavy earthern embellishments.
The iron structure was single span
of 159 feet, crossed by a double track
seventy feet above the water, which at
that point is now from three to six
feet deep, and covered with eight inches of
ice. The descent into the valley on either
side is prccipitous, and, as the hills and
slopes are piled with heavy drifts of snow
there was no little difficulty in reaching the
wreck after the disaster became known.
The disaster occurred shortly before eight
o'clock. 1t was the widest winter night of
the year. Three hours behind its time, the
Pacific express, which had left New York the
night before, struggled along through the
drifts and the binding storm The eleven
cars were heavy burden to the two engines,
and when the leading locomotive broke
through the drifts beyond the ravine, and
rolled on across the bridge, the train was
moving at less than ten miles an hour. The
head lamp threw but a short and dim flash
OF light in the front, so thick was the air
with the driving snow. The train crept
across the bridge, the leading engine had
reached solid ground beyond, and its driver
had just given it steam, when something
IN the undcrgearing of the bridge snapped.
For an instant there was a confused crack
ling OF beams and girders, ending with a
tremendous crash, as the whole train but
the leading engine broke through the
framework, and fell in a heap of crushed and
splintered ruins at the bottom. Notwithstand-
ing the wind and storm the crash was heard
by people within-doors half mile away
FoI moment there was silence. etunned
sensation among the survivors, who, in all
stages of mutilatiOn, lay piled among the
dying and dead. Then arose the cries of
MANNED and suffering; the few who re-
manned unhurt fastened to escape from the
into freezing water wast-deep. Men,
women and children, with limbs bruised
and broken, pinched between timbers and
transtxed by Jagged splinters, begged with
their last breath for aid that no human
& power could give.
Five minutes after the train fell the fire
broke out in the cars piled against the abut-
ments at either end. A moment later flames
broke from the smoking car and first coach
piled across each other near the middle of
In tban tor of+
the catastrophe every car in the wreck was
on fire, and the flames, fed by The dry var
nished work and famed by the icy gale,
licked up the ruins as though they had been
Under. Destruction was so swift that mer-
cy was baffled.
Men who in the bewilderment of the shock
sprang out and reached the solid ice went
back after wives and children, and found
them sutfocating and roasting in the flames.
The neghboring residents, startled by the
crash, were lighted to the scene by the con-
hagratiOn, which made even their prompt
assistance too late. By midnight the crema-
ton was complete. The storm had sub
sided but the wind still blew fiercelv. and
the cold was more intense. When morning
came, all that remained of the Pacific express
was a winrow of car-wheels, aXles, brake
irons, t uck-frames and twisted rails lying
IN black pool at the bottom of the
gorge. The wood had burned completely
away, and the ruins were covered with white
ashes. Here and there mass of Charred,
smolderlng substance sent up a little cloud
OF ickening vapor, which told that it was
human flesh slowly yielding to the corrosion
OF the fire. On the crest of the western
abutment, half buried in the snow, stood the
rescued locomotive, all that remained of the
fated train. As the bridge fell, its driver
had given it quick head of steam, which
tore the drawhead from its tender, and the
liberated engine shot forward and buried
itself IN the snow. The other locomotive
drawn backward by the falling train
tumbled over the pier and fell bottom up
ward on the express car next behind. The
englnetr, Folsom, escaped with broken
leg How he cannot tell, nor can any one
else imagine. The three charred shapeless
Jumps recovered up to noon to-day are be-
yond all hope of recognition. Old or young,
male or female, black or white, no man can
tell. They are alike in the crucible of death
For the rest, there are piles of white ashes
IN which glisten the crumbling- particles of
calclned bones; in other places masses of
black, charred debris, half under water,
which may contain fragments of bodies, but
nothing of human semblauce.
Among the victims of the disaster were
2. P. Bliss, of Chicago, the weIl-known COM
poser of several popular pieces of sacred
music, and his wife. 1t was at first thought
that his two children were also among the
Killed but it was subsequently ascertained
mat they had been left behind at Rome, Pa,
and consequently had escaped the terrible
tate OF their parents. Mr.. Bliss was on his
way to Chicago, to take part in the revival
services at the Tabernacle in that city. He
has been associated with Mr.. Whittle in re-
yival movements in several parts of the
West, and was very popular and effective
Singer. The Tabernacle in Chicago was at
once draped in mourning, on the reception
of the news of his sad death, and memorial
services were held there and in other West
ern localities
The list of the dead was very incomplete
mp to the LIST, as the names of all on board
tne taln had not yet been ascertaned A
reporter of the Cleveland Leader telegraphed
on the night of the 81 st that in all thirty sly