, 1877-01-24
THE RAILROAD CATASTROPHE
IN OHIO.

the Catastrophe on the Lake Shore Railroad 10
Northern Ohio, of which we published some
CHASTITY details yesterday. The American
Continent seems as easily to surpass the Old
World in the magnificent proportions Of its
public disasters as in the grandeur OF its ma
tural scenery. The burning of the Cathedral
at Santiago was matched only the other day
by the destruction of the Brooklyn Theatre,
and now the Camphill Collision of 1885, in
which a hundred school children starting on q
picnic we're killed. has been outdone by She
complicated horrors Of the Ashtabula calamity.
Tue facts. so far as they have yet become
known on Ibis side Of the Atlantic, point to on.
" one conclusion, and, though it may turn out
that the persons in charge Of the i'll fated train
were TO blame or that the rolling stock was 10
bad condition, the probability is that the fab
RE of the permanent way had been allowed to
fall into d~isrepair, if it was not 10 the beginning
weakly constructed, The express tatic OF
the Pacific trains is now carried on generally
at a very high rate Of speed, and on Friday
night one of these, travelling west in the midst
Of a terrific snOwStOrm was somewhat behind
time as it passed out of Pennsylvania into the
State Of Ohio and followed the line along the
southern coast of Lake Erie. AS the train,
consisting of seven cars and two locomotives,
neared The station oil Ash:sbula it passed over
an iron bridge rs feet in height, spanning the
" creek on which the Ashtabula is situated.
Il is possible that in the endeavour to make
up for loss of time the speed was forced. though
according to one account the train was moving
slowly but, at any rate, the whole mass Of
vehicles and engines. hurled along with the gath
cred impetus of immense weight and aocelerat-
pace, broke through the bridge and fell With
- Oraob ipfO tho ArorI 10 E-n.~ Il -
was wrecked, and of l79 persons who were IN
the train only seven escaped unhurt.
1fthsre we're no addition to the simple fact
OF this sudden aud comprehensive ruin, The dis.
astsr at AShtabulA would be pre-. eminent amoug
deadly accidents. But there were other aud
worse horrors besides the first miseriss Of the
smash. Happy we're tho victims that we're
slain on the spot by the force Of the fall or
we're quickly smothered In the de6ris of tho
shattered carriages. The survivors had to
bear the malignity OF every ruthless element.
The ice upon the creek was broksn by the
impact ofthe falling mas', and the weight Of
ths mingled woodwork and iron.work, in.
volving a crowd of human bcings, dead or
dying, sank partly into the water. At the
same time the part of the mass which did not
sink caught fire, and blazsd With great fury
for hours Hndsr a gale blowing 10 ~furiously from
the lake. Many Of those who survived the fall
we're, drowned, and many others were burned
and their companions, wounded and stunned.
ssorshed, perhaps, by the fire, or drenched in
the water, were compelled to face the intense
cold CT the night without shelter or restoratives
or medical relief. The storm which blew from
Lake Erie, too celebrated for its inclement
weather, beat back the sucovurs that had been
summoned from Cleveland, the nearsst large
town. fifty Eve miles to the West, and it was
almost morning before a contingent Of physi-
cians and nurses reached the scene Of the
Catastrophe. The snow had fallen heavily for
two whole days before ; the wind blew in.shsrs
from the dismal expanss Of the lake upon the
wretched victims. The night is described as
:. one Of the worst ever experienced for the
intensity Of its cold" Some Of the sufferers
we're frozen to death when morning came ;
others were removed in q dying state to
Cleveland. The cold had aggravated the pain
and increased the danger of their injuries, and
of some City who were thus preserved. the
majority, if they escape with their lives. will
be permanently MANNED and broken in be alth.
Of the dead. numbering one hundred aAd
twenty, there 10 little to say. Upon them the
crash, the flames, the storm. and the deadly
cold did their work with awful completeness.
Few Of The mapglsd. bornt. and distgursd DO.
dies that were disiptsrysd from che 6S6Tvs we're