Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-01-19

oDITUARY.-MIss MARY r.. nIRoHARD AND
HER FATAL JOURNEY,


went out in the crashing, burning wreck
of Ashtabula, was born in Fayetteville,
February, 1923. In early life she enjoyed
the advantages OF good academical culture,
and was a thorough lover of composition,
music and poetry, as many of the produce
tons from her pen, published and private,
fully attest. She possessed nature, life,
vitality and vivacity of spirit that rendered
her welcome guest alike with the rich
and the poor. Her powers'of thought and
language were OF a high order. Nature
and culture combined to make her per-
feet mistress OF language which power she
thoroughly enjoyed, as all we'll know who
ever heard and saw the gay, joyous spirit
with which she burst forth in rapturous
praises OF what she approved, or the with
ering, burning sarcasm with which she
could visit an object of her disapprobation.
She has spent portion of each year for the
past twenty years in travelling, having
visited most of the States in the Union this
side of the Father of Waters, so that her
acquaintance was unusually extensive, and
il was her intention to have visited Califor-
mia aud the Pacific States at the earliest
visited her brothers. grave at Anderson
vile, Ga. The past season she had been to
the Centennial and various other places of
interest, and in all her travels by land aud
water had never met with an accident wor-
thy of notice. Upon this, her last journey,
she lel Fayetteville in company with Mrs.
Burditt, Thursday, Dec. 2SIh, and arrived
Ia Springfield, Mass, al o'clock p. M,
where they spent the evening with an old
friend and former resident of Fayetteville,
and took the through sleeping car Palatine
on the western express at o'clock. Dur
ing the following day both ladies sent post
al cards notifying their friends at home of
their safety thus far. Long before they ar
rived at Mrs. Burditts destination, Erie,
Pa, the storm had become severe and they
were two hours or more behind time. Up
on leaving The train Mrs. Burditt urged
Mss Birchard TO stop of with her until the
stor N was over; but she said, mo, have
sent a telegram TO Mr.. Dewitt TO meet me
at Cleveland, aud he will be waiting for
me. had better 90 o." And in fact he
was waiting aud anxiously inquiring at
the telegraph Office for the whereabouts of
from Ashtabula saying that the Pacific ex-
press No. 5 would be at that place in len
minutes. Shortly after this Mr.. ID. noticed
an unusual CONJUNCTION in the Office and
among the employees Of the road, and upon
making inquiry as 10 its cause was told
that freight train was of the track some
where. He had scarce heard this reply be-
fore he noticed several gentlemen with lit
tie boxes under their arms, hurrying into
the depot aud seating themselves in sim
gle car to which was attached a steaming
engine. He knew they were surgeons, aud
following them into the car earnestly de-
mandOd TO know what and where the troub-
lie was, as he had a sister ON the incoming
tr ain from the East. He was then told the
Ashtabula bridge had gone down with the
train, when he seated himself in the car.
AS soon as possible this relief train started,
but so badly was the road blocked with
the driiting snow, that three hours were &C.
cupied in making the distance, some thirty
miles, and when they arrived at the scene
it Was only to look down into the frightlul
chasm and behold the dying cinders of the
| burning wreck. Mr.. Dewitrs first step
! dead Not sndiae Aais- pi.eL-.s among
them, and knowing her habits of travelling,
he then gave his especial attention to the
wreck of the last sleeping car. And that
| the reader may the better understand, we
will here say word in regard to the bridge
| and its location. The bridge was built
| over the Ashtabula creek and fifty rods this
side or east of the depot, so that the train
was Stacking its speed for stop when it
struck the bridge. The bridge was one up
on which the train passes over the top and
was originally built for single track, but
some wears ago was made double track.
| Under the strain OF the freezing atulOs-
phere and immense pressure OF the train,
the loaded side gave way, aud with an aw-
full sidewayslurch the bridge went out from
under the train, many feet down the riv-
err. And the rear car, the Palatine, seemed
to have dropped square down into the froz-
en- river, about eight feet from the but
ment, where the water was just Of suffi-
lent depth to cover the bottom OF the car.
1t is supposed by those who were first at
the wreck that every person in this car was
killed outright by the fall, as not even a
moan was heard from the car, while the
cries and groans from all the others we're
heart -ren ding. When the fire had spent its
fury an examination of the bottom of this
car showed the heaps Of human ashes just
whe re the fated victims had sat, and the
only thing len of sufficient size and shape
to be identi fed as part Of a human body
was a piece of a knee and a Shinbone.
When Mrs. Burditt left the car she thinks
there were seven ladies, four children and
four men in it. The conductors checks
and recollection make grand total of l6e
| living souls on the train. Immediately up
on the receipt of this awful intelligence,
Mr.. Birchard, whose age aud intirmities
prec luded the possibility of his travelling
dispatched Mr.. F. o. Burditt to the scene
of the wreck, with directions TO take his
wife from Erie and meet Mr.. Dewitt, the
brother-in- law, and make a thorough
search for anything that might possibly
identify his daughter. The search has been
thoroughly prosecuted, aud we learn from
the Cleveland Democrat that they have
been able to identify a breast pin, but al
the time Mr.. Burditt ito whom we are in
debted for the above lacts) left the scene o
the disaster, not the slightest trace Of hel
remains had been found. q.
-WiAdham County Pomona grange, No
4, will bold its first annual session at Ihii
place Thursday, Jan. rs, at 10 A. NJ, sharp
AS there is much important business 10 b.
, transacted al this time, it is hoped that ev
cry member will be at his or her post o
duty promptly at the appointed hour
Come prepared 10 speak, vote, make thi
' | a Uood meeting and staV till 'the laburs O