The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-18
THE ASmTARULA DISASTER.
The sad ~torN of the Wrecked Truiu, with
les Terrible Loss Of IIIr


The sad ~1or, Of the Wrecked rruiu, with
i,s Terrible Loss Of LIE
OF the loo passengers whom tho con-
ductur reports us having been on board
the tram DESTROYED hy tho Aahtumln
lOhiol disaster, bat hfty-ninc can br u,.
counted for The disaster Was uumnti-
culiy complete, NO element uf hurrur was
wanting First. the crash uf the bridge,
the uguuiuug moments ut suaprusr ar
thC seven laden vars plunged down a. the
ICY bed 1T tLe river. then came the fire
10 destroy all Who had been lrtt alive hy
the crash, the water gursled up from be-
meath the Ivr and offered another form uf
death Hnd finally the biting blast, filled
with suuW. truau and huuumhui those
who hJd escaped water and fire. Ii was
au ltvu tragedy Tho scene If tho ucci-
dent Was the valley Of the creek which.
flowing down past the eastern margin uf
AHhtahuh village pa.avs under the rail
Way three on tuur hundred Nuris east uf
the station Here for fanny wears after
the Lake Shore road MAS built there was
long wooden trystlr work, bat when
tIr rusud was improved, about ten years
ago, TINS was superseded with an iruu
Howe truss. built at the Cleveland shops,
and resting at either end upon high stone
plcrs, thanked 10y heavy curthen omhauk-
mcnts Ihe lruu structure WAS a single
span a ll1 feet. crossed hy double
track, seventy feet above the water.
which 40 that point DO frum three tn siN
feet deep, and covered with eight inches
ui Ice. The descent tn the valley uu
either slde is PERCEPTIONS and as the
halls and slopes are pilvd with heavy
drifts ui SNOW there was mo- little difficult
~ ma reaching the wreck after the dls.ls-
ter brcame Enwn.
The hridgs VAS intended a. br as
strong a. lron and masonry could make
it, and II required sight uf the wreck
tu convince the chief engineer uf the
ruad that tho bridge hAl falluu under the
weight ~ "a single tram. The disaster
occurred shortly before eight o'clock. IL
was the widest winter night Of the year.
Three hours behind It's time. the Pacific
express. which had left New York the
evening before, struggled along through
tAe DRIFT, and Ihe binding storm. The
eleven cars were "a heavy burden to the
two engines. and when the leading lu,u-
motive broke through the drifts beyond
the raSiur and rolled un across the
bridge. the tram was moving al less than
ten miles au hour. The head lamp threw
but "a short snd dim Hash uf light iu
front s1 thgck Was the alr with thr drly-
ing SNOW. The train crept across the
bridge The leading engine had reached
the solid gruuni beyond, gul its driver
had Just gwen il steam, when something
lu thv uuaerggariug of the bridge snap
ped For au instant there Was 70 con
fused cracking uf hrama and gir,irrs.
ru,llug with tremendous crash as the
whole train, except the leading engine.
broke through the framework and fell iu
n heap uf crushed anal spAatcred ruins
40 the hauam Notwithstanding the
wind and storm. the crash Was heard by
people miuur, half q mile AWAY For
moment there was silence, stunned nyu-
sAuuu among the survivors. Who, in all
stages uf mutilAuuu. lay uileI among tAy
DIVING and dg.li The i,w Who remained
UuhuI hasgeuyd o. escape from the
shattered ears. They crawlgI out of
Windows utu freezing water Walst deep,
men, women and children with limbs
bruised and broken. pluchei between
uMhrr-, aaa .rauatiAcl by Jagged ~pllu.-
cr-, begged wijL their last breath for aii
thA; ua human power could gave.
Five minutes after the TRAIN f,ll. the
fire broke uut ln tAy cars pllri against
thy abuturuts 10 el,h,r end 4 moment
later. flames broke irum tAr smoking CIR
and first caArA, piled acrus- each other
near tAy middle ul the stream. lu less
than ten minutes after tlp catastrophe
every ear i1 usr Wreck Was uu firt.
ami the flames. tyi hy tAr dry, yarmsAoI
woodwork ana famed los Jhr 5cy gale.
consumed tie ruins as though tGry had
been tud.r Men vho u the htUlldrg,
maut ui tha shock .ywue uut .ui ryacl.
al the lra went back after WIVES and
children aud found ,lym >uiTaca,iug and
roasting % tae ham.s The uelehburug
ry>ideuta. startled by thc crash, were
lighted 90 tLg scene los tl" c1uhagmuuu.
which maIe even their prompt assistance
too late. Bv midnight the destruction
was complete. The storm had subsidcI;
hut the vIui still blew firr-gly aud the
cold became even more intense. When
morning r.ur all tL.t remained ~ the
Pacific express was % siApt!r,s mass IL
CIR wheels. akicH. brake mons truck
frames auI twisted rails living In black
pool 10 the bottom ui thr gorge. Tho
wYal had burned completely IS away and
the ruins were covered with white ashes
On the crest ul tHr western nbutment
half uuFie.i u the SNOW. stood tllr rescued
locomotive. As the bridge iell It's driver
had gwen it q quick h,Idu steam. which
tore the Irawhuai from los tender and
the liberated engine shot forward and
buried itself in the SNOW. Tho other
locomotive. drawn backward by the fall
ing train. tumbicl over the pier. and fell,
bottom upward over the express car next
behind. TIE engineer, Folsom, escaped
with a broken leg, how be cannot tell,
nor any one else imagine
II was ut first feared that not moro
than n dozen bodies would bc recovered
sufficiently preserved D. be removed As
the dsbrif was cleared away, down 10 the
surface uf the wHter. however. number
were found. Thirty-fuur of them were
taken ont hut only few ui these were
in a condition in be identified. except by
means Of buttons, jcwclry. or other trluk-
cts. known only 10 their friends