The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-01
AN ASHTABULA INCIDENT.
Love Tried By Fre-1en Seconds of Double
an A0e Of Agony.
Hom the Ne,v York Herald.

Detroit Jan. 3.-If every individual
who went down with the ill.fated rail-
road train at Ashtabula and lived through
The experiences were to write up his or
hersensation and adventures, none would
display that GOODNESS and heroism de-
scribed by Johnson B. Osborn and wife,
who were on their way to the Saginaw
Valley. Both are past forty, and Mr.,
Osburn is an Ohio farmer, who lately
purchased farm in Saginaw County. AS
the train pulled out from Ashtabula the
farmers wife began eating luncheon, and
her husband was trying to read news
paper by the light of the dim lamp.
He says he felt the first movement
when the bridge gave way. He first i'm
agined that one of the wheels under his
car had become detached, as the corner
of the car seemed to settle down little.
He dropped the paper and seized the back
of the seat in front of him. Then the
whole car seemed to lift up, and several
women shrieked in alarm There was no
sensation of falling. On the contrary,
both agree that they thought the car was
running up steep hill. This would
prove that the rear end Of the car settled
down first. From the time the bridge
gave way till the cars struck the ice, not
more than ten seconds could have clap.
sed, and yet during that brief interval
the husband threw one arm around his
wife, she grasped the seat and asked what
had happened, and he told her to secure
brace for her feet, and added: 1--WE are
off The track and running through the
ieldsl The rear end of their car struck
first, smashing itself to kindIing wood,
the debris being thrown over the passen-
| gers in 'front.' The farmer found himself
on the floor held down by mass OF
wreck OH his left leg, while his wife was
thrown across him, with the wreck oftwo
or three seats holding her against the
side of the car. While thus held, and
before either had spoken one end Of the
car settled and the wife was released
Mary, are you iving?" asked the hus'
band, being his first words afCer the tall.
| She replied that she was not even hurt
beyond bmise or two, and by this time
the shouting and confusion around them
proved that the train was of the track,
though neither one suspected that il was
more than tumble into way side ditch.
It was wonderful how woman could
retain her pres, nee of mind under such
exciting circumstance, but Mrs. Osborn
didn't even cry after the shock. Scores
of other passengers were shrieklng in
pain and fright as the cold waters flooded
one end of the car and the flames began
to eat away the other.
The woman cleared herself of the bro
ken seats Just a, the fire star ed, and she
then ascertained that her husband was
pinned fast to the floor by the wreck OF
the matter on his leg, which was partial
ly bent around one Of the iron standards
Of seat. She worked with all her might
to set him free, but the raging h.mes
were now only few feet away. and the
smoke aud heat were becoming terrible.
"Mary, take hold of my foot, bend my
leg toward yon with all your might, and
see il YOU can't break i'll" called The hns
band, who thought he could easily Tree
himself if the leg was released from Ia
cramp ID position. The wife seized li'
foot, meaning to obey, but at that mumen
the car urched over little, and her hus
band released himself When they lei
the car her dress was on fire. showing
that another Minute would have envel
oped both in the flames.