Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-02-01
A HORRIBLE AFFAIR.
The Story Of a Survivor Of the AShta-
bMia Railroad Slaughter.

bNia Railroad Slaughter.
Miss Marion Shepard, of Ripon,
Wis, one of the survivors OF tie
AShtabula catastrophe, arrived in
Chicago Sunday afternoon. aud re-
lated her terrible experience TO a
TlMes reporter. from which the FOL
lowing are extracts. She vas an
eccspant OF the sleeping car Pala-
tine, and when the tgSt crash came,
che says:
"Seme one cried oat, 1--WE are GO
ing down." At that moment MI the
lights in tie Cur went out. II was
utter darkness. stood up in the
center tf the aisle. / knew that
something awful was happening,
and, having had some previous ex-
perience ia railroad accidents, |
hraced myself the best kne W how.
4 felt the ear floor sinking from un-
der NV feet. The sensation of fall
ing WAS very apparent. / thought
Of great many things, and made
up my mind that was griug to be
Killed For the first few seconds we
seemed to be dropping in silence. |
could hear the other passengers
breathing. Then suddenly The car
was filed with flying splinters and
dust, and we seemed breathing some
heavy substance. We went down,
-down-eh, it was awful. It seemed
TO me that we hal been falling two
eninutes. The berths We're Slipping
upon the passengers. We heard an
awful crash. AS the sound died
away we heard heavy Eroans all
around US. It WAS as dark aS the
grave. How ! fell is more than I
can say. 4 gentleman had fallen
across me, but we were bnth an eur
feet in y moment. Every one was
sscrambling and struggling to get
out. / heard some one say, Hurry
-oat the car will bs on Gre in IL
minute Another man shouted.
1.-The water is coming i'll aud we
will be drowned. " The car seemed
lying partly on one side. In the
scramble man caught hold OF me-
and cried ont, "EIep me dnn't
lsaye me - A worEan Sried from
.nne corner of the car, "HeiD me 3;
save my husband I" He WIS caught
under a berth anl some Seats.
was feeling around in the dark, try
ing to release him, when some men
at the other end of the car said they
were all right. and would help the
man out. | CROPPED along To the
door. crawling over the heating ar
xSngement in getting t0it. The fire
Ind not YET kroken oat in our car.
While | Was getting out through
the door the others we're climbing
out through the windows. On the
left the cars were in i hlsZs. On
the right a pile of rubbish. as high
AS I could seq, barred escape. L.
trout OF ne were some cara standing
on end, or i'll q sl0ping position.
followed 4 nlan VINO was trying tu
scale a pile OF debris. got OIL 10 a
coach which WAS resting on one edge
of the roof. The side WAS 50 slipye
ry and icy that c1uld not walk on
IL, and 50 crawled along ogerit. Tie
cur WAS dark inside, and OH, wIiat
heart-renGing groanS issue from it.
liz eecmed flied with people WHO
wero dying. TwJ men, Mr.
White, OF Chicago, and !, Mr. Tyler.
Of St. Louis, helped me dawn from
the cHd of tie car. Then [ WAS IN
snow NJ to my knees. Mir. Tyler
Was badly gashed about the face,
ana Was covered with bIool. You
see TO the rcporter) this stain or
my sleeve, That was blood from
his wounds. Right under our feet
lay a man, his head down i'll Il l',le,
and his legs under the cerGer of the
car. lie asked us to help him, AT d
Mr.. t. Ter aid Mr.. White released
his legs somehow, and some other
men carried him away. It WAS
storminsly terribly. Tae wind was
Moving Il perfect gale. BY this
time the whole scene WAS lighted by
tie burning ears. I coull see that
the bridge had broken off even with
the abutments. The abutments
looked as high as Niagara. Away
above as could see Il crowd Of spec
tators. Down III the wreck there
WAS a perfect panic. The people
were beside themselves. Some were
80 bally frightened and panic strick-
en- that they hal toibe dragged out
OF the cars to prevent their being
barned IN. don7t want to appear
invidious, but must say that the
women, the few who were not killed
outright, behaved more courageous
Tn than tho men as rule