The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-01-01
The Loss of Life Greater
Than First Reported.
Over One Hundred
Persons Killed.
MOST OF THE DEAD UN.
RECOGNIZABLE.
Many of the Bodies Re-
duced to Ashes.

NEW YORK. Dec. 3O-A special from Ash
tabula says the storm yesterday there was so
severe that very few of the business places
kept open after four or five O'Clock, and the
trains from all directions were several hours
behind hand. About p. m the village was
aroused by general fire alarm, and word soon
sOread that passenger train No. 5, from the
East, bad gone through the high bridge over
the Ashtabula river, with large number of
passengers, and the whole train was on fire.
A lufid glare in that vicinity confirmed the
report. aud in spite of the terrible night nearly
the " hole village and all the fire engines were
soon en- route TO the depot, about one mile dis
tant from the village. The train was due at
Ashtabula az quarter past five. and was
nearly three hours late. 1t hal eleven cars,
Including one draw groom car three seepers,
one smoking Car, two frst-class coaches, and
four baggage and express cars. 1t was drawn
by two engines, the Socrates ahead, followed
by the Columbia, No 800.
Statement of an Engineer.
Daniel Nc Cure, engineer of the Socrates,
relates that the train was running slow, aud
just as they bad fairly crossed the high bridge
bot more than 40 rods dstaot from the depot,
they felt vic lent jar. and in an instant the
coupling between The Socrates and Columbia
broke and the whole, tram was precipitatrd
with the bridge into the river. slXty-hve feet
below. Mr.. Mcclure says his engine was
pulled back nearly to the edge of the broken
span before the coupling severed and it regained
its forward motion barrels in time to save itself
The bridge was an iron truss bridge and had
been IN use about eleven years. 1t is supposed
that the heavy draughts must have thrown the
cars from the track, causing the cold iron to
snap.
Inc horrible scene below beggars all descrip-
ton. The span is about 100 feet wide and
through the space between flows the river,
about four or five feet deep, at this time tbickly
covered with ice Into this space the eleven
cars and one engine and tender were precpi-
tated. The fall of sixty feet, of course, break
ing through the icy covering, shivered the cars
as if a magazine of nitro-glycerne had ex
ploded beneath them. The seven passenger
coaches altogether contained about 165 adults,
besides number of childen In the drawing
room car, bound for Cleveland, were nine per-
sons, all supposed to have persisted by drown
ing or fire. In the two sleepers, bound for
Chicago, were thirty-fve passengers Most of
those in the forward car saved, with injuries
more or less severe. Within very few mo-
ments after the crash the flames burst out
simultaneously from nearly every Car. Ere
help Was at hand the flames were striving With
the icy torrent as to which should devour the
greater number of human lives. Mr.. Frank
Belknap, who was one of the earliest at the
scene, says the pteous cries for help from all
the victims were enough to distract the stoutest
heart. Here was young and finely dressed
girl OF about ten years. struggling in vain to
release her hips from the weight which was
crushing her slender form, and close behind
her were flames shooting out their forked
tongues, which in another instant had en-
wrapped her in their furious embrace. Here
was fine appearing gentleman of middle age
sitting bolt upright in his.seat and unable to
exIricate himself calmly awaiting the flames
which soon tanned their victim. There were
bodies floating out from the wreck, and others
not yet strangled by the ice flood were attempt.
ing to make their way to the shore.
A crowd soon made their way to the burning
debris, and with axes and ropes many were ex-
tricated, placed on stretohers and taken to the
top of the hill, where the best of assistance
awaited them. The hotels at the depot were
soon filled, and private houses were throwL
open throughout sthe town. The surgeons of
the town rendered all assistance in their power,
but many perlshed Notwithstanding the best
of care, during the night. Others are now ~
ing In suffering condition in the hotels and
private residences. Fully one hundred persons
were killed in this terrible disaster.
List of sufferers.
CLEVELAND, O., Dec 800 d. m-The toll
lowing is as complete list of the names of the
wounded and killed as can at this hour be OBJ
tanned. There are sixteen slightly injured, who
are located in the village some distance from
the wreck the names of whom will be given as
soon as it is possible to get them together, with
the nature of their injuries
p. Livermore, fireman, Cleveland, severe
fracture of leg
Alfred II. Purslow, Chicago, about head and
back, not serious.
j. M. Marcer, Hartford, Ct, injured in chest,
back and head; not serious; can be moved;
+. j. jackson, Waterbury, CT, hurt in back;
not serious; can be moved.
Chas Kicker Biddeford, Me-, hurt about
head; not serious; can be moved.
Andrew Gibson, Wyandotte. hurt about
head.
P. B. Lewellan, Parker. Ind, hurt about
head.
James Dean, Parker, Ind. hurt about head
AMI right hip.
VIM. Drunan, Niagara Falls, right leg and
hip injured.
Chas N Gage, Charleston, Ill.,, dead.
FL. W.. Shepherd, Brooklyn, N. Y, ankle
fractured.
MIR. Folsem, engineer, ankle fractured and
hurt about head.
Mrs. M. Bingham, Chicago, compound frac-
ture of left limb, injured about hip and back.
W e. Vosburs, brakeman, burned, bruised
in right loin.
Mrs W. q. Bradley, confusion left leg.
DR.. G. A. Griswold, Foltou, H., confusion
about head.
A. Burnham, Milwaukee, scalp wound.
Jas. A. Thompson. Oakland, CAL, ribs frac-
turtd, can be moved.
JAS A. Clrncher, N Wales, scalp wound.
H. Tilden, Superintendent of Water Works,
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway,
confusion. slight.
Mrs. Judson Martin, Jefferson. O., confusion
of abdomen, oisocation of shoulder.
Mabel Arno d, North Adams, Mass. bruised
badly; can be moved.
Alexander Monroe, Somerville, Mass, rae
tured leg and scalp wound; can be moved.
Walter S. Hazeton, Charleston, Ill.,, injured
about head.
Mary Frame, Rochester, N Y, badly burned;
severe scalp wound.
Walter Hayes, Lexington, KY, slight injury.
V. Nusbaur, New York city, fractured
skull.
Chas. Patterson, Chicago, slight injury.
T. Q. Wright, Nashville, Tenn, injured
about back.
T. W. Labdell, Troy. N. Y, injured in side
and small of back; can be moved
Mrs Binghams little girl, injured about the
eye slightly; residence not kpown.
John j. SAILOR. Chicago, injured sbout the
eye, not serious.
W. B. Sandersop, Upham, Me, slight iniur-
les, can be moved.
Mr.. Judson Martin, Jefferson, O., injured in
the breast. Mr.. Martins two children are in
Jured about the face; slight burns.
Mrs Lew, Rochester N. Y, slight injuries
Mr.. Hern, conductor slightly injured.
Robert Monroe, Rutland, Mass flesh wound;
can be moved.
Mrs. j. Davis. Koko mo, slight injuries.
VIM. Vosburgb. Buffalo, brakeman, injured
L. Osborne, Tecumseb, Mich, scalp wound.
P. D Chaplin, Cleveland, scalp wound.
A. Burnham, Milwaukee. scalp wound.
Mr. and Mrs F. E. Swift, North Adams,
Mass. Mr.. Swift. confusion OF spine; Mrs.
Swift injured about the side; not serious.
r Anstp, Chicago, slight confusion about
LIMBS.
George A. White, Portland, Me-, slightly
hurt,
Euening-The list of the dead at Ashabua
can only be ascertained when it becomes grad
ually apparent that those who were known to
have been passengers on this Inflated train do
not make their appearance. The chief officials
of the Lake Shore railroad company, have ar
rived at Ashtabula and are doing everything
to clear away the debris Of the wrecked train
1t is hoped that an arrangement will be effect
ed for the transfer of a limited number of pas
sengers to-day. The work of removing bodies
from the wreck is still going en-. Forty have
already been removed, and there are still evil
dences of many more under the debys. 1t is
impossible to identify more than three of the
bodies. All the rest are burned, charred and
blackened beyond recognition
The following are the names of those