South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1877-02-02
A Horribls AFFAIR.
nc Story Of Ssrrfror of The ALTA.
t'sia Railroad Di.osxr.


Miss Marion Shepard. OF Ripon. Wis
one Of the survivors OF the Asb,.,r,.
catastrophe. arrived in Chicago SUNDAY
anernoon and related her .,crribls cs.
pesience to Times reporter. from which,
the following are extracts. She was nm
occupant of the slecping-car ralaiinc.
and when the first crash came, she saws !:
Some ono cried oui.s.spa are roiuu
down. At that N n&1 lfthe lighls
in the car went out q utter dark.
ness stood mp ia III kenter of the
aisle. knew that something awful
was happening. and. having had Soma
previous experience In railroad ,cc;.
dents, braced myself the best Lrsv
how. teit The car floor sinking from
under my feet. The sensation of falling
was very apparent thought Of vrea,
many things, and made up nv mimi
that | was going to be killed. For a.
frat few seconds We seemed TO be aron.
ping in silence could hear the othe,
passengers breathing. Then suddenly
the car was filed with flying splinter,
and dust, and We seemed breathing a
very heavy substance. We went down.
down-oh. II was awful. IL seemed TO
me that we had been falling two minutes.
The berths were slipping upon the pss
sengers. We heard an awful crash. A
the sound died away we heard heavy
2roans all around US. 1t was as dark
as the grave. How | felt is more than
can say. A gentleman had fallen
across me, but we were both on our feet
in moment Every one was scram.
bling and struggling To get out. heard
some one say, Hurry out tho car viii,
be on fire in minute Another man
shouted. The water is coming i'm anil
we will be drowned The car seemed
lying partly on one side. In the scram.
hlc man caught hold of me and cried
out. Help me; don't leave me-. A
woman cried from one corner Of the car.
Help me; save my husband lie was
canght under berth and some seats. I
was feeling around in the dark. trying
10 release him, when some men ut the
other end Of the car sail they were all
right. aud would help tic man out. I
CROPPED along TO the door, crawling over
tn" heating arrangement in getting to il.
The fire had not yet broken out in our
car. While | was getting out through
the door the others were climbing ont
through the windows. On the left th.
cars were in n blaze. On the RIGHT n
pile OF rubbish. rs high as could see.
barred escape. In front OF me were
some cars standing on end. or in a slop.
ing position. l followed man who
was trying 10 scale pile OF debris. |
got on TO coach which was resting on
one edge Of the roof. The side was so
slippery and icy that could not walk
on it. and so crawled along over it,
The car was dark inside, and oh, what
heart rending groans issued from it. 1t
seemed filled with people who were dy-
ing. Two men, a Mr.. White, Of Chica.
go, and Mr.. Tyler, of ST. Louis. helped
me down from the end OF the car. Then
i was IN snow up to my knees, Mr..
Tyler was badly gasiied about the face.
and was covered with blood. You see
ITO the reporter) this stain on nv sleeve.
That was blood from his wounds. Right
under our feet lay man. his head down
in hole. AM his legs under the corner
OF the car. !ic asked us To help him.
and Mr. Tyler and Mr.. White released
his legs somehow, and some other men
carried him away. 1t was storniing ter
ribly The wind was blowing n perfect
gale. BY this time the whole scene was
lighted Ivy the burning cars. | could
see that the bridge had broken Off even
with the abutments. The abu;ments
looked rs high as Niagara. Away above
us | could see crowd Of spectators.-
Down in the wreck there was perfect
panic. The people were beside them.
selves. Some we're so badly frightened
snd panic stricken that they mad 20 he
dragged ont Of the cars TO prevent their
being burned up. don't want To ap.
pear invidious, but mast saw that the
women. the few who were not killed
outright, behaved more courageously
than the men, as n rule"
How 4 LADY BAFFLED A BrReI,An.