Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-01-04
Frightfal Railroad Accident on the Lake
Shore.

- Shore.
The most terrible railway accident that has
occurred for years took place ON the Lake
Shore road at Ashtabula, Ohio, on the 29th
ult. The scene OF the accident is few rods
east Of the depot, at the iron bridge that spans
the Ashtabula creek rs feet above the water.
The Pacific Express train.gomg west wiAhssv-
Ell coaches and l75 passengers went through
the bridge and broke the ice on the creek, re-
sulting in the death of nearly one-half of the
people on board. After the tall the cars inn.
mediately took fire, and many who were
neither killed by the fall nor drowned in the
water, were burned to death. The snow had
been falling all day and the Telegraph linsS
worked so badly, that relief tmirs were late
iu starting to the help Of the death-stricken
travellers, and were slow in reaching them. 1t
was early in the evening when the accident
occurred, but late in the morning before the
removal of the dead bodies commenced.
The train was moving slowly towards tn
station, and the only facts known regarding
the cause Of the accident are that the engine
in front passed safely over when the bridge
gave way and the train with its load of pas
sengers plunged to the bottom of the abyss,
followed by the engine in the rear. Almost
instantly the lamps and the stoves sot fire to
the wreck, ana doubtless many who were on .
ly stunned and who might otherwise have es-
capped any serious injury, fell victims to the
flames. The bridge was a Howe Truss, eleven
years old, and was considered perfectly safe.
When one stands at the foot of the ravine
and looks up, it seems almost an utter impos-
sibility that any man should take leap from
so great + height and live, yet number es-
capped comparatively unframed, and had it
not been for the fire, probably not one-third
would have been lost.
It was nearly twenty -four hours before any
list Of the dead could be obtained, and it is
doubtful whether a complete list will ever be
known as many bodies were totally consumed.
Among those known to be lost, areP. p. Bliss.
the evangelist who has been laboring with
Major Whittle, and his wife and two children.
Mr.. Bliss was on his way to Chicago with his
family and expected to join Major Whit
tie in conducting the revival meetings
in that city after Moody and Sankey
90 to Chicago. Mayor Whittle and John v.
Farwell left Chicago Immediately OH receipt
of the news to recover the remains. Mr..
Bliss was 35 years Of age and has been engag-
ed in evangelical work between three and
four years. His children were aged fonr and
two years respectively. DR.. o. II. Washburn,
rector OF Grace Episcopal Church, Cleveland,
o., H. S. Hall and bride, of Englewood, Mrs.
and Miss Mary Burchard, OF Fayetteville, Vt.,
cousin Of Gov. Hayes, are among the dead.
Miss Burchard was on her way to Ohio to re-
ceive s20,0 willed her by Gov. Hayes uncle
Over twenty unidentified bodies have been
recovered and about twenty more have been
recognized. 1t seems probable that at least
one hundred lives were lost, though it is not
probable that the fire has left traces Of so
many bodies. ! s,--5.s-~---. - -.--------.--.