The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-15
An Incident of Ashfabula
LOVE TRIED BY FIRE-TEN SECONDS OF DOUBT
AN AGE OF AGONY.

AN AVE VI AuONIs
A special dispatch says:
n every individual who went down with
the ill-fated railroad train at Ashtabula and
lived through the experience were to write
up bis or her sensations and adventures
none would display that GOODNESS and hero
ism described by johnson B. Orburn and
his wife, who were on their way to the Sag
inaw Valley. Both are past forty, and Mr..
Orburn is an Ohio farmer who lately pur-
chased farm in Saginaw county. AS the
train pulled out from Ashtahula the farm
er's wife began eating luncheon, and her
husband was trying to read newspaper by
the light OF the dim lamp.
He says he felt the first movement when
the bridge gave way. He first imagined
that one of the wheels under his car had be-
come detached, as corner of the car SEEM
ed to settle down q 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 their car settled down first. From the
time the bridge gave way till the cars
struck the ice not more than ten sec
onds could have elapsed, 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,
"We are off the track and running through
the felds! The rear end of their car
struck first, smashing itself to kindllng-
wood, the debris being thrown over the pas
sensers in front. The farmer found him.
self on the floor, held down by mass OF
wreck on his left leg, while his wife was
thrown across him, the wreck OF two OF
three seats holding her against the side OF
the car. While thus held, and before either
had spoken, one end OF the car settled q
little and the wife was released.
"Mary, are you Iiving?" asked the hus
band, being his first words after the fall
She replied that she was not even hurt, be-
yond bruise Or two, and by this time the
shouting and confusion around them proved
that the train was off the track, though
neither one suspected that it was more thar
tumble into wayside ditch. 1t was won
derful how a woman could retain her pre-
sence OF mind under such exciting circum
stances, but Mrs. Orburn didn't even cry
out after the shock. Scores of other pas
sengers were shrieking in pain and frigh
as the cold waters flooded one end OF the
car and the flames began to eat away at the
other.
The woman cleared herself of the broker
seats just as the fire started, and she ther
ascertained that her husband was pinned
fast to the floor by the wreck OF matter or
his leg, which was partially bent around
one of the iron standards Of seat. Sht
worked with all her might to set him free
but the raging flames were now only few
feet away, and the smoke and heat were
becoming terrible.
"Mary, take hold OF my foot, bend my
leg toward you with all your might, anG
see if you carf't break It'll" called the hus
band, who thought he could easily free
himself il the leg was released from its
cramped position. The wife seized his foot
meaning to obey, but at that moment the
car lurched over q. little, and the husband
released himself. When they left the cal
her dress was on fire, showing that another
minute would have enveloped both in the
| flames.
Both were able to walk to the hotel as
soon as released, having escaped with only
few bruises. The heroic wife and mother
was not only ready to obey her husbands
orders, but she had plan Of her own...
"When I saw the flames just upon u.s.
she said, "arid while was sure that my
husband would be burned alive, I made uI
my mind to put one Of the cushions over
him, lie down on top Of that, and hope that
while was being burned up, help would
come to him for our children's sake"
ssI was afraid she wouldn't be strong
enough to break my leg" added the hus
band, "and then it would be all up with
me. was going to have her get out, and
then, rather than be burned alive, was
going to --. Well, I had this big knife
in my right-hand pocket, and my right arm
was free to get it and use it !"