The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1877-01-04
DIRE DISASTER.
THE RAILWAY HORROR.

On either side of the ravine frowned
dark and bare arches, from which the
treacherous timbes had fallen, while at
their base great heaps of ruins covered one
hundred men, women and children, who
has so suddenly been called to their death.
The FIRES sAoULDERED
in great heaps where many OF the hapless
victims had been all consumed, while men
vent about in wild excitement, seeking
some trace Of los, one =nong the wound
ea or dead. All witnesses, 50 lar, agree as
to the main facts Of the accident. 1t was
about so'clock, and the train was moving
along at moderate rate OF speed, Ashta-
bula station being Just this side of the ra-
vine-suddeIly, and
WITHOUT WARNING,
the train plunged into the abyss, the ior-
ward locomotive alone getting across in
safety. Almost instantly the lamps and
stoves set fire to the cars, and many, who
were doubtless only stunned, and who
might otherwise have been saved, fell
victims to the fury of the flames. The
scenes among the wounded we're heartrend-
Ing in the extreme. The two hotels
nearest the station contained the majority
Of these, and they we're scattered about on
temporary beds, on the floors Of dining
rooms, pariors and Offices.
THE VICTIMS.
Ia one place a man with broken leg
would be under the hands of a surgeon, who
rapidly and skillfuily went at his work. In
another, man covered with bruises, and
spotted over with pieces OF plaster, would
look as though he had been showed upon,
except where the dark lines Of blood across
the face or limbs told different story. In
some other corner poor woman
MoANEo FROM TsE PAIN
she could not conceal, while over it all there
brooded that Lushed feeling Of awe which
always accompanies cal4mit;es of this char
acter. Towards morning the cold increased
and The wind blew fearful gale, which,
with the snow which had driited waist
deep at points along the line, made all work
extremely difficult.
THE FATAL BRIDGE.
From an interview with Mr.. Chas. Col
lins, chief civil engineer Of the road, learn
that the bridge was Howe truss, built en-
tirely Of iron, and was about eleven years
old. 1t was 60 feet above the water, and
had an arch $50 fee; lpng. 1t had been
tested with six locomotives, and at the time
Of the disaster was considered as being in a
perfect condition. 1t was built in the
Cleveland shops. Coilirs gave no opinion
as to the cause of the accident, expressing
himself as being utterly unable to do SO.
AT THE RUINS.
have Just returned from the ruins, and
have seen the smouldering remains of least
dozen bodies, only one Of which has any
seublance whstever, 10 a human form. BY
the side of another heap of embers was
found pair of scissors, and also q tuft OF
grayish hair. No other means of identifi-
cation could be found, although the hunt
may be more successful when the removal
OF the upper rubbish begins.
PAssEs GERs EXPERIENCE.
Charles S. Carter OF Brooklyn, n. Y,
says he was sitting in palace car with
three Others, engaged in friendly game Of
csrds, when suddenly he heard the window
glass in the forward part OF the car break
ing, and almost instantly the car began to
fall. He was seated With his back toward
the front, and as he went down he sat as
quiet as he could and held on. When the
car struck at the bottom of the ravine he
found himself almost unhurt, although one
of the gentlemen playing with him, whose
name he did not know, was killed instant
iy, while another, Mr.. Shepard, of New
York City, had leg troFen. Mr.. Carter
saws that the front OF the car was much
10 wer than the rear, and that
The FLAMES
in the front begun to eat their way upward,
and spread with great rapidity. He turn
ei to the assistance Of Shepard, and with
great difficulty succeeded in getting him
cut, the broken leg impeding their advance.
Whcn..shepard was fairly out, Carter re-
turned to The assistance Of a woman who
was calling for help, a: the front Of the
car. He got her ont, and az she was quite
thinly clad, gave her his oveicoat. After
reaching the hotel he found himself severe
ly bruised in several places.
A MAINTAINING SCENE.
In the great peril of the hour, man
rushed down to tie scene o. the disaster,
ready 10 extend his aid. He saw a woman
struggling for help, and went TO her assist
ance. He carried her, by main force, to
the solid ice, and then, urged by the
cries Of the mother, went back to the
rescue of the daughter; sweet
child, of three or four years of age. The
treacherops wood, in splitting, had caught
the child in its grasp, and the fire compile
ted the horrible work. The man was COM
PEELED to see the child enveloped in flames,
and to hear, "help me mother" ringing out
in the agony of death On the ears Of the
cruel night. In a moment she was lost,
swept up by the sharp tongues Of FIRE,
while her mother, in helplss, agony, fell to
the earth in deadly swoon.
A STRICKEN FAMILY.
There was on board a family named
Bennett, on the way from New York State
to Jefferson, Ashtabula county. The faith
er and mother got out OF the wreck and
the children were only saved by being
tossed, from one man 10 another, over pile
of burning wood. One Of the four was se-
riously injured, and all were scratched
slightly. Ga Saturday morning the moth
er, who was eneiente, gave birth to child,
the event being FASTENED by the excitement
.he had undergone.
THE VALLEY CT DEATH.
1t seems that the train must have just
about covered the bridge when it fell, as
fragments now lie across the ravine, touch
ing the base of the abutments on either
end, and when one stands at the foot OF the
ravine and looks up, it seems an utter i'm
possibility that any man could take leap
from 80 great height and live, yet num-
Der escaped comparatively unframed, and
had it not been for the IRE, probably not
ons-th;rd vould have beeu lost The water