The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-01-12

A GRAPHITE Narrative OF the Dreadful
Affair by a Lady survivor.
From tic hicago Timea 3Ist

me OF the survivors Of the Ashtabula
catastrophe. arrived in this city on yes
,erday afternoon, and repaired TO the
residence Of William g. Van Alstync,
| No. 2lg North State Street, where, later
IN the day, she was interviewed by re-
porter OF the Times. Miss Shepard was
expecting to take the evening train for
home. To look nj her, and 10 hear her
' relate, ia strong and vivacious language,
the story Of the awful calamity, one
could hardly imagine that only AS hours
' before she had been prccipitated seven
~ feet into miscellaneous pile Of iron
trusscs, shattered cars, crashing glass,
and snow and ice and rocks. A slight
abrasure on the right hand was the only
hurt she had To exhibit. She had suffer
' cd less from the actual plunge into the
river than from the subsequent cxertion
in caring for less fortunate ones and
the wearisome and unavoidable task OF
' relating her experiences TO the hun
dreds who piled her with questions be-
tween Ashtabula and Chicago.
"Suppose you tell that story just once
more, and TO 100000 readers" said the
man Of the TIMES.
~ will try" replied Miss Shepard,
"and will begin by stating that left
Albany, n. u, Thursday afternoon AT
o'clock, III the sleeping-car Palatine.
There were sixteen gentlemen and four
ladies' in the car. II was storming ter
rifically, and we expected 70 be showed
in. The condition of the track threw
rs several hours behind time. As we
neared Ashtabula
THE TRAIN QUIcKENFD ITS SPEED
little, for the reason, suppose, that
the track was less INSTRUCTED than fur
Their east. | should guess that the
speed Of the train, when we reached
the bridge, was fifteen miles an hour. y
"Well, 20 on with your narration,
Miss Sheppard" said the reporter,
eagerly.
The passengers" she continued,
sswere grouped about the car IN twos'
fours, and even larger parties. Some
were lunching. some were chatting, ana
quite number were playing cards.
The bell-ropc snapped IN two, one
piece flying against one OF the lamp
globes, smashing il and knocking the
burning candle 10 the floor. Then the
ears ahead Of us went bump, bump,
bump. as II the wheels were jumping
over ties. Until the humping sensation
was felt every one thought the glass
globe had been broken by An explosion.
"Scyeral jumped up" added Miss
Shepard, after a short pause, "and
some seized the tops Of the seats 10
steady themselves. half minute or
50 had now elapsed since the rope
broke. Suddenly there was
AN AWFUL CRASH.
| can't describe the noise. There were
All sorts of sounds. l could hear above
ali sharp, ringing sound, rs il all the
glass in Tie train was being shattered
Ia pieces. Some ore cried out, I'VE
are going down. AT that moment all
the lights In the car went out II was
utter darkness. | stood up IN the CEN
ter OF the aisle. knewthat something
awful was happening, and, having had
some previous experience In railroad
accidents, braced myself the best
knew how. felt the car floor sinking
from under my feet. The sensation Of
falling was very apparent. | thought
Of great many things, and made ny
my mind that was going TO be killed.
For the first few seconds we seemed u
be dropping in silence. | could hear
the other passengers breathing. Then
suddenly the car was filed with flying
splinters and dust, and we seemed
breathing some heavy substance. FoI
moment was almost suffocated. We
went down, down--oh, II was awful. II
seemed to me that we had been falling
two minutes. The berths were slipping
from their fastenings and falling upon
the passengers. We heard an awfu
crash. As the sound died away w
heard heavy groans all around US. II
was as dark ~ the grave.
"Well," said Miss Shepard, after ;
moments reflection, in which she cvi
IDENTITY saw the wreck in her mind''
eye, ~ was thrown down. just how
fell il more than can say.
GENTLEMAN HAD FALLEN ACROSS
me, but we were both on our feet in
moment. Every one was scramblins
and struggling 10 get out. | hear'
some one say, Hurry out; the car vii
be on fire ia minute Another maj
shouted. THE water IL coming In an,
we will be drowned The car scenes
lying partly on one side. In tbs
scramble man got hold OF me an
cried out, Help me; don't leave me
A woman cried from one corner Of th
car, Help me- save my husband IL
was caught under berth and som
seats. was feeling around in the dark
trying 10 release him, when some me
at the other end OF the car said the
we're ali right and would help the ma
out. CROPPED along TO the door, crawl
ing over the heating arrangement |
getting 70 IL. The fire had not "
broken out in our car. While WI
getting out through the door the other
were climbing out through the viii