Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-01-05
THE EDISASTER!
Unhappy Opening of the New
Year at AShtabula!
Full Particulars, Incidents,
&C., of the Accident.
Official Report of the COTOner's
Inquest.

The Pacific express train, with two en-
gines and eleven passenger coaches, a pal
ace and sleeper, due here at $3.50, p. m,
on Friday last, reached the bridge near the
station at about O'Clock. Both engines
were at the front, and the leading one just
cleared the west bank sufficiently for the
engineer-Dan M'Guire-to open the thrOt-
tie and by full head Of steam, to break
the shackle between his tender and the 9TH
er engine, and save himself. engine and
-tspder. The other engine fell with the
bridge, anG the rest of the train was drawn
after them. Folsom. tie engineer of this
engine, escaped with little injury. Con-
ductor Hem and the news agent got out
without serious injury. The bridge was an
iron trestle, 155 feet long, with large
amount of material in it, and the plunge
was 20 fl. to the surface of the water. The
reports of the number of passengers are
various-ranging from III adults, besides
cbildreng as given by the railroad officials,
to the number estimated by escaped pas
sengery and others of 300 or S55ee, or more.
TIE sumber of saved ranges according 70
estimate at somo 50 or 80. The number of
remains recovered is about forty.
The scene was a terrific one, and the con-
fusion too great for the compass of human
thought. A telegram was sent up town
and the alarm given, but such was the vio-
lence Of the storm that many failed to hear
it, and the only evidence Of anything unu-
sual was the lighting up Of the heavens by
q fire that seemed, from the village, to be
at the HarbOr. The terrible shock of the
20 #. fall must have paralyzed every soul,
and where the strike was on the end, every
thing must have gone down into an indis-
criminate mass. OF course here was mate
rial for the flames, which soon broke out,
and burned without hindrance, except so
far as it could be effected with buckets,
which were Of but little avail. All that was
combustible was soon consumed. How
many disabled passengers shared this fate,
cannot be told with any accuracy. The oc-
casion was one well calculated to bring into
exercise every impulse of humanity, and
our citizens put forth every effort to relievs
the unfortunate sufferers. and not a Jew
hazarded even their own lives by working
in the water, to afford that relief, notwith-
standing the severity of the weather; some
were wet to the middle. and remained in
that condition for hours.
The living were distributed about the
neighborhood, and found comfortable
quarters in both public and private houses.
The morning revealed the ruins-almost
quenched Of fire, except in such express
packages as were too tightly packed to sd-
NIT OF anything but slow and smouldering
combustion. They were q network of iron
mostly of rod and rail form, but more or
less Of all varieties and shapes, and mixed
with parts and parcels of half consumed
clothing.
The work Of getting out the bodies was
of course slow, as they were almost wholly
in the water and under the debris, and
only the lighter portion of the wrecked ma
terial could be lifted and removed. They
were much burned, in most cases the limbs
were burned of. and where the heads and
faces were left, they were hardly less sick
ening in appearance, from discOloration
and distortion of feature. We noticed one
body that was entire. of genteel mold-a
young man of hanG5fse features, Of the
Roman type. with ~ black hair, fair
complexion and healthful ruddiness Of
cheeks. Upon his left hand, which was
thrown out from the body, showed hand
some gold ring. The bodies were general
ly unacceptable; they were deposited in
wooden boxes, made for the purpose, and
removed to the freight house Of the compa-
ny. We learned that some 38 were taken
out during Saturday. None thus far, were
identified, although there were two, at
least, Of our own we'll known citizens.
These were Mr.. George Kepler, the head of
the Erie store, and Mr.. A. Il. Stockwell,
itineraut tobacco merchant. Some of those
taken out alive died while being conveyed
to-places of shelter. The difficulty of get
ting them up the steep and rugged bank of
about 20 it., deeply covered with snow,
must have been very great. This, however,
was only true of one side of the bridge
and fire. On the other was a long fight
of steps, so covered with trodden snow as
to make the tread quite difficult and un-
certain, and rendering the labor Of carry
ing the wounded tedious and slow. a wO-
man, with dislocated shoulder, and ad-
vanced in pregnancy. soon after being tax
en- care q, gave birth te a child-since
deed--the mother likely tC recover.
The available force of tle company was
brought into active service under the di-
rection Of Mr.. Agent Strong Mayor Hep
burn and Chief Knapp and the are depart
ment-Lake Erie being on the spot, and
Protection and the steamer Neptune and
hose cart reached the spot, but, though the
facilities were sufficient for putting out !
the fire, none of these were used, but as al
Ibdug slateu.
Physicians we're hurried to the assist
ance of the wounded from the immediate
and as soon as practicable brought
from more distant points. and those were
again added to by special train from
bringing also the officials Of the
and an additional working force.
When the news of the disaster was flash
ed over the country upon the wires, every |
line was put to its utmost capacity, and
the friends of those known t. have been
trsin gathered in considerable
aumbersAall apprehension and anxiety to
earn of theiffsfs. All day Sunday, the
was increased in numbers. The
removal Of the debris was much facilitated |
,y the use of horse power
Monday and Tuesday were spent as the
wo days previous-in removing the debris
,ut hardly any more remains were found on
he latter dsy, So much Of the confused |
mass had been gotten ont that the water
,ad TO considerable, extent become clear,
md the ice and other floating material
vas given passage down the stream by
,pening sluices. The clearness Of the wa
u to- #. deep-was sufficient
n see the bottom. and thus make the re-