The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-01-12
ASSHTARULA.
TIse STORY of the Terrible Ac-
etdenI told by a VVomaa.

The STORY of lhe Terrible Ac-
etdenI told by a Wozmaa.
Miss Marion Shepard. Of Ripon,
Wis.,, was one OF the passengers on
the ill-fated train that carried so
many persons down to death on that
fatal Friday night, at Ashtabula,
and she has given to a reporter OF
the Chicago Times the following ac-
count OF the terrible affair:
81 left Albany, N. Y, Thursday
afternoon 81 2 O'Clock In the sleeping
car tPalatine.' There were 16 gen.
tlemen and four ladies in ths car.
ii was storming terrificallY, and we
expected to be showed In. The
condition of the track threw us sew
eral hours behind time. As we
neared Ashtabula
THE TRAIN oUIcKFNED ITS SPEED
8 little, for the reason, l suppose.
that the track waa less INSTRUCTED
than further east. / should guess
the speed of the train when we
reached the bridge, was Is miles al
hour.
"Well, GO on with yeur narra-
ton, Miss Shepard" said the report
er, eagerly.
"The passengers she continued,
were grouped about the Car in tw0s,
fours, and larger parties. Some
were lunching, some were chatting,
and quite q number were playing
cards. The beli-rope snapped in
tive, one piece flying against enc of
the lamp globes, smashing it and
knocking the burning candle to the
floor. Then the cars ahead of rs
went bump. bump, bump. as if the
wheels were jumping over ties.
Until the bamping sensation was
felt every one thought the glass
globe had been broken by an explo-
sion.
"Several jumped up added Miss
Shepard, and after q short pause,
sand some seized the tops Of the
seats to steady themselves. A half
minute or so had now elapsed since
the rope broke. Suddenly there
was
AN AWFUL CRASH.
can't describe the noise. There
were all sorts of sounds, I could
hear above all q sharp, ringing
sound, as if all the glass In the train
was being shattered to pieces
Some one cried out, sWe are going
down At that moRent all the
lights in the car went out. 1t was
inter darkness. l stood up In the
middle OF tho aisle. I knew that
something awful was happening,
and having had some previous ex-
perience in railroad accidents,
braced myself the best knew how.
I felt the car floor sinking from uu-
der my feet. the sensation of fall
ing was very apparent. l thought
of q great many things and made up
my mind that was going to be
KILLED. For the first few seconds
we seemed to be dropping IN silence
| I could hear the other passengers
breathing. Then suddenly the cal
was filled with flying splinters and
dust, and we seemed breathing some
heavy substance. For q moment
was almost suffecated. We went
down, down-oh it was awful. 1;
| seemed to me we had been falling
ping from their fastenings aud fall
ing upon the passengers. We heard
an awful crash. A the sounds died
away we heard heavy groans all
around as. It was dark as the
grave.
WELL said Miss Shepard, after q
moments reflection, In which she
evidently saw the wreck in her
minds eye. Il was thrown down
Just how I fell is more than ! car
say.
A GENTLEMAN HAD FALLEN ACROSS
me, but we were both on our feet In
q moment. Every one was scram-
bling and struggling to get out. !
heard some one say, Hurry out
the ear will be on fire in minute.
Another man shouted, The water
ls coming in and we will be drewn.
ed The car seemed lying partly
on one side. In the scramble man
had caught hold of Rae and cried out,
Help me; don't leave mel A wo
man cried from ono corner of the
car, Help me, save my husband.
He. was caught under q berth an6
some seats. was feeling around
in the dark trying to release him
when some men in the other end o.
the car said they were all right, and
would help the man out. Igreped
along to the door, crawling over the
heating arrangement in getting to
it. The fire had act yet broken out
in our car. While I was getting
cut through the door the others
were climbing out through the win
dows.'
'What did yep do thenT queriei
the reporter.
Son the left the care were in 6
blaze. On the right q pile OF rub
bish, ss high as could see, barred
escape. in front Of me were som'
cars standing on end, or in slopinl
position. / followed q man whG
was trying to scale the pile of deb
ris. got onto q coach which wa
resting on enc edge of the roOf.-
the side was so slippery and icy tina
could not walk on it, and 90
crawled along over it. The car wa
dark inside, and oh, what heart
rending groans Issued from 1t. I
seemed filed with people W no wert
Idying. Two men, g Mr.. White, o
Chicago, and Mr.. Tyler, of 81
Louis, helped me down frem tn,
end of the car. Then was in tn,
snew up to my knees. Mr.. lyle
was badly gashed abont the face
and was covered with blood. You
see (to the reporterl this stain on m!
sleeve7 That was blood from hi
wounds. Right under eur feet Ia,
man, his head down in q hole, anC
his legs under the corner Of the car
He asked us to help him, and MI
Tyler and Mr.. White released hi
legs somehow, and some ether mel
carried him away. 1t was stormin;
terribly. The wind was blowing
perfect gale
"Were you able to see anything
or were you still cropping in tn
dark p asked the reporter.
"By this time the scene was light
ed up by the burning cars. I coul,
see that the bridge had
BROKEN OFF EVEN WITH THE ABUT
MENTS.
The abutments looked as high q
Niagara. Away above us could