The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-01-19
THE ASHTABULA HORROR.

Mss Shepdrd-Her story or me DtSdSteT'
Train No. 5, on the Lake Shore road,
was very nearly six hours behind time,
and did not reach here until about half
past two in the afternoon. 1t had on
board three eyewitness to the terrible
scene of Friday evening at Ashtabula
Miss Marian Shepard, of Ripon, Wis,
Mr.. R.lAustin, of the Railway Advertiser,
New York, and Mr.. Joseph f. De Haven
on his return to Chicago from Geneva,
Switzerland. A Tribune reporter called
on Miss Shepard, shortly after her ar
rival. who detailed the following account
of the accident. She had suffered no
bodily injuries, coming off with mere
scratch on the wrist.
She said left Albany last Thursday
night about two o'clock, and had a berth
in the sleeper. "Palatine" There were
twenty passengers on the car two ladies
when we started and two more after
wards A very severe snow storm set in
at Rochester, and we all expected to be
showed in. At Ashtabula bridge we
were three or four hours behind; this
was between eight and nine in the even
ing | think we were running faster
than we did few moments previously.
The people in the car were talking, eat
ing, or playing cards, and the first warn
ing of any impending danger was given
us by candle being knocked down, the
glass in the lamps being shattered and
the bell rope breaking. The other lights
fell there was a bump, then
A HORRIBLE CRASH.
A gentleman near me said. ooh my
God, we're going down" Then we COM
menced to fall, and we went down, down,
do IN. Some remained in their seats,
grasping them, while others rose. 1t was
quite dark now. l stood up in the center
of the asile, holding on to the seat, and
thinking L would be less liable to be
injured by the breaking glass and TIE
splinters from the sides OF the car. As
we went down everything was as silent
as the grave, but when we had struck, a
I
There was another crash at the same
time, but not so loud as the first. When
we went down, splinters, glass ETC., were
whirling around in the car, the berths
were slipping down, and there was gem
I eral confusion. Something fell on me,
/ but it was nothing very heavy. 1t was
/ dark and l could not see. Some gentle
man also fell over me, but recovered
himself moment afterwards. / could
not tell who it was, as it was dark. Some
man said the car would be on fire in a
minute, and we must hurry. Another
said: "The water is coming in and
we viii be drowned On my way out,
a perfectly uninjured man grabbed me
as | CROPPED my way along on hands and
knees, and said 80, help me; don't
leave me save me - and ever so many
such things as that, but | couldn't see
his face 4 woman wanted me to help
her husband, who was jammed in be-
tween the floor and a berth. l tried tc
get him out, but could not. Some mer
called out and said they would come and
help him. Then 1 went to the door
walking over the furnace in my course
There was no fire caught in our car.
HOW To GET OUT ALIVE
I could not imagine. The cars around
me were either ablaze or covered will
such masses of rubbish as to almost com
pletely hem me in. But l saw MAJ
climbing up the rubbish, and l followed
him got TO the side of the car
which had turned over, and crawlec
along on it. 1t semed to be filled will
people, jammed together, screaming anC
crying for help. There was anothe
man behind me, and both tried to hell
me along, but was too slippery, and
found could do better crawling alon,
, by myself. When we got to the end o
the car these men-Mr. Taylor, of St
{ Louis, and Mr.. White, of Chicago-help
ed me down. When / got down l founC
, myself in the water, snow and ice up t,
! nay knees. Mr.. Tyler was bleedini
about the head, and face and hands, will
. a dreadful cash over his eyes. Nh
q White was unhurt, and told me it wa
his eighth railroad accident Under tn
E corner there was man whose head LAY
. lower. than the rest of his body, and hi
limbs were all crushed by the car. H
asked us to help him, and we did so a
, best we could, until others came and car
| ried him away, suffering intensely. d.
, not know who he was All this time tn
Ashtabula fre-bells and the bell of tn
engine that had passed over were ring
: ing furiously. The binding snow fel
q around us, illuminated by the light O
the fire which had attacked the wreck
The banks looked as high as those nea
Niagara, at first. The bridge had broker
off short at each end, leaving nothin
but the abutment. By this time Their
were plenty of men around to help us
8 but there was
I PERFECT PANIC,
: very few having any presence of mind a
l all, many who could have saved them
e selves as well as not had to be dragge