Connecticut western news., 1877-01-19
THE LAKE SHORE DISASTER,
The Personal Experience of One of the Pas. sengers on the Ill-Fated Train.

MT. J. E. Burchell, who was on the unfortunate train, tells story full of l.l horror. He says:
 The first thing heard was cracking Ill the front part of the car, and then the same cracking 1n the rear. Then came another cracking in the front louder than the ne nrst, and then came sickening os- cauanon and sudden sinking, and I ,.. was thrown stunned from my seat I ,i> heard the cracking and splintering and smashing around me. The ironwork ' bent and twisted like snakes, and every thing took horrid shapes. I heard lady scream in anguish: ooh help me !'' a" Then heard the cry of fire. Some one broke a window and I pushed the iady ,a out who had screamed. think her name was Miss Bingham. The train lay in the valley in the water, our car a lit tie on It's side, both ends broken in. e. The rest Of the train lay in every direc- 1-a tlon, some on end, some on the side, crushed and broken-a terrible but pic turesque sight. Below were the water d and broken ice; seventy feet above was the broken bridge Miss Bingham sunk ra down ln the snow and went back after my coat. Securing that, went to her and carried her, with dozen stumbles and falls, up the bank. The snow in the valley was nearly to my waist, and I shs-c could only move with difficulty. The 2 1' wreck was then on fire. The wind was blowing from the east, and whirling binding masses of snow over the terrible rum. The cracking of the flames, the wh1stllng wind, the screaming of the E.. hurt, made pandemonium in that little ...- valley, and the water of the freezing creek was red with blood or black with xy111cr IT ]. T Il- that any lives had been lost. All had escaped alive, though all were bruised or s injured. The fire stole swiftly along the wreck, and in short time the cars were all in flames.
 The ruins covered the whole space be- tween the two piers, the cars iammed in or locked together. One engine lay in the creek, smashed to pieces, the ruins breathing steam and fire. I carried Miss Bingham to the only house near by, and which appeared to be an engine house. 1 was completely exhausted, and re- malned there forty-five minutes, when the injured begun to arrive. I think there were about ffty-two brought in alive, but one or two died after their re- moval to the town, where they were sub- sequently taken. The town was about aquarter of mile distant. did not go back to the wreck, but from the engine house door could see into the ravine, and the fearful scene 1t presented The sight was sickening The whole wreck was then on fire, and from out the frozen valley came great bursts of flame There were crowds of men there, but the heat drove them back, and they could do nothing. The wounded were lying around m he snow, or were laid on stretchers, or taken on the backs of men and carried up the bluff. The spectacle was fright tul, but those who had gone to assist worked steadily and well in spite of the intense heat. They carried away all who mournfully for the flames to subside, so that bodies might be taken out As fast as the injured were secured they were taken to the hotel. That was some time before anything could be done, for in thirty minutes after the fall, it was i'm possible to get near 1t for the fire. I think 1t likely that great many were buried under the cars and lost in that way. The hotel was about quarter of mile from the creek, and as the long line of stretchers and stout men bore the sufferers along, the stormy air was filled with meanings of anguish. At the hotel the wounded were kindly cared for. Physicians and surgeons were early on hand, and every effort was made to re- heye the sufferers. One lady, whose foot had been crushed, was carried shrieking in labor pains to the little hotel, and dur ing the night she gave birth to child.
 From the top of the bluff to the waters edge 1t is should think, from seventy to eighty feet, and along that bluff there ranged lines of excited men looking down on the burning, helpless agony below. The mangied, bleeding bodies writhed in the terrible tortures around them. Some died with prayer and some with shriek- lnSs Of woe on their lips. Some were caught ln the iron and woodwork, and held while the flames crept upon them and burned them in the very sight of cool, rippling water. As they died they fixed their bloodshot eyes longingly upon the snow that beat pittilessly down, and lay white and beautiful on their smoke blackehed faces. The fire crept steadily on through the snowfakes, leaping from one mass of ruins to another, licking up the blood as 1t passed along, and crushing out human lives as remorselessly as 1t curled around the stubborn woodwork. When the train fell Mr. Bliss succeeded in crawling through window, supposing he could pull his wife and children after him. But they were ianmel fast, and every effort Of his was uuavailng The car was all jammed up, and the lady and her children were caught ill the ironwork of the seats Finding that he could not save them he stayed there with them and died. Most all the passengers who es- capped did so by way of the windows
 There was no egress at the doors, for the stoves were there. One lady was pulled from a window and almost every stitch of clothing stripped from her, and when they were taking her out the rescuing party could hear the screams of women and children for aid,. but could render them no assistance
 Those who came from the wreck said they could see into the cars and could see the charred trunks of those who had been literary burned to death. They descrlbed them as wholly unrecog- nlzable beyond Identification, and pre- senting the most ghastly scene they ever looked on. Some of the unfortunates were burned literally to ashes, and in some cases only calcined bones were left to tell that human beings had ever been there. Of the ffty-two taken from the wreck, all were more or less injured, and about forty of them dangerously, if not fatally. l don't remember any names
 l was badly shaken up end bruised, and think there was only one man as little hurt as l was. There was fire engine there, but there was no hose. I think the fire lasted about an hour, and by that time all the cars were burned | don't think any one was taken out alive after the fire. l am fearful that all who were not saved before the flames got headway perished in the general confia-