The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-01-12
THE AsHTABULA HORROR.
What the Passengers say
About IA.
a Survivors story.

What Ghe Passengers say
About Ia.
a Survivors, story.
Mr.. j. E BurcheIl, a formor part
ner of Mr.. b F. Jacobs, of Chicago,
was interviewed by q reporter of q
Sunday morning paper in relation
to the Ashtsbula railway disaster.
He was one of the survivors, and
his graphic story Is full of interest.
His statement is as follows:
Left the wreck yesterday morn
ing between s and 9 O'Clock. Was
in the Rext car to the parlor car,
the third sleeper from the rear.
There were two sleepers behind
me. There were IL cars in the
train. Left Buffalo at about 2
o'clock Friday afternoon. Started
an hour late. Had q very heavy
snow storm when we left. They
claim 165 passengers were on. l
think there were between 200 and
$50 do net think we ran more
than Is miles an hour until within
perhaps, an hour before the accident.
We were then running 10 miles an
hour. At the last station before
the accident the snow was verv
heavy. and we all thought we would
be showed in there. got out and
got some sandwiches. We lest an
hour and a halrs time between
Buffalo and this last station, before
the accident Ithen went through
the cars and fonnd the two ordinary
passenger cars were crowded. The
smoking car was full. There were
two passenger coaches ahead of the
sD oker. Next to the smoking car
was the psrIor car, about one-third
full.
MR.. BLISS AND FAMILY
were in that. I was in the next car
to that. Behind the parlor car
there were three sleepers. These
were quite full. We reached the
bridge as well as I can make it out
about a quarter to 8 o'clack. The
train was due there at quarter past
5 o'clock. The country around there
is rolling, but the snow drifts pre-
vented as seeing much of the eur
roundings. l don't think wewere go.
ing quite 10 miles an hour. One
engine had got over, but it was
almost pulled back with the
shock. The whole tram was on the
bridge when
THE STRUCTURE SUDDENLY WENT
DOWN,
and not q vestage remained of her.
There was no such thing as running
off the track. The bridge broke
with q terrific smash with the
weight of the whole train upon it
The first sound heard was a crack
ing in front of the car. heard this
twice, and then heard a similar
cracking in the rear. I then be-
came conscious of a sudden sinking
of the car. The cars seemed. to be
sinking down into the gulf below.
There was a general crash, and L
the shock of landing in the snow
creek eighty feet below. The first
thing l heard was woman's
scream. 1t was. think, Miss Bing
ham. She cried: "Oh, help me
help mel" Some of the passengers
had got out of the windows, and 1
then heard the cry of fire. AS the
lady cried broke the window. A
gentleman help me push this lady,
a Mise Bingham, I think, through
the window. l then jumped out
after her. She sank in the snow.
l scrambled out of the window
then. l think 1 was
THE LAST IN THE CAR,
"a most of them had got through
the windows. The car was on fiLe
at both ends at one end, 1 know
aud l think at both. As soon as I
got out l found the snow in the
creek was very deep. nearly up to
my waist; certainly up to my knees
1 pulled Miss Bingham out OF the
snow and carried her on my back
to the hank. 1 stumbled three
times, and the third time q gentle
man helped me to get her TO the
only house, a small sort of engine
house, that was on the bank. saw
the fire was gaining rapidly on the
train. 1t burned like oil. At that
time l didL't know there were any
lives lost. We saved all or nearly
all the people in our Car. Ther e
were some broken arms and legs.
and some severe bruises and GUS.
The wind was blowing very strong
~ at the time and there was a heavy
snowstorm. The wreck covered
the whole space between the two
piers, and
THE BURNING TRAIN
was the length of the bridge. Some
OF the cars were smashed all to
pieces, and the others lay wrecked
in every conceivable shape. The
fire was very clear aud hot. By
the time l get out was completely
exhausted, and lay there cramped
for about three-Quarters of an hour.
They brought about fifty-two alive
into and around the house, and
then they transported them to the
town, q very short distance, say q
quarter of q mile or SO. They were
ali badly hurt. 1 think two of these
died after they were taken to the
town. One lady gave birth to a
child at the hotel in the town, and
one man died who had his leg cat
of.
The scene / surveyed from the
eugine-house on the bank was per-
fectly sickening. The whole train
was q mass of fire, and the wounded
0OS1S SdO WACNA anu
crawling away from ii. The heat
was so intense at that time that one
could not get very near. The sight
was dreadful. Heads were cut open,
bodies were cut, and arms and legs
BROKEN AND MANeLED.
After and others got to that en-
gine-house no one could return.
Within fifteen minutes after that
time the heat was so intense that ne
one could approach the train, and
those who were buried under it
had to crawl away as best they
could.
How is it that number of the
survivors bound west are not on
this train, Mr.. Burchell2
Simply because
THEY ARE ALL INJURED
and cannot travel.
"How long was it before the
flames were out?'
at should say about an hour.
They had an engine there, but no
hose, and they could make no inn
preston on the fire. The train burn