The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-01-05
One Hundred Persons Killed, Burned to
Death or Drowned!

sisted OF eleven cars and locomotive
The cars struck the ice and broke
through, and car piled upon car, sprenc-
ing death and destruction. and To n ID to
the horror, fire broke out and in u shor;
time enveloped The vr ok in Haues.
The locomotive which had gos
safely over was thrown on its side by
the force and only saved from beng
drawn into the vortex by t e breaking
of coupling. Is engineer, although
badly hurt. blew the alarm whis le. and
manv citizens hurried TO the wreck.
and did ali that was possible to extri
cate the wounded from their f. ar.uI
p-ril. Many persons Were killed out
right, and a. many more were burned
to Death. suffering excruciatiug tor
ment, or were buried in tile water and
drowned From the narratives of the
the wounded who were saved We give
the following:
Mr.. A. BurnhaIn. who is being cared
for at the Huron Street Hospital, is the
waukee y ST. Paul Railroad He is an
intelligent gentleman about fifty-five
years of age, and WAS fortunate in es
Gaping with no more serious injuries
than a painful confusion of the right
foo, and some quite severe bruises on
the left side of his body. At the time
of the catastrophe. Mr.. Burnham was
in tile smoaking car occupying seat
about midway of the car, in company
with Mr.. David Chittenden, of Cleve
land, agent of the New York Central
Railroad, the latter sitting next 20 the
windov. He was first alarmed by the
violent shaking of the ear, indicating
that it had left the track, and he thinks
he instiuctively clutched the arm of
the seat. At the same momeIt, Mr..
Reed, Mr.. Stone and the canducior
Sprang up, and Immediately following
there came "A terrific cra>b. Mr.. Burn
ham states ;hat lie did not for IL mo
ment loose his consciousness. and rea'-
lzed that the car was falling. lt seem
ed ali age before il struck. Several
almost deafrning crashes followed rap
IDLY, filing Mr.. Burnham's mind with
the apprehension that something
would fall upon him, and feeling
about, he found that lie lad been
thrown amongst a masS OF debris, be
meath which were two men. He got
up, and on examination, found that
both men We're dead About this time
Mr. Reed had got hold of Mr. TiIden.
who was apparently lileless, and was
endeav oring 10 phil him up, calling him
repeatedly 10y name. Mr. Burniiam
went 10 the assistance OF Mr.. Reed and
the two succeeded in removing Mr.
rildeu. who was still ia an uucoL sciOus
condition. Mr. Reed Went away, but
speedily returned, and Mr. Tiiden, bav
ing in the meanwhile partially recover
cred, was conveyed to II placr of afety.
Mr.. BurnIiam heard cry for help from
under a pile { ( shattered timbers, and
turning back he found Is man strugg-
ling 70 free himself from the broken
and splintered mass that held him firm
ly do IN. Mr. Burnham enGeavored
to get hold of him but found IL impos-
sible TO do so. as the advancing fire sas
now flashing in his face aid making
rapid progress toward him. he Was
compelled to leave the unhappy man
70 the terrible fate of being burned
alive. Mr. Burnlam saw tiIe necessity
now of securing his own safety, ard
climbed. or clanlbered, out O: the re-
mains of the smoking car in,o the bot
tom of another car. Here he saw two
men with their heads protruding from
a mass Of debris. and WHO appealed to
him for help. He pulled the one near
est 10 him out, and helped him away,
tile mans leg being broken. The 9th
er succeeded III eXIricating himself
Mr.. Burnham Their got out himself, and
now first becoming fully conscious OF
his hurts, sought u place of safety.
where he might be able to secure the
needed attention. Regarding the fate
of Mr.. Chittenden, who occupied the
seat with Mr. Burnhaiu, the latter get =
tlemun thinks lie was thrown among
the timbers and almost instantly crush
ed to death, and that his body was
doubtless burned. Mr.. Burnban eX
pressed himself as fully convinced tha;
the smoking car was off the track. be
fore TIL bridge gave way and probably
cars; the breaking of the bridge was in
consequence of the heavy pounding
created.
Another case was that of young
lady. who was fastened in the wrecked
timbers W to her waist. Half dt zeii
s.aiwart men had responded TO her ap
peal for help, but their joint efforts for
some moments promised TO b. uUavail
ing. The tire that was rapidly advaI.c
Ing toward her, rendered her almoSt
frantic, and she screamed TO the me,i
TO persist 10 their efforts TO rescue her
She was finally dragged forth. ier
clothing from the waist down, and her
shoes and stockings being torn from
her, and in this way she waded knee
deep in the snow for nearly half mile
10 a place OF safety.
Another incident was that OF a man
who escaped from the wreck with hi,
clothes all ablaz-, ard ran as If mad g,
The crowd Oh the bank yelled TO him
to throw himself into the SNOW, but lie
took no hee d and then some one sIiout-
ed to those near him to knock him
down. He was showed down. but ris
lug Instantly, TUNED his face toward
the burning wreck. plunged 'nro il, and
vas lost. liz was u ease of utter freI Zy
Daniel McGuire. engineer of the
Socrates. states that his engine was
ahead of the Columbia. All the STA
tions between Erie ard A>htaI uia
wiI:i the exception of three. were stoI
p-d at. the train ruDui;ig SLOW He
ielt the bridge give way VIXEN TWO car
lengths from the west end; frlt il set
tie dLwn; had his hand OH tii- throttle
and pulled it wide open. The draw
bar come citing the engines WAS sual
ped by the sudden jerk; the trucks
his tank did not clear. aud se;tleG
down. but the opening vile OF tb'
throttle saved tie engine and ;h,
trucks were pulled on He ran uprh,
track one hundred yards. a. d gave tl5s
alarm by repeated whistles aud Tiugin.
of tie bell. He saw tue engine CVlun-
b;a sink with the bridge ami turn boz
tom upward. The express, baggage
ana passenger cars followed in hear,
the passenger ears landing on the ex
press cars. Ali went into the riv~r
The fire broke out ia the lasi sleeper.
which swung over TO one side and soon
was abiaze. In tho or three niiifut'r
the entire wreck was q mass OF flames.
The shrieks of the living and the
eroans of the dying were t-rribi- 10
hear. but their voic were soon hus,I
ed AS tile fire king embraced thrIu.
He further says, l was one OF the