Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-01-19
LOVE TRIED By FIRE.
An age o. Agony Experienced in TIE
Seconds

Seconds.
Correspondence OF the New York Herald.
DETROIT, Jan. ST every indi-
vidual who went down with the i'll
fatcd railroad train at Ash;abula and
lived through the experience were to
write up his or her sensations and
adventures, none would display that
GOODNESS and heroism described by
johnson b. Orburn and his wife,
who were on their way to the Sagi-
nav Valley. Both arc past 40, and
MIR. Orburn is an Ohio farmer, who
lately purchased farm in Saginaw
county. AS the train pulled out
from Ashtabula the farmers wife be-
gan to eat luncheon, and her hus-
band was trying to read newspaper
By the light of the dim lamp. lie
says he felt the first movement when
the bridge gave way. He first I'M
aglned that one Of the wheels under
his car had become detached, as q
corner of the car seemed to settle
down little. He dropped the pa
per and seized the back of the seat
in front of him. Then the whole
car seemed to lift up, and several
women shrieked in alarm. There
was DO sensation of falling. On the
contrary. both agree that they
thought the car was running up a
steep hill. This would prove that
the re.r end of the car settled down
first. From the time the bridge
gave way till tho cars struck the ice
not more than ten seconds could
have elapsed, and yet during that
brief interval the husband threw
one arm around his wife, she grasp
ed the seat and asked what had hap
penel, and he told her to secure a
brace for her feet, and added: 1--WE
are off the track and running through
the fields" The rear end of their
car struck first, smashing itself all to
klndling wood, The debris being
thrown over the passengers in front.
The farmer found himself on the
floor, held down by a mass Of wreck
on his left LEG, while his wife was
thrown across him, with the wreck
of two or tnrec seats holding her
against the side OF the car. While
thus. held, and before either had spok-
en-, one end of the car settled a little,
and the wife was released.
"Mary, are you living:" asked the
husband, being his first words after
the fall. She replied that she was
not even hurt, beyond y bruise or
two, and by this time the shouting
and confusion around them proved
that the train was off the track.
though neither one suspected that 1t
was more than tumble into way
side ditch. 1t was wonderful how a
woman could retain her presence of
mind under such circumstances, but
Mrs, Orburn didn', even cry out aft
er the shock. Scores Of other pass
engers were shrinking in pain and
fright as the cold waters flooded one
end of the car and the flames began
to eat away at the other
The woman cleared herself of the
broken seats just as the fire started,
and she then ascertained that her
husband VAS pinned fast TO the floor
by the wreck of matter on bis leg,
which was partially bent around one
OF the iron standards of Il seat. She
worked with all her might to set him
free, but the raging flames were now
only \ few feet away, and the smoke
and heat were terrible.
''Mary take hold of my foot, bend
my leg toward you with all your
might and see if you can't break itm
called the husband, who thought he
could easily free himself if the leg
was released from its crampod posi-
ton, The wife seized the foot mean
ing to obey, but at that moment the
car lnrchcd over a little and her hus-
band released himself, When they
left the car her dress was on fire,
showing that another minute would
have envelopcd both in the flames.
Both were able to walk to the no.
tel as soon SIS released, having escan-
ed with only a few bruises.