The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-17
TerrlbIe RaiIroad Accldent.

one baggage and three passenger coach
es went down on the western end OF The
bridge, the engines touching the shore
three cars breaking through the ice in
three feet OF water and one car resting or
the end OF one Of the piers. Seven bodies
were recovered at 2 o'clock this morning
and others were believed to be in the
wreck. Among those recovered are Mrs. B
Carman, Miss Minnie Allen, daughter Of
Henry Allen, two Misses McGargar, all oi
Winsted; one woman and two men not
identified. Miss Jane Warner, Of Ca
naa1, and Mr.. Uri Whiting, OF Winsted,
are missing. 1t Is almost certain that
other bodies have not been recovered.
The more seriously wounded were Rev.
W, II. Thomas, a Methodist pastor Of
Winsted, both legs broken and side in
jured; engineers Frauri and Hatch, OF
Hartford badly scalded, the latter prob.
ably fatally; W. A. Pinney, Of Winsted,
head and right side; Frederick Hotch.
kiss, OF Canton ribs broken; ]. G. Riggs,
Of Norfolk, leg broken. There are a
large number Of less seriously injured.
The wounded may be numbered at 40.
Special trains from Winsted and Hart
ford, bearing surgeons, reached the scene
at l and l:30 A. NJ. The factory and
church bells were rung, and the citizens
rallied, doing all that was possible. The
bodies were taken on pianks or rude sleds
across the ice 10 the Tarriffyille side.
the wounded aud dead were mostly put
on the Hartford special train and were
left at Tarriffyile and Hartford, and the
train took the rest around by Plainyille
or Fishkill and canal roads TO New Hart.
ford, on the western roads.
sEcosD DlsPArcH.l
HARTFORD, January 16.-The work at
the wreck Of the Western train at Tariff.
Vile continues. The relief train has
returned to this city. So far, dead bodies
have been recovered as fo.lows: VIM.
and E. E. Gilman, brothers. Benjamin
Gilt, George Pinney, Henry Murray, all
Of New Hartford, being party Of young
men; Howard E. Warner, a ticket agent,
Mrs. B. Carman, Miss Allen, daughter Of
Fl. Allen, Two sisters McGarger, all OF
Winsted. F. Hotchkiss, Of Canton, was
fatally injured. Ten or more wounded
in the houses in Tariffyille are doing
well. Twenty wounded have gone home.
Many OF the missing persons are from
places west Of the break not yet in COM
munication. 1t Is thought that most Of
them will be heard from. One car lies
in the river still, and several bodies are
supposed to be in II. Two other cars
lie head down in the river resting on the
bridge. The passengers climbed up out
Of these. The baggage car, with Conduc.
tor Elmer and three others, broke in two
in the fall, and all escaped. George P.
Hatch, one Of the engineers, died this
morning. Several Of the dead show cuts
and bruises, but most Of them drowned or
were sufiocated by the steam caused by
the heaters In the cars.
The Railroad Commissioners examined
the bridge two months ago and pro-
nounced II safe. They will hold an in
vestigation at once.
THE EXPERIENCE OF ONE WHO WAS IN
THE WRECK.
Latest adyices from the scene OF the
railroad disaster last evening, and from
the places where the wounded were Ia.
ken, place the number Of dead at thir-
teen.
TIM. Elmer, conductor, thus describes
the accident: | had been in the mail com.
partlnent in the baggage car, where ! left
Mr. Jones, the Superintendent, asserting
tickets. had started to go through the
train and had got just by the front door
OF the baggage car, and was about TO
open Il when felt the rear end settling
and heard a loud crash. My frat thought
was to get away from the stove, go "a not
to be burned. The car settled down and
then the whole car dropped down with
but little pitching on one side and struck.
l had jumped back from the door, and
was a lew seats back close 10 the window
when the car brought up Just as II tstruck.
A heavy beam fell down ON the roof and
came through it, striking me on the head,
knocking me down and cutting me on the
temple. / was stunned by the blow, but
soon saw what the situation was. There
were three other men In the car, all pas.
sengera, whom l did not know. II was
very dark in the cur, 40 could zee moth.
ing except streak oil light which came
u hole in the roof made by the
beam, and large enough for man TO
crawl through. The other men saw the
opening and we tried TO get out, but found
we could not reach the roof. Meanwhile
the water was coming in the car, and was
rapidly rising. II got up TO q point
above our waists and stopped, when We
knew the car had struck bottom and then
we felt safer. There was no expressions
Of alarm by either Of US. We waited'for
a time without making on effort TO get
out through the hole, but whenever the
thing got 10 stand still we went 10 work
TO rescue ourselves, which was done by
lifting one man up TO the roof, and after
he got through he assisted another, and
then all the others were helped out.
After getting out We went 10 the car be.
hind, which was lying cornerwise
out aud the people were crawl
ing through the windows. This car
was pitched down and It appeared
as II more OF the passengers must be
jammed in the lower end. The cries
were heartrending OF men and women,
many Of whom appeared to be suffering
from extreme pain. Some were crying
"ol don't step on me" "Get
of, for my legs are broken" "Help Us
do,n and all such cries and appeals. We
aided several ladies out and got out one
young man who was up 10 his chin in
water. After doing this, / was so
thoroughly chilled through that I be-
came numb and had to give up.
Mr.. Elmer was about his regular busi-
ness yesterday, and ran on trains back
and forth to TarifyilIe. He wears a
patch over the cut on his temple.
The bridge was built by A. D. Briggs
& Co., Of Springfield, Macs, and com.
pletedin December, 1875. ItiS a Howe
truss with two spans, each span being
163 feet long. There seems to have been
nothing wrong with the structure. The
timbers where they are broken of and
splintertd are sound. The spans were
long, but some Of the most experienced
railroad men sgree that the accident was
wholly caused BY the tremendous weight
Of the two locomotives passing over Il at
the same time. Both certainly weighed
sixty tons and possibly more. One man
who stood at the depot In TArifyille rs
the train left noticed It's make up and re-
porLs that he waited In suspense TO SEQ II
II would pass over the bridge safely, and
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