The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-06
( EiIIEC.ii; DISASTER.
! Heavily. Filled Train Plugging Through Il

= IfH Nv L tuNih
ISridgr--Nnny Killed and Wounded.
Below will be found details of The ac-
to a Railroad train in Connecticut,
i,v which oTcr thirteen persons were
.ll!cl ami 4 large number wounded:
The first span OF the fatal bridge was
passed, but when the weight OF
la'ti' c'.gines and two or three cars fol-
Irving came urun the western span, it
%iviIci with IL terrible crash, and the
,rhjc,c> !cMi twenty feet, the engines up
IN the haIk and four cars into the river.
The frs; Engine, clearing the end of the
bridge. l"nGed upside down and was
'!:uIa"rGheyond redemption; the second
nj uu"G amid the wreck Of timbers
"ml rested. safely ard almost uuinjured,
.'.H lis side.
The h&ggagc-car, in which were about
{" ,}oz"n persons, was wrenchedt to pieces,
anil partly buried in the river, under the
- iIro structure. The first passenger
,ar was terribly shattered and twisted
round at Il right angle with It's mates;
he second Wa, hurled like 4 giant cata-
Dllt Mt the first, crushing in the side
and top with it's front iron buffer, but
the rear end remained against the upper
art Of th2 centre pi,r, tilting the bod.T
al ~ car t,an angle OF about sixty de.
;:.p2s. 7 third WIS slowed rOnnl t.
lie >,i.; plUmg"lhead foremost int"
,"a e.. ...''n.sE III 4 parable! line with
No Son !~-ani tie wreck WAS conf
p."tr, except that the remaining Cars
~Errtm"a.c;A kept theiG places Oh the
track. The crash was so loud that II
vas distinctly heard i'll Tariifville, a mile
away, AID in tire face of a strong wind
Immediately cries for help arose from
rve.v CAV, interminglcd with the groars
- he wounded. The night, happily.
vas not dark, aud i'll the pale CLEAN OF
;he moon those who were uninlUred pro-
"nedpl to rescue their less fortunate
brethren from the ruins. The position
of two OF the cars, inclined sharply,
made this difficult, but more trying and
dangerous still WIS the recovery OF the
passengers in the baggage and first pas
:enger car, which had broken through
the ice and were filled above the seats
with water.
Generous help was given by the peo-
pie Of Tari.fville. many of whom fastened
20 the scene upon hearing the crash,
while others we're summoned by the
sharp peals of the church bells. Two
long and weary hours were occupied in
this work before the last living person
had been removed from the wreck.
Many were able to limp painfully away,
but for others less fortunate the workers
%improvised rude sledges, constructed of
saplings and cushioned with car seats,
upon which the sufferers were drawn
across the ice to the shore. All were
taken to the cars remaining upon the
track, and those who had been immersed
in the water reached them with chatter
ing teeth and garments partly frozen to
their benumbed bodies.
The living saved, thedead next claimed
attention. Those not embeddedb between
the fragments of the wreck were easily
recoverable, for the slow current was
sufficiently strong to sweep the bodies
down stream. One Ly one they came to
view in all their g~hastliness. The ap-
pearance of the bodies indicated death
from drowning in every instance, and
upon none were there:any Indications of
wounds or contusions. Later in the day
the wrecling party recovered from the
ruins the bodies of five young men, all
lying close together. The deceased
were on the platform of n of the cars
ut the time Of the accident, and as 40 in
juries indicating crushing are apparent
= is evident thot thew were rOwna by
being pressed under the wreckage.