The New York herald., 1878-01-17

the MA ority agree that at nrst 1t was Just quiet
steady settling and sinking down. none the less
awu. for its sckening stiffness, aud then the rotten
timbers snapped.
FEARFUL LEAF.
What followed can only be gathered by the view
OF the wreck as seen to-day and from the state
ments CT the passengers who related their expert
ence AZ that awiul moment. The nrst engine. the
salisbury cleared the yawnirg chasm OF the frozen
river, twenty feet below. at one gigantic hound,
anu SO terrific was the force OF the leap
that the great engine turned fairly In q soner-
sau!t and landed upon the dry land opposite with
its bottom up. killing Its engineer. George Hatch,
outright The second engine, the Taririvle shot
against the bank tearing or its cab In
an Instant, the roof o. which, falling
upon the engineer. Thomas Franey, broke
his jaw, and leaves him now hoverng
between life and dea III. This engine, which rolled
back IRON the bank from the effect o! the shock,
now lies on its side In a somewhat shattered con.
dition partially submerged. The baggage car next
In order crashed through the bridge down upon
the ice through which 1t went slowly to the bot
tom, depth OF 1--WE or six feet, but not
until It's upper part had been smashed
to fragments by The first passenger car
THE WRECK OF THE TRAIN.
This car IN turn swung hall around. pointing
almost up and down the river, and also le. through
the Ice, and like great batSering ram descended
upon II. the front end OF the second passenger
reducing all It's upper part to kindling wood
This end OF the second car then sank to the bot
tom. the length or the resting at sharp
angle to the central pile OF the bridge, upon which
the rear platform rested. The third passe nger car
In striking swung dagonally, so that It's end passed
instead OF telescoping the before, and pitched
hcadforemost into the river, its rear, however,
resting against the abutment and remaining
there. The remaining safely kept upon the
track, the one In the lead being prevented
from going or the bridge by striking against the
upturned ends OF the second and third passenger
cars. This was the effect OF the break as gathered
from the present position Of the debris, most OF
which Is still submerged and now ensued what Is
described by all the saved as a remarkable scene.
A MooNLIr DEATH SCENE
1t was nearly ten O'Clock at night Intensely cold
and fortunately, a brilliant moon shone upon the
victims who tried to effect their escape. The Icy
water, rushing In through the sha ttercd windows
doors and aperturcs In tremendous sheets was
in its greatest force in the hrst passen-
ger car, and most OF those that were
killed are supposed to have been drowned
outright, as shrek OF horror rang out upon the
brilliant, cold night from nearly I'VE hundred
throats, and as the ringing OF the village bells
sounded the alarm the thought probably upper.
most in everybodys mind was that the Ash tabula
disaster was to be repeated and the cars would
burst forth in names
FORTUNATELY NO FIRE.
Fortunately this accumulation Of horrors was
spared the victims, OF whom, It is now hoped, not
over twenty a the most found their death in the
calamity. Sledgcs we're ingeniousy improviscd by
the villagers from saplings, mattressed with car
cushions, and upon these the seriously wounded
were drawn across the solid ice to the bank and
thence assisted 10 the passenger cars remaining
upon the track, where warmth and the kind ofces
| OF friends could be obtained.
WOUNDED AND FREEZING.
From the ruins OF the first passenger car. i'm
mersed in Ave feet Of water, one passenger after
another was drawn compile tey soaked whose gar
mcnts turned to ice when exposed for lev min
utcs to the freezing temperature. The timbers OF
the broken bridge span, crashing down upon
the cars lying on the bottom OF the
river. fortunately made holes IN the roofs
through which many Of the passengers crawlcd
| forth with great difficulty but a great many who
had been thrown forward against the stoves and
badly burned, and who had been crushed under
the seats and shattered woodwork of the car were
only extricated after having sustained serious in
juriea An occupant OF the first car wrecked tells
| how he saved his life and now lady In the seat
| back Of him was killed.
PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE
When he lrst felt the shock he caught hold of the
bracket used for hat or bag rack just over hts
head and pulled himself up so that the effect of the
fall from the bridge to the bottom Of the river was
only to Jar him up considerably The lady sitting
back OF him, supposed to be Mrs Carmine, OF Win.
sted, was thrown forward against the back OF the
seat that the gentleman had occupied, the force
being suficient to break her neck and cause in.
stant death.
Five FORTUNATE ONES
Five gentlemen sitting in the OF the nrst car
escaped without injury. by breaking out one Of the
windows and getting out through it. The one that
broke the window had his wrist cut. Hubert H.
Case makes the following statement:-"I was sitting
In the brakemans seat, In the second car; the first
knew there was terrible crash and the seats went
to pieces hung on to part OF a seat and after
found what had happened climbed up out OF the
car aud then went back; and then remembering
that my friends were there ! went back to help
them out. helped out two ladies' and assisted TO
carry out one dead man.
AN AWFUL SCENE
Iheped ont my brothers. wife, tho frightened
passengers shrcksd terribly and this, mingled with
the nissldg OF The steam and the confusion OF fai
Ing rubbish, made scene which | shall not soon
forget Five OF my family were In the same car and
all got out alive. little group OF friends from,
Winstcd, consisting or Mr.. Eugene .Poler and wiie
the latter being formerly private secretary OF Will
lam James Hamersly, OF Hartford; f. p. Wilcox and
vile; Miss Lila Rockwell. daughter OF b. r. Rock
well, OF wtnstcd, escaped from the l-fated car
In which 30 many lives were lost.
WONDERFUL EsCArHs
They were plunged into water some four feet
deep when the struck the bottom OF the stream
and were nearly drowned In getting out they
had to climb along the roof of one car, which
rested on the bridge at an angie OF nearly forty
degrees On reaching the bridge they were taken
down through the ruins. To make their escape
was almost miracle. Rev. NJ. Thomas, OF
wnstcd, although shockingly injured and suifer.
ing intense agony, sent despatch TO Mr.. Moody
al midnight informing him OF the terrible ca
lamity. one OF the victims had his collar bone
broken 50 badly that tile ciavicle was some two