The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-31
DISASTER ON A RAILROAD.
4 Train of Caf- In CsHmceticm PlanainA
ThrouHh ~ HrIdae-.seenca OF tnrror.


Through n Bridae--~eenra OF Hnrr"r'
The terrible accident toan oHcuraon
train near Hartford, Conn, resnlted N
the death ot about thirteen persons and
ule woundiug Of large number. De.
tails of the disaster will be found below:
The irst engine, the Salisbury,
cleared the ynwning chasm Of the frozen
river. twenty feet below, Rt one gigantic
bound, and so terrific WAS the force OF
the leap that the great engine turned
fairly over IN a snmcrHault and landed
upon the dry land Opposite with i'S bot
tom mp, killing its engineer, George L.
Hatch, outright The second engine,
the lariflVille, shot against the bank,
tearing of It's cab in an instant, the roof
Of which, falling upon the engineer,
Thomas FrAney. broke his jaw. This
engine, which rolled back from the bank
frnm the effect Of the shock, lay on Its
side in a somewhat shattered condition,
partially submerged. The baggage car
next in order crashed through the
bridge down upon the ice, through
( which il went slowly 10 the bottom, n
depth If five or six feet, but not until It's
upper part had been smashed 10 irHg'
/ ments by the first passenger car.
This car ia turn swung half around,
pointing almost up and down the river,
/ and also fell through the ice, and like a
I GREAT battering ram descended upon II,
/ the front end Of the second passenger
car reducing all it's upper part to kind
I ling wood. This end of the second ear
/ then sank 10 the bottom, the length Of the
car resting at sharp angle 10 the cen
trgl pile Of the bridge. upon which the
rear platform rested. The third pasSon-
ger car in striking swung diagonally so
that its end passed instead OF telescoping
/ the car before, and pitched headforc-
! most into the river, its rear, however,
resting against the abuunent and re
nlaining there The remaining ear safe
I ly kept upon the track, the one IN the
4 lead being prevented from going of the
! bridge by striking against the upturned
! ends Of the second and third passenger
cars. And now ensued what is de.
! scribed by all the saved ~ remarkable
scene.
Ii was nearly ten o'clock at night
intensely cold, and fortunately bril-
I liant moon shone upon the victims who
, tried 10 effect theiT escape. The icy
water. rushing in through the shattered
windows, doors and apertures III tire
mendous sheets, WIS IN It's greatest
foroe in the hrst passenger car, and most
Of those that were killed are supposed
to have been drowned outright, as d
shrek of horror rang out upon the bril-
liant, cold night from nearly five hun
dred throats, and as the ringing of the
village bells sounded the alarm tht
thought probably uppermost IN every
bodAs mind WAS that the Ashtabula dis
aster WAS 10 be repeated and tile can
would burst forth in flames.
Fortunately this accumulation Of hor
rors was spared the victims. Sledgei
were ingeniously improyised by the vll
layers frum saphngs, ulattressed wiu
car cushions, and upon these the seri
ously wounded were drawn across th'
solid ice 10 the bank and thence assiste,
10 the passenger cars remaining upon th'
track. where warmth and the kind OF
fees of friends could be obtained.
From the ruins of the tirst passenge
car. immersed in five feet Of water, ont
messenger after another WIS drawneS
completely soaked, whose garment
turned to ice when exposed for few
moments 10 the freezing temperature
The timbers Of the broken bridge span
crashing down upon the cars lying ol
the bottom OF the river, fortunatel,
made holes III the roofs through whicl
many OF the passengers cnwled iorti
with great difficulty. but a great man,
who hai been thrown forward agAins
the stoves and badly burned, and VIII
had been crushed under the seats an,
shattered woodwork OF the car were oni.
extricated after having sustained seron
injuries.