The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-04-08
BOILED ALIVE.
FATAL RAILROAD ACCIDENT
NEAR WILKESBARRE,
Terrible Suffering and Death of the
Engineer. and Fireman.

WILKES ARRE, PENN, March 31.-"If
there BE- man SO kind to me will he
shoot me in the heart or Gu, my thr a. ?"
was the cry raised by Nicholas Schi!lin-
ger to dav as he lay in agony, the viciim
of an accident cn the Lehigh valley Rail.
road to-day.
The B ,ffalo and Western express train
from Philadelphia and New York, due at
this CITY at :l5 A. NJ, left on time. The
engineer and fireman had been changed.
The engine was one Of the hest upon the
road. and Engineer ShiIlinger, one of the
oldest employees of the Company, had ia
ken his seat at the lever. Henry Steven
son, for the past half dozen years upon
the pay roll of the Company, was in the
fireman's seat. Tae signal was given,
and the long train, loaded with human
freight, started off at thirty mile run. 1t
was bounding along through the suburbs
ofthe city at the usual even speed, when
it entered cut at the northern boundary
ofthe city. 1t has never been considered
particularly dangerous place, and no
watchman has ever heen stationed there.
The train had proceeded but few hun
drea Yards into the cut, when, as the fire
mansaid, "the engine began to jump up
and down" and an instant later it had
plunged headlong into the right bank Of
the cut. The engine tender doubled over
upon top of the engine -house-and buried
in the ruins were 'ha engineer, Nicho as
Siillinger. and Henry Stevenson, the FIRE.
man., The pipes, filed with scaling
water aud steam were broken, and their
contents turned upon the poor unfor,u
mates lying under the engine. Tue bag
gage car Of the train alone left the track,
hut the suddenness OF the suspension OF
travel produced several severe contusions
and great fright. Lalies tainted. and
men we're thrown over backs OF seats upon
the floor.
The cries OF the engineer and fireman
calling piteously for help, almost drown
ed the noise OF escaping steam. Shillin
ger begged in the name Of humanity for
some body to kill him. He was q German,
and in his broken accent he pleaded to be
killed, and when he found his appeals for
deliverance from his terrible position
unavailing, he cried like child until
unconscious and death hushcd his voice.
The fireman was laying very close to him
hnt in more favorable position. The
willing hands to succor were. however,
bafflad for some time in their determine
ton TO render all the, assistance human
power could command. The escaping
steam was so dense that nothing could be
seen around the wreck hut the fragments
and when assistance did come the brave
engineer was past all human aid. The
fireman, with great difficulty, was extri-
Gated, but died this evening. af
Your correspondent visited the fami-
lies Of the men. Stevenson, before his
death, lay upon bed urithing in agony
and PRAYING for the end 70 come. why
was not killed at once and put out Of
this misery ?" was his oft repeated enun.
citation. He said he was compelled to
breath air ladened with furnace flames,
while The steam had so scalded him thai
the flesh hung in shreds upon the upper
portion of his body. His hands were
burned 10 the bone, and the finger nails
dropped of. Shilliuger, the engineer, is
scarcely recognizable hy his old com
rades. He eleaves wife and daughter.
and Stevenson has q wife and two chill
dren.
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