Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-01
The Buffalo Disaster.


The Buffalo Disaster.
Following are full particulars of the
late terrible disaster at Buffalo, mesgre
accounts of which have been received
by telegraph: At 9 o'clock in the morn
ing the arched roof of the old part OF
tue New York Central Depot, on Elk
change street, fell with n terrible crash.
The cause of the disaster is attributed
to the weakening of tho walls by max
ing the arches to communicate with the
new depot recently built. The roof
was overwcighed with accumulated
snow and weakened by removal of the
former offices which had formed large
portion Of its support, fell crashing to
the earth, burying number of cars
aud human forms beneath tangled
mass OF iron. wood, glass, snow and
brick. The st. Louis express on tue
Central was three hours and half late
and its connecting train on the Lake
Shore. composed Of four cars with the
sleeper, stood upon the outer track wait
ing for it. A Canada Southern train
had just hauled out of the depot and
only twenty minutes before the dav ex-
press on the Central had borne east
ward large load of living freight.
Switch engine, No. 12G, mannel by
Frank Schaefer, engineer, was standing
on the middle track ready to take
Coroner Scott to East Buffalo. Near
the other end of the new depot was a
train of flat cars. On the track Just
outside of the south wall were some
old-fashioned passenger cars belong
ing to the Central Road. Half dozen
passengers were in the cars of the
waiting Lake Shore train, and one or
two others who are believed to be lost
were standing in the depot near the fiat
cars. Coroner Scott had just boarded
the switch engine and was on the point
OF bidding goodbye to Henry Walters,
Superintendent Tillinghast's confaen-
tial secretary, when a sudden, hollow
sound as OF snow falling in mass from
the roof, was heard, and Immediately
afterward the south wall, about 60 fee.
from the new portion, began to totter
and fall. Depot Master Kring succeed.
ed in getting beneath brick wall,
which held its position, but his cap
was torn from his head by fragments
Mr.. Smith ran into the vestibule of the
abandoned eating house, and escaped
through the cellar. Mr.. Walters, who
was just bshind him, was caught by t
timber, and held prisoner until othe,
portions of the falling roof crushed onI
both his life and human shape. The
Lake Shore train was buried from sight
by roofing material. The switch en-.
CINE was broken and partly dismautled.
An unsightly gap was torn out of the
wall Of the new waiting room, the fatal
mass which crushed the life out OF
Capt. Byrnes. The old cars which
stood on the track were all torn to
pieces. The work of overhauling the
ruins was Immediately commenced by
members of the fire department and
employees of. the railroad, and the frs
two bodies recovered were those OF
Capt. Byrnes and Henry Walters
Shortly after the workmen found the
mangled bodies of VIM. Wells, clerk
for Car Inspector Howe of the Lake
Shore railroad, and two other bodies
have been found.
The noise resem bled that of an earth.
quake and was heard a mile distant
Inc whole of the old depot structure
which was $50 feet long by 100 feel
wide, is mass of ruins. At no other
hour of the day or night could the &C.
cident have happened without a more
terrible loss of life, as the depot at the
tiEae was parGtively deserted. The
number OF narrow escapes was large,
but. fortunately, no accidents are re-
ported Of u serious nature beyond the
four persons killed outright. la the
Like Shore cars of the waiting train .
lew passengers, perhaps tifteey or
tsei.:J in all. we're seated, waiticp fuI
thu tain TO start. Fortunately 10, ur,
Of them was ri lr4d The so lies of
'he v.cnma h.y> DceA tlneu j, c,ar4r
By tie coroner aud an investigates
Will he promi tls male.
Oregcl liza hi unon : nnweyue,ii =,
to Eeep 'er c't2 hDi {. Every man
who dfInhs j. require u take i.
cense costing two Luiiato year. Tn.
less rAcd with his document he eau.
Eat g . his bitter, ~ rIt hu:ti ar "a,
loon. :Uf 1t L. :, penal offer So tur ace
propr etcrs of these estabi, >Linrl.tS 10
cell 70 any person without license.
Every SIX months the Names Ct the per-
sons who take out These licenses are to
he published in the Iced papers, SO