The daily gazette., 1881-06-01
THE snIsPLACED SWITCH ACcI.
81 DENT. m tf8


THE .MIsPLACED SWITCH ACcI.
l lIfDr' G W
Topsy. yssn's Aeeeunt-How she
e,and Ells Chspsnan were injured
in the wreck. x
Mas TopsysV Venn, the leading lady of
Rice'S Sufprise Party, and Miss Ella
CHAPMAN, who Is well.knowh In thea
tUcal circles, were In the upturned car
of the wrecked train, and only escaped
with tbeir lives. Miss Venn WAS Sc
verely injured about the limbs and body
and, her compauion had iher ankle brok-
en-. Both ladies were taken 10 the COn-
tinennl. HOtsI upon the arrival Of the
train ID. philadelphia and although suf-
ferinr intensely they were able to give
thais experience last night.
.~I Has On the LETT side Of The third car
directly behind the parlor car in which
we're the Harrison Photo party" said
Miss Yenn, ls.and Was seated with Miss
Ella Chapman, whom l had invited to
spend the week With lme In Philadelphia.
/ was suddenly Awakened from . doze
BY a loud grating noise followed by q
shock. which threw me forward upon
the opposite seat. ! was confused tor
an instant, but my first thought was TO
escspe from the car, and l, made an
effort tC reach the other side. succeed
ed in forcing myself through one Of the
Windova and fell on an embankment.
| turned about and saw that the cars
had turned. over on their sides and the
pSople we're crawling out OF the doors
and windows. The shrieks aud cries Of
the wounded were terrible, remember
little more after that continued Miss
venn, a. q spasm Of PAIN passed over
her face, i"for tainted. When recov-
cred my senses found that had been
struck BY something 10 the back or side,
and the docl0rs have since informed me
that have sustained an injury OF the
liver" s,s -
Miss chapiaan's injury was 50 very
painful that she could scarcely speak
without q gr0an.
at was an awful experience" said
she, "and hope may never have to
pass through such . one again. was
seated beside Miss Venn, as she has just
(dld you. Sha had inyited me come to
Philadelphia previous to her departure
tor Europe. Much against the wishes of
my friends IN New York I determined
70 come with her'to witness the closing
performance Of my professional friends
with whom have been so long associa-
ted. i heard the whistle blown loudly,
but paid no particular attention to II, and
. moment later, before 1 could even say
s9odJ bless me- 1 found myself sand
wiched between two men, whether stout
or lean did not wait TO see, but hastily
crawled though window Of the car
which was fortunately open. My tirst
impulse aud that of ny companion, after
escaping from the overturned car, was.
to look for the dead and dying. g
"Ths first sight which met my eyes
was q terrible one. A man was leaning
out OF one of the windows, with an awful |
expression of pain on his face. 1 looked |
closer, and was horrified 10 see that be |
was dead. The cars had jammed the
poor fellow la the lower part of the |
body, just as he was about to leap, and
crushed out bis LIE before he could es-
cape. Than only did faint away, from
The sickening horror OF the terrible situa-
lion. l did not realize that was seri- |
ously hurt myself until tried to stand
up, and found my ankle was broken.
Miss Venn, who up to this time had
brave trent, ,swooned In my
arms and both she and myself were
added TO the list of unfortunate whom
injury and fright copfided TO the care OF
the sympathetic persons who crowded
about the wreck to care for the woun-
ded."