Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-09
Fail of q Ratlrood Depot.


BUFFALO, n. Y, Feb. 5.-Shortly after 8
old New York Central depot, Exchange street,
| weighted with accumulated snow and weak.
ened by removal Of the former offices, which
had formed large portion of Its support, fell,
burying number of cars and human beings
beneath the mass of iron, wood, glass, snow
and brick. The St. Louis express was on the CEN
tral track. The connecting train on the Lake
Shore, composed Of foar cars with the sleeper
Mita, stood upon the outer track. The Can.
ada Southern train had just hauled out, and
only twenty minutes before the day
express on the Central had borne east.
ward large load of living freight. The switch
engine, Frank schafer engineer, was on the
track and ready to take Coroner Scott to East
Buffalo. Near the other end of the new de-
pot was train Of fat cars. On the track
Just outside the south wall were some old
fashioned passenger. cars belonging to the Cen.
tral. Among the people known to be in the
depot, just previous to the crash, were Depot
master Byron, Harvey and John Ready, of
johnson Bros eating house, who stood near
together abont the center Of the building,
Dewitt G. Gibson, switchman, E. NJ. Stevens
passenger agent of the Lake Shore; F. J. Hart.
wig, Henry Eckert and D. s. Hubb and other
employees. Half a dozen passengers were in
the cars waiting the Lake Shore train and one
or two others believed to be lost, were stand.
ing in the depot near the fiat cars. Coroner
Scott had just boarded the engine and was on
point of bidding good bye to Harry Walter,
Tillinghost's confidential sec.
retary, through whose orders the engine had
been placed at his disposal, when a
HOLLOW SOUND,
as Of snow falling in a mass from the roof was
heard, and Immediately the south wall, about
sixty feet from the new portion, began to tot.
ter and fall. Depot Master Kierney succeeded
in getting beneath the brick wall, which held
it's position, but his cap was torn from his
head by the falling fragments. Scott ran into
the destitute and abandoned eating house and
escaped through the cellar. Walters, just be-
hind him, was caught by the timber
and held a prisoner till the other portion of
human shape. The Lake Shore train was
buried from sight by the roofing material.
The switch engine was broken and partly dis
mantled An unsightly gap was torn out of
the wall of the beautiful new waiting room.
The fatal mass crushed the life out of Capt.
Byron. All cars on the track
were torn to pieces. The work of oyerhauline
tHO lulliS WIS illluculdttly DtSuu NY lu6 ulC
department and employees of the railroad. The
FIRST TWO BODIES RECOVERED
were those of Capt Byron and Henry Walters:
Shortly after the workmen found the mangled
body of VIM. Wills, clerk for Corn Inspector
Howe, of the Lake Shore railroad. Two other
bodies were found later. John II. Jackson,
colored, was III the closet of the waiting room,
and Immediately on hearing the crash smashed
1r-;,,1 ,1<-,- o,,l 1t Ia
was followed by VIM F. Odell, agent of tie
Wagner sleeping car company. J. Corey,
who has charge of the news stand, escaped
through the window smashing the glass, by
which he cut his hand severely.
There were many narrow escapes. James
". Williams, depot masters clerk, said he
was stepping into the Office to make out his
report when the crash occurred. Brick, NOR
tar and other debris fell around me and l was
In the midst of the trouble I
looked out of doors and saw Walters
rushing from the engine towards the
office. When 1 had almost got to
it l was struck by falling timbers.
| fell on my face and was quickly covered up.
Sleeping Car Conductor Grimes, the land agent
of the Central, and Smith, passenger agent of
Williams and they all escaped. In the cars of
the waiting train few passengers, perhaps Is
or 25 persons in all, were seated Not one of
those were injured. Of course all
were much frightened, and being in
side the cars could not tell, at first,
Just what had occurred. They promptly real
lied, however, they were virtually buried,
but the roof and side validating, had
made sort of arch over the cars, protect
ing them, The passengers recovering from
the first shock and surprise, had no difficulty
in getting out in safety. The telegraph wires
have been generally repaired and all obstruc-
tions removed.