The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-03-03
RAILROAD ACCIDENT

HORRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT
Rareaealars Of the Recent Accident u the
New York n Erie RallreaA-A Train
Throvva from the Track, carr Overturned
and Set On Fire And Four Postal Clerks
and N Express Agent Burned to . Crlsp,
ELMlRA, N. Y, January q.
ERIE train No. II, from Buffalo, left Elmira
last night at eleven o'clock for New York.
The train consisted Of one postal car, one ex-
press car, two baggage cars and nine passen-
ger coaches, most Of them Pullman sleepers,
When five miles west Of Owego, near Tioga
Center, one Of the driving-wheel axles of the
locomotive broke close up to the wheel, and
the entire train, which was going at the rate
of thirty-ave miles an hour, was thrown from
the track.
The accident occurred where there was no
embankment. The engine kept its feet, the
engineer applying the air-brakes as soon as he
felt the shock. The ours were stopped very
quickly, but the forward ones were turned
over and over two or three times, some goinx
ON one side of the track and some on the
other.
The engineer and fireman escaped unhurt.
The pOstal-car contained four clerks, This
car almost instantly took fire and burned like
gunpowder. The oil lamps used probably ex-
ploded and added fuel to the fire. Every man
in the car was roasted to crisp. The remains
of one, who weighed over two hundred
pounds, were gathered up and put in small
box.
In the express Cur was messenger, Henry
Z. BreweE Of Elmira, and efforts were made to
relieve him. A hole was cut in side door of
Qr hot hn 10 hon ST,
were fastened by the piled-up mass of express
matter. The train men tried to pull him out,
but the flames drove them away. They saw
his hair and whiskerssburned off, and then he
put his hand up to his eyes and fell back into
the flames.
The men in the postal car must have per-
ished very quickly, as not a sound came from
the wreck except the cracking of the flames.
The names of the dead are: Joseph Reding-
er, mail agent; Eenry c. Brewer, express
agent, of Elmira; Mail Agent Seybolt, Of
Mount Hope; Mail Agent Ingraham, of Bing-
hamton; Mail Weigher Fox, of New York.
The remains were taken to Owego, where an
inquest was held.
WHAT A PASSENGER SAW.
NEW YORK, January a.
The passengers on the train wrecked at Toga
Station reached New York tonight. Among
them was Henry C.vilai, of Cleveland, General
Manager of III, South Shore Line one of the
passengers in the forward sleeping car. He
said to Tribune reporter: 1.-THE crash &C.
CURED at about II 55 o'clock, I should think
some time after had gone to bed. 1t was
very severe, AMI woke with start. Hastily
putting on my coat, l rushed out and found
myself one of the first on the ground. At once
began to look out tor the unfortunate people
In the forward cars. The scene that presented
itself was terrible. The postal car, which was
directly behind the engine, had been
thrown Off into field at right
angles to the track, at distance
OF nearly one hundred feet, and
1t was smashed all to pieces. The flames i'm.
mcdately began to rise from it, doubtless
caused by the fire in the stoves and the ex-
plosion of the kerosene lamps with which the
car was lighted, and in less than five minutes
the whole car was in a blaze, which lighted up
the bare fields around with CHASTITY glere. It
lay in heap under a large elm tree, which
soon took fire and was cnvcloped in flames.
Nothing could be seen at first of the mail
Jerks who had occupied the car, andno sound
was heard from them. But when the roof OF
the car cavcd in three of the bodies could be
distinctly seen huddIci up in one corner of
the car, where it is supposed they were thrown
and killed by the first shock. The thcr body
was found in the opposite end Of the car, and
all were so charrcd and blackcncd that identi-
ication was almost impossible.
The cars which followed the postal car
were not thrown from the roadway, but were
lying across the track in the utmost ccnfu-
sion. The express and baggage cars and the
smoking car were Off the track and the first
caught fire immedia. ely. The door to it was
completely blocked by the express matter in
the car, and Brewer, the agent, was impris-
oned amid the flames. His cries attracted
attention and great efforts we're made to ex-
trcate him from his terrible position but in
vain. He had managed to get his head out of
q small window in the end of the car, where
he begged in piteous tones for those outside
to save him. The door was forced open a few
inches, which let in the air, and the flames
bursting out of the window, he fell back with
a groan and was not seen again alive. The
passengers had by this time collected from all
parts Of the train, and wer, supplied with SHOW
els from the village. They tried to extin.
guish the flames by throwing snow upon
the burning cars. They were soon
assisted by the Fire Department Of Owege.
The three forward cars were burning at the
same time, and soon afterward the smoking
car began to blaze. One of these had been oc-
cupied by the Alabama Negro Minstrel
Troupe, the members of which had been able
to escape without any further injuries than
some severe scratches and bruises. This car
was lying ON its side, and it was some time be-
fore all got out with the assistance Of those
outside. The baggagemaster, Perry, was
found to have dislocated his arm, and
l assisted two other men in pulling
his arm into joint while he lay on
the snow. After this he worked like
. Trojan, and with the help of some of the
passengers he was able to save every piece OF
baggage The GOODNESS and good discipline
displayed by the employees on the train was re.
markable 1t was by their efforts that sefi-
Gus panic was prevented. AS it was. all the
passengers were at first much frightened,
many rushed from the cars half dressed, but
when they saw the danger was over they be.
came quiet, and were very willing to lend their
assistance in caring for those who were in
jured and in putting out the fire."
Died in the Snow.
On Thursday, December 30, at 1880 p. M,