Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-09
TIE FALLEN DEPOT.
Caught Beneath tho Kuins-SOne Luc
Escapes.

TIE FALLEN DEPOT.
Caught Beneath tho Kuins-Some Lucky
Escapes.
The fall Of the old Lake Shore railroad
depot at Buffalo yesterday, was due to the
fact that the arched roof had become over
weighted with the accumu lated snow and
weakened by the removal of the offices
which formerly contributed greatly to its
support. The St. Louis express train was
three hours and a-half late, and its con-
Meeting train on the Lake Shore, composed
of four cars and the sleeper, stood upon
the outer track waiting for it. \ Canada
Southern train had just hauled out of tie
depot, and only twenty minutes before the
day express on the Central had borne east
ward a large load Of living freight. Switch
engine No. 1876 manned by Frank Schaeter,
engineer, was standing on the middle track
ready to take Coroner Scott to East Buff
falo. Near the other end of the new der rot
WIS train OF flat cars. On the track just
outside of the south wall were some old
passenger cars. Among the people known
to be in the depot just previous to the
crash were Depot Master Byron krirg
and John Ready, of Messrs. Johnston
Bros eating house, who stood near to-
gether about the centre Of the building,
Dewitt c. Gibson, switchman. Z. ii.
Stevens and Robert Berry. baggage
men, Il. c. Smith, passenger agent
of the Lake Shore road. p. S. Hart
wig, Henry Eckert, D. S. Hubbs and
other employees. Half dozen passengers
were in the cars of the waiting Lake
Shore train, AMI one or two others. who
are believed to be lost, We're standing in
tie depot near the fiat cars. Coroner Scott
had just boarded the switch engine, and
was on the point of bidding good bye to
Mr.. Henry Waters, Superintendent Til
llngllast's s private secretary, when sud-
den hollow sound as of snow falling in a
mass from the roof was heard, and imme-
diately aftcrward the south wall,
about sixty feet from the new portion,
began to totter and fall. Depot Master
kring succeeded in getting beneath brick
wall which held its position, but his cap was
torn from his head by fra. ments. Mr.. Smith
! ran into the vestibule of an abandoned
eating house and escaped through the Gel
lar. Mr.. Waters, who was just behind
him, was caught by 4 timber and held 4
prisoner until other portions of the wall
from the roof crushed out both his life and
his human shape. The Lake Shore train
was buried from sight by roolin. mater
ial. The switch engine was broken and
partly dismantlcd. An unsightly gap
was made in the wall OF the beautiful new
waiting room by the fatal mass which had
crashed out the life Of Captain Byrnes
The old cars which stood on the
track were all torn to pieces. Tho work
of Overhauling the ruins was Immediately
commenced by members of the fire de-
partment and employees of the railroad
company, and the first two bodies were
those of Captain Byrnes and Henry Waters.
Shortly afterward the men found the man.
gled body Of VIM. Wells, clerk of Car In
srector Howe, of the Lake Shore railroad.
| and two other bodies were quickly found.
John IL. jackson, Il cOlored man, was in
one of the closets attached to the waiting
room, and Immediately on hearing the
crash smashed the window and jumped
out into the street, followed by VIM. $.
Odcll, agent of the Wagner sleeping car
company. J. Covcy, who had charge of
the news stand, took hasty leave of the
building by going through the window and
smashing the glass, by which he cut his
hands severely.
The scene presented by the fallen struc-
ture was I, most ruinous one Large piles
of bricks, iron Sirtiers and heavy timbers
lay piled in a,l indescribable mass, while
the ragged walls tottcred and fell in sec
tions. The noise resembled that of an
earthquake and was heard mile distant
The whole of tho old depot structure which
was 45O feet long, oG feet in height, 100
feet wide, with arch Is feet, save. so feet
of the walls and the fourth arch, is y mass
of ruins. 1t was built in 1866 At 10
other hour of the day Or night could the
time was comparatively deserted.
The number OF narrow escapes was large,
but fortunately no accidents are reported
of & serious nature beyond the persons
killed outright. \ number of eye wit
nesses were interviewed, and all agree as
to the suddenness Of the crash.