The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-29

BIsMARcK, March 22-A special
from Mandon to the Tribune gives
the following details oftthe railway
disaster A reporter accompanied
Division Superintendent Taylor to
the scene Of the wreck this morning:
and the S,roner from Mandon was
also on board. The nnlucky spot
is about eleven miles west of Bis
marck, at what is known as soap
stone cut. Sweetbriar creek, and two
miles east of Sweetbrier station.
About 7:30 last evening the snow
pillow, work and passenger trains left
Sweetbriar. The snow plow passed
safely oyer the bent bridge which
spans Sweetbriar creek, but not the
work train which was composed offiat
cars next to the engine, followed by
two sleeping cars for thirty men each,
dining car, kitchen car and store car.
The first indication of something
wrong was a sound like a broken
wheel. The train was goingat about
ten to fifteen miles per hour, aud the
engineer hearing the jar Immediately
reversed steam, but before he had
time to think the terrible crash came
and eight human beings were landed
in eternity. A wheel on the head
truck of the fiat car broke and the
whole truck had jumped the track
Evidences of its course upon the
ties extends back nearly mile from
the wreck. As the short curve lead
ing to the bridge was reached the
strain upon the car was 10 great that
the truck must have been broke In
numerous pieces, some of the more
tenacious striking the ties on the
bridge, and showing them before 1t
The iron being left without suppor
the sleeping car was Immediately
precipitated into the river thirty
feet below, striking on its side
This was followed by sleeping ca
No. 2, which careened over and fl
nally assumed a similar position a
No. 1. The dining car followed
crashing into both the others. AT
ter this was the kitchen car, which
remained upright against the din
ing car. The office and store cal
was but partially off the track
Four bents in the bridge were brok
en- into splinters and their sleeper
completely demolished. There wer
about fifty men on the train at th'
time of the accident. and the escape
of one seems miraculous, after view
ing this wreck. In sleeper No.
were about twenty-four men, some
were lying in their hunks asleep
others smoking and some playing
cards.
THE DEAD AND DYING ROASTED.
As soon as the car overturned th
beddings caught fire and the man
gled and dying were roasted almos
beyond recognition. The onl.
deaths were among those in thi
car Those who escaped immedi
ately grappled such buckets as the.
could find and worked like heroe
to extinguish the flames, but tn
straw beddings, blankets and othe
combustible materials made it i'm
possible.
1t is supposed seven of the eigh
men killed were killed instantly be
fore being burned, as but the voic'
of one man crying ''help' was heard
He was lying with his feet to th
flame and held in by broken pieces
of timber. His comrades could do
nothing and were obliged to SCI
him gradually roast to death. Scat
tered here and there promiscu0uslI
among the burned blankets, valises
clothing, broken car wheels ant
iron rods were the charred remain.
of the unfortunate victims. One pc
culiar feature of the accident wa:
that but two of the twenty-three in
iured and not killed were seriousl,
hurt. They had their shoulder
blades dislocated and one of then
had a broken arm.