The Republican journal., 1884-01-24
a Passenger Train Dashes Through
Burning Oil

TERRIBLE PANIC IN THE CAR, BURNED MEN.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN THROW THEM
SELVES INTO THE sNOW. THREE KILLED.
rWENTN-SENI.N INJl RED.
The long descending grade on the side of the
mountain. two mites from Belgrade, Pa. was
the scene of ii terrible catastrophe Tuesday
morning. Jan. 10TH. A stream of waste oil.
flowing from tank across the Bradford. Bor-
dell and knZua Railway, caught fire is the
passenger train from Wellsville for Bradford
ran INTO II, and the train was immediately en-
reloped in flames. The panic stricken paSSen-
gers leaped into the snow beside the track, all
escaping with their lives except three poor
women, who were too paralyZed with fear to
move, and persisted with the burning car.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
X wooden tank of oil on the hillside. above
the track. had sprung aleak, allowing the con-
tents to run down the hill, to and along the
track. The snow on either side of the track
confined the oil and it ran down the grade sew
eral hundred yards between the rails. Dr.
Brest. the superintendent of the oil base, saw
the probable danger and tried TO reach the
track TO signal the train, but could not get
through the deep snow rapidly enough to reach
the spot in time. The train consisted of an
engine, baggage car and one COACH the latter
full of passengers, the number of whom is not
exactly known. but is supposed 10 be forty or
forty-tiye.
EFFORTS TO AVOID THE CATASTROPHE.
The engineer, as he rounded the curve above
the scene of this most singular tragedy discov-
cred the oil on the track. He at once reversed
his engine. but was too late, as the brakes could
net hold the train. 1t dashed into the oil,
which, fresh and gassv. was ignited BY sparks
from the fire box, and the flames instantaneous
ly enveloped the train, and il dashed down the
steep grade of 100 feet to the mile at the rate Of
fortv-five miles an hour. AT a curve half "A
mile below the spot where the flames seized
the fated train, it was dcrailed, and the passen-
gers car totally consumed by fire.
SUFFERING OF THE PASSENGERS.
The instant the flames sprang up around the
car everybody was in panic, and before the
tram had gone one hundred wards over the
blazing oil the heat was intense that the
windows cracked and fell in in less time than
it takes TO tell it. The car was a seething
caldron, from which the anguished occupants
experienced some difficulty in escaping.
Driven back for the moment from the doors,
they leaped or were thrown from the windows
into the deep snow beside the track, the cool
ness of which temporarily assuaged the agony
OF the bIistered, burned and bruised human be-
ings who rolled in it from the rushing roaring.
flaming train.
THE FATE OF THREE WOMEN.
Three women remained in the blazing coach,
too much paralyzed with fear or otherwise IN
able to get out The engine, running without
steam but with no brakes set. gained rand
speed as it flew down the steep grade until,
reaching the first sharp curve below the engine
and both cars were hurled from the track. and
the passenger coach was literally burned to
ashes with the three women in it. Those who
had escaped could do nothing for them, as all
hope was over before the first could reach the
spot where their remains were afterward dis
covered. One of them, Mrs. Fair, who had
been married only two years. was lost by her