The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-19
A Railroad Horror.

BRADFORD, Pa, Jan. ia stream of waste
oil, flowing from tank across the Bradford,
Bordell and Knsua railroad. caught fire this
morning as the passenger train from Wells
vile for Bradford ran into it, and the train
was Immediately enveloped in flames. The
track for fully one hundred yards was covered
with oil. 1t is believed that the gas coming
in contact with the fire box of the engine, ex-
| ploded, firing the oil, and the flames, spread
ing on a hurricanes wings, enveloped the
doomed train in an instant in a blazing mass.
So intense was the heat that the windows
cracked and fell in less time than it takes TO
write it. The passenger coach and baggage
car were converted into seething, kissing
cauldron of fire. 1t was terrible moment.
The coach was filled with passengers, and
there was a rush for the doors, but the heat
was so intense that the panic stricken passen-
gers were driven back and forced to jump
through the windows, landing in the snow,
which lay three feet deep along the roadside.
A relief train with surgeons and cots was dis
patched to the scene. Upon its arrival there
a terrible sight presented itself. The passen-
ger coach and the baggage car were mass of
smoking ruins. The engine lay on its back,
having turned a complete somersault. 1t is
definitely known that only three persons, all
women, were burned to death. Mrs. l.. c.
Fair, of Kinsua Junction, was burned beyond
recognition. Mrs. Fair was young woman
and had been married only two years. Her
husband escaped by jumping through win
dow Miss Katie Moran, of Aliens, n. y,
was burned almost to a crisp. Miss Moran
was found hanging outside the coach grasping
the window-sill The other dead woman has
not been identified. She was badly burned.
The injured are Prof. Taught, not expect
ed to live; Patrick Sexton, the engineer,
terribly burned about the face and hands !;
Mike Walsh, the fireman, horribly burned
about the face and arms; w. II. Belman,
who jumped from the train, injured internal
ly; Jerry Denagan, brakeman, hands badly
cut Charles Heidriche, express messenger,
burned about the hands; George Mccartney,
newsboy, terribly burned about the hands and
is not expected to live, his hands being burned
almost to a crisp; A. n. Carpenter, of Little
Genessee, n. Y, face and left hand burned !;
Jerre Haggerty, of Ceres, N. Y, badly burn
ed about the face and head; Mrs. Block, her
daughter and son, of Aiken, we're burned
about the head and hands, Mrs. Block being
the most severely burned G. W. Van, wife
and son, of Indianapolis, were burned, the
boy being burned about the face and hands !;
John Kafoos, of Aiken, terribly burned about
the face and hands.
Engineer Sexton, of the Inflated train, saw
the oil ON the track just ahead of his engine,
hut it was too late to prevent disaster. The
engine was reversed and the brakes applied,
but they would not hold, as the wheels
had already struck the oiled rails. Flames
iastantaneously enveloped the train, which
dashed down steep grade, one hundred feet
to the mile, at the rate of forty five miles an
hour, At curve, half mile from where the,
flames seized the fated train, the engine and
cars were derailed The blazing train rushing
down the mountain side was a sight never to
be forgotten by those who beheld it. Engi-
neer Sexton heroically stood at his post through
it all, in the face of almost certain death.