The state herald., 1891-08-14
a WRECK in FLAMES:
a Terrible Catastrophe on the West
Shore Road.


The St. Louis express on the West
Shore railroad met with terrible acci,
dent three miles west OF Port byron New
York; Oh The 6th; The train was running
at high rate Of speed aid Ut that point
ran into freight train. The wreck was
an awful one aud up TO clock the deaths
numbered eleven. Those killed outright
mid those who died from the results Of
their injuries were aii Italians with one
exception. the fireman Of Tho basseiig sr
train. Eleven Italians were badly hurt
and four will probably die. Twelve cars
OF the freight train were wrecked and
piled up on the track, completely block
udine tho road. The Italians were in the
smoking cat, which was completely
wrecked. Hardly whole piece Of timber
was left Of tho cat. The wreck took fire
ind tho passenger train was burned with
the exception Sf thfte slespins cars. The
train was made up Of two express Ears, n
baggage cur, smoking car, day car and
three sleeping cars.
No one In the rear OF the wreck were in
,ursd. The attendants of the express and
baggage cafs bed retired 10 the rear
coaches to catch q little sleep, aha ths en-
tire fatality was therefore confined TO the
occupants Of the smoking car and locomo
tive. In the former was party consist
itg OF twenty -ons Italian laborers, In
charge OF an Interpreter, savsric Gozza.
vava, who was taking them from Tofnp-
kins Cove to Niagara Falls, where they
werc to bo worked on the now railroad
tunnel. Only one member Of this party
escaped death or serious injury.
Fireman Michael bergen OF Macedon
Wits fotiha To have been instantly killed at
his post on the locomotive, and Engineer
Patrick Ryan Of East Buffalo was scr
iously injured.
The flames, which started so slowly, In.
creased In fury until the victims In the
smoking chr corld only be removed from
the burning cars through tbs asmss. The
forward end Of tho sleeper, Marathon, had
also taken fire, and In order to save the
three slecpers behind 1t, which had no,
left the rails, they were uncoupled and
pushed BY hard ;, place OF safety. Ten
freight cars and the cab6dse -ets also In
flames. The death list began to DO appail
ing as body after body was removed until
ten were laid along the track In a row
The injured were twice rs many, and their
suptichli6ns for sid was heartrcnding.
The freight traiti which caused the &C.
cident consisted Of forty cars and &as
bound for the West. 1t was to let the
"hyer" pass 1t by drawing over on the
Montebums side track. 1t had started to
leave tho t'air track and was half way
upon tho switch when 4 eSrplinu broke
in the middle of the train. Rcallzi.is that
there was no tiMe to lose, Conductor
Thomas Tobin Of the freight train scn'
Edward Connolly UP tho track to check
the "nyoi,' bill whether be did not get
far enough up the road or his signal WAS
not seen Is not known. A coupling had
been ifado and the freight was slJwly
starting. In minute more II would have
been out Of the way, and the disaster
would not have occurred.
John Bowdish of Boston, who is in the
brush business, was on his way 10 Detroit
Hc had been riding in the smoking car
and had been In y dose. but was fully
awake when the crash camo.
"The frat thing that attracted my atten.
tion was the working Of the air brakes.
1t flashed through MY mind that some.
thing terrible WAS about TO happen
there was crash, Shrieks, darkness and
confusion. felt myself pinned down by
y great weight ] could look below mo
and s-s broken boards, beams and car
wheels but was snable 70 move. Soon ]
heard the cracking Of flames You can
not imagine tho horror that cropt over me
US thought that In the next moment the
fans. would be upon me and l would be
slowly trcmated alive. My God, helr
me, CRIED hurry, hurry then heard
a voice, Here, u man alive, let's get him
out Then heard the sound OF axes and
plcasantcr noise never greeted my ears, !
eau assure you.
II was nopc not unmixed with fear, how
ever, fer there frequently came the
thought that the roaring iiamcs would
drive away tho workers before they
reached a,e and would be loft TO my fate.
suppose II was only few minutes, but
II seemed au age, whom daylight broke In
from above and two burly trainmen hand
cd me ont"
The coroner will make full invostiga
tion.