The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1893-05-18
A NARROW ESCAPE,
HOW IT FEELS NOT 10 BE-
KILLED.
The Sentinel Correspondent in the
Big -Four Wreck at Lafayette.

The terrible wreck on the Big
Four Rail road, at Lafayette, Ind,
on Sunday of last week, has few
parallels i'll railroad tragedy. Ten
persons were killed and eleven
wounded.
Miss Georgia Hopley, oar EN
position correspondent, returning
from Chicago to Columbus, was IN
the terrible wreck, and escaped un-
hurt. The two occupants of the
seat Just behind her, were killed.
The wreck occurred at few minutes
past l o'clock at night. AT .
o'clock she wlote the following
graphic description Of her ex-
perience:
LAFAYETTE, at A. NJ, May G.
My Dear Mother,
Well, | am alive. l had been
asleep; (had fallen in with very
nice grey haired old lady from Col
umbus when l got on the train)
something awakened me and we
were entering town so brightly
lighted, l said, "Why, this must be
indianapolis" A man in front said,
"Oh no, we are about 20 miles from
there. This is La Fayette." l
thought that it couldn't be, but,
then | cant tell how it was. l
think we must have felt ourselves
humping over the ties. The lamps
didn't go out but for some reason
the car was quite clopded with
smoke; people were thrown out
their seats; every one jumped up
and tried to peer out the window to
see what it was, and tried to ask the
other what it was. All l know is
we kept on running and seemed to
be getting worse and worse. No
one screamed or uttered cry only,
''Oh, what is it, what is it. " hat
is the matter" Then we heard the
crash of glass and breaking boarIs.
| heard it coming from the rear and
could feel we were slackening speed
so | ran forward to the front of the
car, hoping to escape whatever it
was crashing in at the back. Sew
eral men said, .'We're off the track,
keep quiet; well he all right" and
finally the train stopped. Then |
saw that the rear of our car had Its
windows mashed in. We gathered
up our things in harry and for
wonder Mrs. Zinn and 1 dl l'nt lose
a thing. \ man helped us and we
got out and found things in q dread
full condition. The car or ears and
l don't know what all, were all piled
up in a heap. The engine had
broken away from us suppose, any
how ours was the only car standing
there besides the char car and
sleeper. The engine had jumped
the track and run right through the
baggage room Of the depot. sup
pose of course YOU will see it all IN
the papers. We came to a hotel
where we got room and | at once
sent the telegram home, thinking
you would see it in the morning
papers, but you hardly will as II
was nearly ? o'clock when it hap
pened. Fortunately l have enough
money to meet these un- thought-of
expenses. / went back to see some
ding Of the wreck. 1t was fear
full thing to look at it and think
what narrow escape it was for me.
| can't express how | felt when we
were humping along off the track,
not knowing what was the matter
or what was going to happen.
| must stop writing and get to
bed; not to sleep, but to rest my
eyes and brain. I've had one ex-
perience, l tell you. l hope none
of you will ever have occasion To
feel as did. After we stopped
didn't feel frightened any more,
Dut LSll 4 Ntil W dlh, HI lSGS
shook 50 | could hardly move. 1t
was all dark outside otter we got
out of the car, only the light from
our coach shining on the heap of
broken wood. Strange, but there
was not cry heard, no groaning
and 40 crying; only The crew and
passengers and few citizens hurry
ing about to see what the situation
was and the cutting away at the
wood. One man with two broken
ribs is next our room. | saw one
man laid out on the depot floor,
head mashed and both feet crushed,
dead. Several said it was the
worst wreck they had ever seen, but
there have been worse of course,
not but that ii was bad enough |
| got all the wreck | want, I'm
sure. Ill take this down to the I
office so the clerk can get 1t off to
you as soon as possible. Love to all,
Georgia (Hopley.)