Woodville Republican., 1903-03-14
VER|TABE RAIN Of FIRE.
The Great Calamity at Sheraden, Pa.
Duplicated, Monday Night,
at 0lean, N. Y.
EIGHTEEN 10 TWENTY LIVES LOST.
The Exact Nua,ber WIN Not be
known for some Days-Large
Numbers Were IRjared--sccncs
Never 10 ne FosgattcR by Those
Who Witnessed sm.


CLEANS, n. Y. March tn.-From
eighteen to twenty lives were lost
and fully twice that number were
burned or bruised by an explosion of
oil late Monday night, following n
wreck on the Erie railroad north of
this city. Owing TO the fact that some
of the bodies were incinerated or
blown into the creek by the explo-
sion, the exact number OF dead will
probably not be known for several
days. The number of injured is un-
certain, as many of them were able
to reach their homes.
The scenes following the explosion
viii never be forgotten by those who
saw them.
started with a Wreck.
1t was about nine o'clock in the
evening when the train was wrecked.
An Erie freight westhound broke in
two on the Hill two miles north of
the city. At first the forward part
of the train, released of all the
weight behind, sprang forward with
increased speed, Brakes were applied
and the first portion was brought. al
most to a standstill at the bridge
across 0lean creek.
The rear cars, gathering momen-
tum as they came down the hill,
crashed into the front cars. Most of
the cars were tank cars filled with re-
fined oil or gasoline They weighed
thousands of tons and the impact
was terrific. One OF the tank ears
caught fire soon after the collision.
The starting OF the Fire.
The exact cause of the fire is not
known, but it is supposed to have
started from spark struck from the
grinding pieces Of iron in the wreck.
In few minutes another car of gaso-
line caught fire and burst into flames
with terrific report. Portions of
the iron domes Of the car were
hurled distance Of several hundred
feet The flames shot high in the air.
In this early accieent, so FAR as can
be learned no one was injured. Hum
dreds of people from the surround
ing country gathered to watch the
brilliant flames.
A Terrific Explosion.
For two hours the people stood
massed together, and as the heat be-
came less intense the crowd began TO
edge little closer to the wreckage
until about If o'clock some venture
some boys approached to within a
few hundred feet Suddenly there
was a terrific explosion. Great masses
of flames shot into the air and liter
ally rolled down the banked sides of
the track into the gully where the
spectators were standing Men and
BOYS fell before the wave of white
light to rise no more. Huge pieces of
iron were hurled through the air,
moving down the human beings by
the score. Some managed to scram-
BILE to their feet and get away, but
others lay still in death. The scene
of agony and horror at that moment
was beyond description.
A yeritobIe Rain of Fire.
A veritable rain of fire came down
upon the crowd. Men and boys with
their clothing a mass of flames ran
shrieking down the track, some of
them falling to the ground uncon-
scious while others groyelled in the
ditch or jumped into the creek in an
endcayor to put out the fire that was
consuming them. Many of those
overwhelmed by the flames dropped
where they stood and never again
moved.
AS soon as the telephone could be
reached, all the doctors in the city
were summoned and the ambulancef
were called out. Express wagons and
other vehicles were pressed into sery-
ice.
RescuinE the Injured.
In the meantime, those in the vicin-
ity OF the wreck who escaped injury
made valiant efforts to rescue the
wounded who were still lying within
reach of the flames. Boys were
burned TO death before their fathers
eyes while the latter stood helpless
to save them. Men so badly injured
by the flying iron that they could
not move laid in the gully will
flames rolling down upon them unit
they persisted. Nothing could bs
done TO check the flames, which be
gan to die out about midnight. A
short distance west of the iror
bridge d line was established beyond
which no one was permitted to pass
as one of the burning cars was still
thought to be in danger Of exploding
A Cali for Volunteers.
Ii was about a. m, when Deputy
Sheriff Osterhout called for volun
teers TO save the dead and injured
Three times as many as were called
for stepped forward and the gruc
some work was begun. In a shori
time Is bodies had been recovered aDe
laid beside the track. Some of then
were so badly burned and distorted
as TO be scarcely recognizable. Sev
eral bodies were found in the ditch
The body OF one boy was seen tos
close TO the flames to be approached
and in short time il was burnet
to ashes. II Is believed others wer'
also inc;nerated. When the last bod,
had been rescued the streteher bear
ers formed procession and started
down the track toward the amb,l
lanees and carriages. The crowd tel
back and opened passageway 70
4hem The only sound that brok