Year: 1877




If every individual who went down
with the ill-fated railroad train at
Ashtabula and lived through the ex-
perience were to write up his or her
sensations and adventures none would
display that GOODNESS and heroism de-
scribed by Johnson B. Orhurn and his
wife, who were on their way to the
Saginaw Valley. Both are past forty,
and Mr.. Orburn is an Ohio farmer
who lately purchased farm in Sagi.
nav county. AS the train pulled out
from Ashtabula the farmers wife be-
gan eating a luncheon, and her hus-
band was trying to read newspaper
by the light of the dim lamp.


He says he felt the first movement
when the bridge gave way. He first
imagined that one of the wheels un-
der his car had become detached, as a
corner of the car seemed to settle
down little, He dropped the paper
and seized the back of the seat in
front of him. Then the whole car
seemed to lift up, and several women
shreked in alarm. There was no
sensation of falling. On the contra
ry, both agreed that they thought the
car was running up steep hill. This
would prove that the rear end of the
car settled down first. From the time
lhe iridgo gave way till the cars
struck tho ice not more than ten sec
onds could have elapsed, and yet du-
ring that brief interval the husband
threw one arm around his wife, she
grasped the seat and asked what had
happened, and he told her to secure a
brace for her feet, and added, 1--WE
are off the track and running through
the fields ~ The rear end of their
car struck first smashing itself into
kindling wood, the debris being
thrown over the passengers in front.
The farmer found himself on the floor,
held down by mass of wreck on his
!, # leg, while his wife was thrown
across him, the wreck of two or three
seats holding her against the side of
the car. While thus held, and before
either had spoken, one end of the car
had settled little and the wife was
released.


Mary, are you living ?" asked the
husband, being his first words after
the fall She replied that she was not
even hurt beyond bruise or two, and
hy this time the shouting and confu-
sion around them proved that the
train was off the track, though neither
one suspected that it was more than a
tumble into wayside ditch. 1t was
wonderful how a woman could retain
her presence of mind under such eX-
citing circumstances, but Mrs. Orburn
didn't even cry out after the shock.
Scores or Othel passengers were shrek
ing in pain and fright as the cold wa
ters flooded one end of the car and the
flames began to eat away at the other.


The woman cleared herself of the
broken seats just as the fire started,
and she then ascertained that her hus-
hand was pinned fast to the floor by
he wreck of matter on his leg, which
was partially bent around one of the
iron standards of the seat. She work
ed with all her might to set him free,
but the raging flames were now only
n few feet away, and the smoke and
heat were terrible.


"Mary, take hold of my foot, bend
my leg toward you with all your
might, and see If you can't break it ~
called the husband, who thought he
could easily free himself if the leg was
released from its cramped position
The wife seized his foot, meaning to
obey, but at that moment the car
lurched over little, and the husband
released himself. When they left the
car her dress was on fire, showing that
another minute wonld have enveloped
both ia the flames.


Both were able to walk to the hotel
IA soon as released, having escaped
with only few bruises. The heroic
wife and mother was mot only ready
to obey her husbands orders, but she
had plan of her own.


"When | saw tie flames just upon
u.s." she said, land while l was sure
that my husband would be burned
alive, made up my mind TO put one
of the cushions over him, lie down on
top Of that, and hope that, while !
vas being burned up, help would come
to him for our children's sake"


II was afraid she wouldn't be strong
enough to break my leg" added the
husbard, land then 1t would be all up
with me. / was going to have her get
OUT, and then, rather than be burned
alive, was going to-. Well, had
this big knife i'm my right-hand pOck-
ct, and my right arm was free to get
ii and use IL !"