Year: 1871

l to Beverly to visit some friends, and took I on the accommodation train. C His statement of the sad disaster by !, which some thirty persons lost their j lives instantly, and many were seriously injured, is an exceedingly interesting one, and we give it in full:

 I went to the Eastern Railroad station < to take the 7:15 accommodation train for Beverly. There was large number of passengers waiting for the same train, and great deal of impatience was mani fested because it was so late. It was 7:45 o'clock when the train came in which was to go out again. A grand rush was made for seats, and they were filled so quick that we could not get seats together. We were in the first passenger car, the third from the rear, near the door. I sat in the seat with gentlemen whom believed to be sea- son ticket-holder, from the fact that the conductor merely nodded to him when he took up the tickets. held my little girl in my arms and my wife sat in the seat directly behind me with another lady whom I did not know. The aisles of the cars were all crowded. When we reached Somerville there was 8 stop, and the whistle sounded. It was something unusual, and created good deal of ex- citement in the car. The windows were all showed up, and the passengers look ed out. The conductor, who was taking up tickets, called out "Please keep yeur seats; there is no danger !" The woman who was sitting with my wife ap- peared good deal troubled, and said ''There is something wrong about the train. I know there is something going to happen" Just after we left Somer- vile the gentleman in the seat with me put his head out of the window, and said :: The express train is behind US; I can see it." The passengers all seemed to feel nervous, as if they had some pre- monition of what was coming We made the regular stop at Revere, and had just got under way, moving very sl )wly, when the crash came. Although the window was open, I did not hear the whistle.

 The shock threw down some who were standing Tn the aisle, and also threw my I child out of my arms. I always suppos- l ed that in 8 collision of the kind the blow came like thunderclap and was over, I but here 1t was long, grinding crash,

 lasting, it seemed to me, fully five sec

 onds. Instantaneously with the first

 sensation the lights were extinguished

 and inside the cars it was total darkness.

 Some one called out, ''The danger is all

 over-don't be afraid p The passengers

 were trampling over one another in their

 fright and excitement, and l called out

 the same words. For second it seemed

 as if they would have some effect, but

 the next instant man near the rear

 door shouted "The car is on fire ''

 and the excitement was fercer than ever

 We all got out at last. My wife had

 tainted and laid her on the grass, tell

 ing my little girl to stand by her while I

 helped the others rescue the injured. All

 this time the air was filled with the

 shrieks and groans of the wounded, and

 the excited cries of the unhurt passen-

 gers and those who happened to be in

 the vicinity. Men were running about

 Tn the greatest excitement and for a few

 minutes there was no system of action.

 The engine had struck the rear car full

 In the center, entering about two-thirds

 of the way, carrying passengers and seats

 before 1t Tn a crushed and confused mass

 to the forward end of the car Tue blow

 broke the cap of the engine, and the

 boiling steam poured in full volume

 amongst them, scalding those who were not already crushed to death Several

 gentlemen, residents of Revere, and pas

 sengers, with more presence of mind

 than the rest, began to tear of the

 sides of the car, to release the sufferers.

 After several intellectual attempts strong

 rope was procured and the sides pulled

 away. As fast as we could get at the

 bodies we carried them into the depot,

 and laid them on the floor. The wound

 ed in both cars were taken to the near l act hO11Snc on1 I.

 most seriously y injured, who were placed 1n

 the Pullman car to be taken to Boston.

 The only one saw injured on the express

 train was the baggage-master. He was

 at the brake at the rear of the baggage

 car when the collision occurred, so he

 said and was caught between the plat

 form of the two cars front and rear. He

 was sitting upon the platform of the bag

 gage car, the other one tapping over and

 resting upon his thighs. One of his

 handswas terribly bruised He was in

 that position over an hour, and yet bore

 his pain with the greatest fortitude, talk

 ing with the men around him constantly.

 A jackscrew was finally procured and he

 was taken out and put on board the

 Pullman car. One of the first men I

 saw when I got out of the car was 8

 young man, well-dressed, holding up his

 han Is, with his face apparently scalded and bruised. The blood was dripping from his fingers. I asked him if he was

 hurt. He said, "I don't know I feel

 all fire" I looked and saw that his clothes had been nearly stripped from

 his back, and he was somewhat but not

 seriously injured. He was very anxious to know if his face was disfignred. I told him "No," when all at once he threw up his hands, and with yell ran up the track as fast as he could, and I saw no more of him. A momentafter I

 saw a woman lying upon the grass, her Z right arm fearfully crushed between the elbow and shoulder, and her face badly scalded. She must have been suffering

 intense pain. I asked her what could

 do for her. She replied, "There are l others hurt a great deal worse than I am. Go and attend to them. I can

 bear it." She was taken to house nea1 by and laid upon the floor, with bun- dle of bloody clothes for a pillow. She ) would not let the doctor attend to he1 7 injuries until she knew that the others t had been seen to. There were several l others badly hurt ill the same house. } After the train had been thoroughly cleared, got my wife and little girl g l place to stay, and got on a Lynn horse , car. l went to Lynn and spread the

 news, and train was sent up.