LATE ENGLISH AND AMBBICAN NEWS.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 82, 26 February 1877, Page 2

LATE ENGLISH AND AMBBICAN NEWS.

RAILWAY ACCtDISI-160 PEBSON3 WJRNT TO MATH. A terrible accident occurred at Asbta bula (Ohio) oa the 39th December. A train bound west went through an iron bridge down seveaty -fire feet to the river. The iron bridge spaas Ashtabula creek, seventy fire feet above the waters. On both sides are high banks. Snow had beenjfalling almost constantly for the past forty-eight hours, and a driving ■ionn was raging. It seems that the Wling train and bridge smashed the ice ia the creek, aad those not killed by the fall or burned up in the burning ears, were held down by the wreck and drowned before they could lie extricated. The train was drawn by two eagiaes • one engine remained on the bridge, bat everything else went down. This terrible railway disaster has ■thrown a pall over the entire community. All witnesses so far agree as to the main facts of tbe accident. Abont 8 o'clock the train was rnnning along at a moderate pace. Suddenly, and without warning, tae train plunged into the abyss forward,, the locomotive alone getting across in safety. Almost insUuUy the lamps and stoves set fire to the ears. The haggard dawn which drove the darkness oat of this valley and sjadow of death, seldom saw a ghastlier sight than wa» revealed with the coming of the morning. On either side of the ravine frowned the dark and bare a c ies from which the tieacherous timber* had fallen, while at their base the great leaps of ruins covered the hund.-ed men fromen, and children who had so sad* ilen'y been called to their death. The charred bodies l»y on thick ice or em* bedded in the shallow water of the stream, the fires smouldered in great heaps where many helpless victims had been all consumed, whUe men went about seeking some trace of a lo>c one among the wounded or dead. The scenes among the woun'le '. were as suggestive almost as the wreok in the valley. The two hotel* nearest the station containei a majority of these, and they were scattered about oa temporary beds on the floors of the parlors and offices. Towards morning the cold iuceased, and the wind blew a fearful gale, which, with the snow which had drit.ed waiss dee? alo-ig the line, made all work extremely difficult. Of tbe 166 persons oa tbe train, less tban sixty are knowa to uare been saved. Tiie lost were sa totally destroyed oy fit*e timt it was impMsilile te identify tbem. -hit a few bant stamps of limbs re* •Mined. I is tJoaglie tint when the creel; is dragged a number of bodies will 1 3 found. A eorrespoadidt from the w vck saw at leas: a dos?n bodies, only oae oi w;;ica had auy resemblance to a bn.nan body. By the side of » .«. heap of embers was found % pair of scissors and also a tofc of grayish bair. .So other means of i tbiUffcaibti coal J be fouad. The b.iigs was a Rjwo truss r baih entirely o* iroa, aad 11 years old, I- was 93 teet above tha wager; hid an a>*ch of 130 feat. I. bad been tasked witb six locomotives, aad at the time of tbe disaster was considered as being in » perfect condition. Toe iron of the bridgewas twisted in endless eoofusioa with the weight of tbe cars, while the locomotivewas a wreck in every part. The estimated loss on the bridge is 75,003 dollars.