Angola Horror
Encyclopedia
The Angola Horror train wreck occurred on December 18, 1867, just after 3 p.m. when the last coach of the Buffalo
-bound New York Express of the Lake Shore Railway derailed and caught fire in Angola, New York
, killing around 49 people.
but he arrived a few minutes late at the station and although his baggage made it onto the train, he did not.. That day the train consisted of four baggage cars, one second class car and three first-class cars, each wooden passenger car also had a pot-bellied stove at each end to provide heat, and kerosene lamp
s for light. The train lost time on the journey and by the time it passed Angola it was running two hours and forty-five minutes late, traveling rapidly to try to make up lost time. Its last passenger stop before the accident was at Dunkirk, it also stopped at Silver Creek
, but only to take on wood and water.
as well as the of the Lake Shore Railroad, but this allowed 3/8 in lateral movement on the latter creating instability. As it neared the truss bridge over Big Sister Creek just east of Angola at 3:11 it ran over a 'frog' (the crossing point of two rails); the front axle of the rear car was slightly bent and the frog caused a wheel on the defective axle to jump off the track, derailing the rear car which began swaying violently from side to side. The brakes were applied but the train was still traveling at considerable speed as it crossed the bridge. The last car finally uncoupled from the train and plunged down into the icy gorge. The second to last car also derailed but managed to make it across to the other side of the gorge before sliding 30 feet (9 m) down the embankment; only one person was killed in this car.
's Illustrated Newspaper
carried five sketches of the scene (see here ) and concluded "This railroad disaster is accompanied by more horrible circumstances than ever before known in this country, and its results are truly sickening to contemplate"..
in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
-bound New York Express of the Lake Shore Railway derailed and caught fire in Angola, New York
Angola, New York
Angola is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2000 census. The name is reportedly derived from the South-central African country of Angola...
, killing around 49 people.
Train
The express left Cleveland's Union Terminal at 6:40 that morning and was due to arrive in Buffalo at 1:30 in the afternoon. Intending to make the journey was oil magnate John D. RockefellerJohn D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
but he arrived a few minutes late at the station and although his baggage made it onto the train, he did not.. That day the train consisted of four baggage cars, one second class car and three first-class cars, each wooden passenger car also had a pot-bellied stove at each end to provide heat, and kerosene lamp
Kerosene lamp
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. This article refers to kerosene lamps that have a wick and a tall glass chimney. Kerosene lanterns that have a wick and a glass globe are related to kerosene lamps and are included here as well...
s for light. The train lost time on the journey and by the time it passed Angola it was running two hours and forty-five minutes late, traveling rapidly to try to make up lost time. Its last passenger stop before the accident was at Dunkirk, it also stopped at Silver Creek
Silver Creek, New York
- Demographics :At the 2010 census there were 2,656 people, 1,048 households and 718 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,213.3 people per square mile . There were 1,174 housing units, with an average density of 978.3 per square mile...
, but only to take on wood and water.
Accident
The train concerned was formed of so-called 'compromise cars' which were originally designed to allow freight trains to run on both the of the New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
as well as the of the Lake Shore Railroad, but this allowed 3/8 in lateral movement on the latter creating instability. As it neared the truss bridge over Big Sister Creek just east of Angola at 3:11 it ran over a 'frog' (the crossing point of two rails); the front axle of the rear car was slightly bent and the frog caused a wheel on the defective axle to jump off the track, derailing the rear car which began swaying violently from side to side. The brakes were applied but the train was still traveling at considerable speed as it crossed the bridge. The last car finally uncoupled from the train and plunged down into the icy gorge. The second to last car also derailed but managed to make it across to the other side of the gorge before sliding 30 feet (9 m) down the embankment; only one person was killed in this car.
Deaths
The passengers in the last car were not so fortunate. It plunged 40 feet down the ice-covered slope to the gully bottom and came to a rest with a fearful crash at a 45 degree angle. The passengers were thrown together at the end of the car onto the overturned stove, while the other stove fell upon them from above, releasing hot coals. The carriage immediately caught fire; the fuel from the kerosene lamps fueling the flames. Only two people escaped alive from the carriage; some may have suffocated but the majority were burned alive. Witnesses spoke of hearing the screams of those trapped inside lasting for five minutes.Reporting
The accident, dubbed the 'Angola Horror' gripped the imagination of the nation. Accounts of the tragedy, accompanied by grisly illustrations filled the pages of newspapers for weeks, and showed the tragedy of those trying to identify their loved ones among the charred remains that were pulled from the wreckage. Frank LeslieFrank Leslie
Frank Leslie was an English-born American engraver, illustrator, and publisher of family periodicals.-English origins:...
's Illustrated Newspaper
Frank Leslie's Weekly
Frank Leslie's Weekly, later often known in short as Leslie's Weekly, was an American illustrated literary and news magazine founded in 1852 and continuing publication well into the 20th century. As implied by its name, it was published weekly, on Tuesdays. Its first editor was John Y. Foster...
carried five sketches of the scene (see here ) and concluded "This railroad disaster is accompanied by more horrible circumstances than ever before known in this country, and its results are truly sickening to contemplate"..
Aftermath
The accident and the public outcry that arose from it influenced many railroad reforms that soon followed including the replacement of loosely secured stoves with a safer forms of heating, the replacement of wooden cars with iron, more effective braking systems and the standardisation of track gauges.Memorial
In 2008 the villagers of Angola erected a sign to mark the site of the accident; dedicated to its victims. It is planned to erect a second memorial to at least 17 unidentified victims buriedin Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...
.