THE J1SHTABULA DISASTER

CHAPTER I.

ASHTABULA.

C^j^IIE scene of this direful event is situatedon the Lake Shore Railway, midway be-tween the cities of Cleveland and Erie , and abouttwo miles from Lake Erie .

The village itself contains nearly thirty-fivehundred inhabitants. At the mouth of the river isanother small village, making in all a populationof nearly four thousand. Between these pointsof the village and harbor many families of thepoorer classes have made their homes, the mostof them being Swedes, Germans and Irish.There are a few fine residences in this part ofthe town, but the homes of the more prominentcitizens are at least a mile away. Rear the depotthere are several small places of business, two orthree saloons, three hotels: The American House,