It is not so much that a woman was crushed by a train in 1871, but the headline of the article that detailed the gruesome condition of her body afterwards.
Crushed to a Jelly
Yes, that was the headline of the article published in a Pennsylvania newspaper. If that is not descriptive enough, we learn that a 70-year-old woman was walking on some railroad tracks when a train came barreling along.
The engineer sounded the whistle and pulled the brakes, but it was too late. The front of the train struck the woman and pulled her underneath the wheels.
The Gruesome Aftermath
The article goes into detail about what happened after the woman went under the train:
“The engine and five passenger cars passed over the head and body, mangling her in a most sickening manner. Every principal bone in her body was broken, and the entire back portion of her head was cut off. Her heart was torn out and dashed fully six feet from the body.”
Cleanup was a Mess
After seeing that the woman was completely smooshed, cleanup began.
“The shapeless remains were gathered up and placed in a wash tub, where they remained until the next day, when they were sent to the morgue for identification.”
Source: The Bloomfield times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.), 08 Aug. 1871.
