Charity Vogel Books

The tragic derailment of the New York Express on December 18, 1867, near Angola, New York, resulted in a catastrophic loss of life, with around fifty fatalities and numerous injuries. The last two train cars fell into Big Sister Creek, one igniting in flames due to spilled coals. Local rescuers rushed to the scene but could only listen to the victims' cries as they attempted to assist. The incident, later dubbed the "Angola Horror," garnered national attention and became one of the deadliest railway disasters in U.S. history, highlighting the dangers of early rail travel.

On December 18, 1867, the Buffalo and Erie Railroad's eastbound New York Express derailed as it approached the high truss bridge over Big Sister Creek, just east of the small settlement of Angola, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie. The last two cars of the express train were pitched completely off the tracks and plummeted into the creek bed...