Ashtabula train wreck

[TheHarleyMan2]

Looking at the 3 photos, (the original, the second bridge, and current photo), this is my opinion from looking at the 2nd photo, you see A LOT of work done to include the bridge arch structure, (which daming part of the river to dig out sediment and pour concrete for the footing and stone work for the center arch as well as the side arches), One would have to dig down to bedrock for base of the footing. Also on the second photo it appears to have a lot of dirt material and earth on top of the rbidge itself, if that is a train I see on top.

Now the 3rd photo pretty much shows all the earth pretty much removed from the top of the arch bridge itself.

Looking at all 3 photos there is a great deal of hieght difference from the original photo through the 3rd one. So one can see a lot of river sediment adn sand/gravel build up around the banks etc.

But here is my theory, but I could be wrong, but who knows? I never been there.

Now here is my theory;

If there were any gold bars or whatever on the train and the train wreck got cleaned up the best they could after the fact, but the construction of the arch bridge as I mentioned above and the work involved to build the footings, especially under and near where the arches will be placed. It seems logical someone most likely found the gold and never said anything about it. As I said when building a bridge or any structure, especially in any water way, you have to block off/devert the river to dig down to bedrock for a stable base because of the water flow. Being that it appears the arch bridge is pretty wide, (the direction of the river), they would have to block off a good area to dig out river sediment to hit bedrock. So it seems someone would have found something, especially if it was shiny gold!

Now if it was todays times, they would drill/bore a hole, drop in rebar and pour in concrete for the pilons.

 

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[railroad-relic-hunter]

Good luck going down there tomorrow ( TribeTime24 ) ! With all this rain were getting today the river ought to be pretty flooded and you'll need a boat!

The HarleyMan2, None of the dirt has been removed from the top of the 1904/current bridge, that's a good 105 years of vegetation and tree growth above the concrete arches on the sides except for the top where the tracks are. There's not much height difference between the old photo and now,if anythng the RR track grade is probably 4-5 ft. heigher from over the years of ballast being dumped and the track being elvated some as the RR's do so everytime they replace ties they will dump ballast and tamp raising things slightly.

Yes when they dug out for the footings of the 1904 bridge they probably found some wreck stuff, but who knows today as those people are long gone.One can see today that when they dug for the footings alot of the stone rubble was thrown to the west where it still lies under the west arch where it tapers from the center to the far west wall. Very little water flows under the west arch except when the river floods, it puddles in shallow pools only a few inches deep in the summer months near the west wall. It's really hard to find anything in all the rock under the west arch as it also is in the area of piled stone on the north side of the bridge.

A few years ago i spent over a hour digging what i thought was a good signal in the water north of the bridge along the west bank. I dug down almost a foot and ended up digging up a large old wooden spoked wagon wheel with the iron outer tread/band and center hub. It was missing one spoke and was a wonder the wood hadn't entirely rotted away. The cold water must have preserved it but it was covered in a nasty black residue and i wasn't going to haul it home in the trunk of the car that day! It would have made a nice lawn decoration but i figured i'd leave it for someone else to take home. It was gone on my next visit there. I didn't find any gold that day and spent a good 8 hrs. there that day and went home tired,waterlogged and my clothes were covered with that nasty black residue from that old wagon wheel.

 

[railroad-relic-hunter]

Here's the wheel. Maybe somebody tried hauling all that gold out with it years ago! I seriously doubt there was any large quanities of gold on the train. The safes were all recovered from the remains of the express cars following the wreck. If there was any gold it would have been in the safes or what little the passengers carried themselves. Here's a photo of that old wagon wheel.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Yeah, I hear ya. I am sure that wagon wheel would have made a great lawn decoration! Yeah, I have to agree with you on the gold in the safes deal!

 

[73dguard]

Hi, I'm a newbie to th and to the site. I see that there is a historical marker about the wreck near the site. Does'nt this mean that the site is protected and that salvaging isn't permitted?

Thanks, Joe

 

[Pulltab Parson]

not necessarily, it all depends on whether or not the site has been declared a state historic site and covered by state park regulations. Most road markers are just that, road markers usually placed by the local historical society or state society. That being said, this varies from state to state.

HH
PTP

 

[73dguard]

Besides the marker, as in this case with human remains present, this feels like looting a cemetery.

 

['bulaDirtDog]

From the site of the accident, downstream to Lake Erie is only about 2 miles. I would think that after 136 years of water and ice flowing downstream there shouldn't be to much(if any) human remains left at the site. Just my opinion. Happy Hunting!

 

[liftloop]

hows the fishing on the river
any chance catching diner when your there.

 

['bulaDirtDog]

hows the fishing on the river
any chance catching diner when your there.

HaHa, Not at this time.....river was still ice covered the other day.

 

[MoparOhio]

I am very familiar with Ashtabula. I want to go to the site of the bridge. I know where it is but the question becomes where does one park to be able to walk down to the bridge? In looking at Google Earth the Catholic Church has a large parking lot that backs up to it... is there an access point from there? Also, where is the Historic sign about the train wreck located? Is it on Lake Ave by the train bridge?

 

[Rev.ViLe]

Does anyone know any updates on this? I want to go next week and see if I can find any gold that spilled in the river. Has anyone ever tried to look for it? Would any of the gold still be there in the river? Also I read somewhere about three guys robbing a bank in Canada and came to ohio. One man shot two of the men and buried the gold under a big oak tree. Does anyone have any whereabouts of where that might be? Or any updates/leads? Thanks

I've found gold in the Ashtabula River nothing major and not much. But not in the form you are thinking. The train wreck gold I believe to be a hoax. I think it was never loaded on the train and was stolen. The train wreck was on purpose as the distraction. I've never heard the Canandian Bank robbery story. But then again there is a lot around here hidden. Lot of things have been swept under the rug.