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 below. When they struck bottom; one of the wrecked cars was immediately engulfed in flames as the heating stoves in the coach spilled out coals and ignited its wooden timbers. The other car was badly smashed. About fifty people died at the bottom of the gorge or shortly thereafter; and dozens more were injured. Rescuers from the small rural community responded with haste; but there was almost nothing they could do but listen to the cries of the dying―and carry away the dead and injured thrown clear of the fiery wreck. The next day and in the weeks that followed; newspapers across the country carried news of the "Angola Horror;" one of the deadliest railway accidents to that point in U.S. history.In a dramatic historical narrative; Charity Vogel tells the gripping; true-to-life story of the wreck and the characters involved in the tragic accident. Her tale weaves together the stories of the people―some unknown; others soon to be famous―caught up in the disaster; the facts of the New York Express’s fateful run; the fiery scenes in the creek ravine; and the subsequent legal; legislative; and journalistic search for answers to the question: what had happened at Angola; and why? The Angola Horror is a classic story of disaster and its aftermath; in which events coincide to produce horrific consequences and people are forced to respond to experiences that test the limits of their endurance. Vogel sets the Angola Horror against a broader context of the developing technology of railroads; the culture of the nation’s print media; the public policy legislation of the post–Civil War era; and; finally; the culture of death and mourning in the Victorian period. The Angola Horror sheds light on the psyche of the American nation. The fatal wreck of an express train nine years later; during a similar bridge crossing in Ashtabula; Ohio; serves as a chilling coda to the story.
#1395822 in Books 1999-06-01 1999-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 1.32 x 5.50l; 1.46 #File Name: 0801047854580 pages
Review
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Abomination desolationBy Mens SanaThe persecution of Jewish religion by Antiochus IV Epiphanes has puzzled historians for many years; because the Syrians were generally very tolerant of other religions; as long as taxes were paid. So why did Antiochus outlaw the Jewish religion and profane the Temple? Some writers just gave up and characterized Antiochus as "mad." Tcherikover offers the first completely plausible explanation I've seen: the Jewish Hellenists (the Ahmed Chalabi's of their time) in Jerusalem suckered Antiochus into supporting their power grab. When the larger Jewish population refused to acquiesce; Antiochus; who had bought the Hellenist line; thought he was being rebelled against. As a result; he attempted to wipe out the enemies of the Jewish Hellenists. Thus; years of war and the "abomination that makes desolate." (The "abomination" is also a sore-thumb clue that the Book of Daniel was written in this period.)Tcherikover was one of the first historians to find the beginnings of the Hasidim in the period of the Hasmonaean revolt; and to trace the Hasidic party as it developed into the party of the Pharisees; which in turn formed the basis for the Rabbinate.So far; the only other title I've seen comparable to the Tcherikover is Emil Schürer's multi-volume; time-payment plan "History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ" (Geza Vermes' New English Edition). If you're on a tight budget; this is the one to buy.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A classic; written to be studied by all those who care about the co-relation between the Hellenic civilization and the Jewish.By Almir Lima AndradeA classic; written to be studied by all those who care about the co-relation between the Hellenic civilization and the Jewish world.I was very happy with the purchase. Delivery carried out successfully and within combined. A new safe option for me; I got in my house here in Brazil.I recommend both the book and the websiteAlmir30 of 33 people found the following review helpful. This Book is in the Wrong Place if it is not in your LibraryBy Kevin MorrowTcherikover introduces a new approach to the concept of "Hellenization" in the eastern lands of the Mediterranean world by approaching the topic from the historical situation prominent both in Syria and Egypt. Unlike other historians who deal with the pan-Hellenic campaigns of Alexander and the extensive results that Hellenism had in the Levantine countries of Syro-Palestine; Tcherikover introduces the concept of "dualism" that was a major factor in the relationship between the Greek elements and the ancient oriental elements. This provides a valuable perspective when considering the extent of Greek influence on Syria-Palestine during the Hellenistic Age. In light of the historical evidence; Hellenism encountered difficulty "taking root" in Syria-Palestine; and in some respects the Greeks were influenced more by oriental culture. This was due in large part to the establishment of cleruchies (katoikiai) or agricultural communities; inhabited with recruits from the army (p.20). Says Tcherikover; "The fate of the military settlers in Egypt demonstrated decisively that the oriental village was not only uninfluenced by the people of Greek culture . . . but possessed the power of fusing the stranger with itself . . . " (21).Tcherikover provides many important considerations as a means for understanding the ineffectiveness of Greek culture in Syria-Palestine. First; one must understand that the initial "bearers" of Greek civilization were not the "standard-bearers" of Greek cultural expression; neither were they its patrons. Rather; they were soldiers who became farmers and merchants (115). Following in their footsteps was a mixed group of traders; peasants; mercenaries and "undefined persons" without a fixed occupation (34). Says Tcherikover; "It is doubtful if they were capable of shouldering the great task of diffusing Hellenism among the eastern nations" (34). The second factor concerns the method of establishing Greek poleis; or more precisely; the conversion of ancient oriental cities into Greek poleis. First; every Greek town was founded near or on an ancient urban center. Secondly; the local population received all rights and privileges as Greek citizens. This was a part of the "international fusion" policy common with the Ptolemies and Seleucids in Syria-Palestine; for it had been the policy of Alexander. As a result of this "fusion;" the current culture; long established in the region had an overriding effect on the newcomers.Another good example of how ancient customs prevailed against Hellenism is provided in Tcherikover's discussion on Koine Greek. During the Ptolemaic regime; the Egyptian language prevailed and assumed the form of a "holy tongue" and the language of the common people. In the Hellenistic Fayum; natives frequently employed the assistance of interpreters when conducting "official" business or communicating with the authorities (21). Aramaic remained both the spoken and literary tongue in Syria (34). Several other examples involve the adoption of oriental religion and the naming of towns. With the latter; it was common for the ancient name to outlive the Greek name. In Jordan; Rabbath-Ammon (Amman) survived "Philadelphia" (101). In Israel; Paneas (Banias) survived "Caesarea Philippi" (101). For the most part; it can be said that the Greek appearance in this hybrid culture was generally Greek (speech of business; architecture); but the content (religious customs; art) remained oriental in origin. Says Tcherikover; "We must be careful not to set too high an estimate on the cultural value of the Greek towns of Palestine and on their influence over the country's population" (116).The "dualism" that Tcherikover expounds throughout the book is a most interesting aspect to the study of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Middle East. It is crucial when evaluating the history from both the side of the Greek elements that infiltrated the east after the conquests of Alexander; and the Oriental elements. This is not the usual topic among conversations about these particular time periods. As Tcherikover stated throughout the book; many people place too high an estimate on the cultural influences of Hellenism in the Middle East without commenting on the Oriental side of the issue. It is difficult if not impossible to weigh the amount of influence on either side; but Tcherikover provides an excellent treatment on the topic. I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for any serious study on the Hellenistic-Roman periods (334 BCE - CE 135).
