A woman dubbed the ‘heirloom hunter’ has revealed her latest finding – a letter which appears to have been from a witness to one of the worst steam train crashes in US history.

Chelsey Brown, 28, from New York, US, finds diaries, letters, and family heirlooms and reunites them with the descendants of those behind them.

She recently came across a letter dating back to the 1800s and, after some digging, was shocked to discover what the contents were referring to.

The letter appears to be a first-hand account of one of America’s worst rail tragedies – the Great Revere Train Wreck.

The incident took place on 26 August 1871, and claimed the lives of around 29 people, injuring 57 others, according to an article in The New York Herald dated August 30, 1871.

The Massachusetts Railroad Commission investigation revealed the Eastern Railroad's Portland Express had slammed into the rear of a stopped local train at Revere, Massachusetts.

Despite only travelling at 10mph, the train’s ‘cow catcher’ would split the carriage in half, killing many passengers on board and leaving survivors trapped in the wreckage.

Local witnesses attempted to help survivors by prying the carriage apart, but a devastating steam explosion from the train's boiler would prove fatal for many onboard.

The lost letter appears to be written by a woman who witnessed the crash and saw her friend die.

“I couldn’t imagine watching that tragedy first-hand,” Chelsey, who runs podcast Time TravelHER, told NeedToKnow.online.

“[After finding the letter] I researched the train crash through MyHeritage.com. All I did was put in a date and location, and hundreds of newspaper articles popped up with information on the horrific event and day.

“As there are only first names in the letter, it took me a while to put all the pieces together and come up with potential families. I messaged a few potential descendants, but haven’t heard back yet.

“What’s remarkable about these items is that these are more than just ‘artefacts’ – they connect us with moments in history and prove certain events happened.

“These are also first-hand accounts of real people, feelings, and emotions. It’s like taking a time capsule back to the 1800s.

“This is why I connect with returning diaries and letters more than other artefacts: they tell you things no record ever could.”

Chelsey shared a clip detailing the sad find on Instagram, where her video racked up more than 1,700 likes.

One person commented: “What a tragedy. Thank you for sharing this and preserving this story!”

“This is horrific!! So glad they updated the newer trains. Can't wait to hear when you find her descendants!” commented a second user.

“This is such a tragic story,” wrote a third viewer.

“This is fascinating,” added another person.

Someone else added: “Omg so sad.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please note the case study has requested only the images supplied with this story are included as a term of use.

No previously supplied or archived images are permitted for use.

Digital press are kindly asked to include a hyperlink to Chelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citychicdecor/