AWFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 232, 8 December 1888, Page 2

AWFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES. THE VICTIMS TERRIBLY MANGLED. 67 KILLED-100 WOUNDED. London, Oct 12. A feaiful collison occurred on October 10, on the Lehigh Valley Railway, Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of 67 persons, while over 100 were wounded. The scene of the disaster is a small station, Mud Run, between While Haven and Pennelan. Eight thousand excursionists, returning from a Roman Catholic temperance parade at Hamilton, were being conveyed in three trains. The first consisted of nine carriages, the second of ten, and the third of twelve. The first train went through all right. The second was waiting for the line ahead to be clear, when the third dashed into it full speed. Both trains were densely crowded, and the loss of life was terrible. The shock drove the rear carriage of the stationery train into the carriages ahead. Not a single person escaped alive from the rear carriage. The second carriage was also left with a MISB OF MAIMED AND BLEEDING BODIES, while from the third carriage only a few escaped. The terrifiad passengers who were uninjured hurried from the carriages to the spot where the two carriages were lying, A frightful scene met their eyes. The shattered locomotive was pouring forth streams of steam and water, which added to the horrors of the disaster, while the escaping sound deadened the shrieks and groans of those who were imprisoned. Some of the dead sat erect in their seats. The timber of the rear carriages was crushed and wrenched, while on all sides hung mangled bodies and limbs. A few bodies which were not mangled were burned and scalded by steam. Those who were uninjured began at once to do what they could for their unfortunate companions. A young lady was found caught by her legs. One leg was quickly released, but the other could riot be freed, and a misdirected blow of an axe severed it from the body. She heroically bore the torture, and taking out a gold watch handed it to an acquaintance as a gift to a friend at home. She was put on to one of the trains, and received all possible care, but died in the arms of her friends. To free the bodies in the rear carriage a new locomotive was attached to the wrecked one, and it started to puli it out. The first movement brought from the wounded SUCH CRII’S OF DISTRESS that their surrounding friends ordered the engineer to desist on pain of his life. They did not wish to see the mangled forms still furthei mutilated. A few houses on the spot were thrown open to the sufferers, and bonfires were lighted to aid the work of relief. The passengers by the third train state that they saw the other train standing ahead of them when a long distance away, and they sprang from their seats, wondering why the speed of their train was not slackened. Suddenly they saw the driver and the stoker leap from the locomotive, and when the shock came both escaped slightly injured. The stoker says that he saw the red light of a lantern, which the stationary train had displayed as a signal. He shouted to the driver, and both jumped off. The accident is charged to the CARELESSNESS OF THE DRIVER, who had half a mile clear ahead in which the red light was plainly visible. He said that he had been on duty for 48 hours without rest, and had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Another account says that the crash was terriffic. Part of the wrecked train, with the maimed and dead entangled iu the debris, rolled down the embankment, which was from 60 to 80 f-et high, while the other cars remaine lon the track. The euuines scattered steam and fire upon the wreck so dreadfully that not even the appalling shrieks of the injured could keep the rescuers at work, until ONE B'IAVE MAN, risking an explosion of the boiler, drew the fires and prevented any further dinast-r. The work of rescuing the injured was proceeded with by the Lght of bonfires until daylight. In the m rning 40 doctors were in attendance upon the sufferers. Many singular and pathetic incidents are reported concerning this shocking disaster. One young worn tn, seeing the approaching train, leapt out ofe the car, but suddenly remembering that some children i<i her charge were in, she re entered the car to assist them, and was crushed to death. One man was left hanging from the roof of the car by a fractured leg, and his friends held him on their backs for two hours, until he was safely pleased.