The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-07-23
MOST APPALLING CALAMITY!
ON the North Penn. Railroad
TERRIBLE LOSSEOF LlFE!t

About nine o CLOCK last Thursday morn
ing, The appalling intelligence startled PhiIa.
delphia that frighlfui disaster had occurred
from collision upon the North Pennsylva.
MA Railroad, between the regular .morning
train from Gwynedd, and an excursion train
which left the city about 5 o'clock, A. NJ,
with a very large party of scholars, their
teachers and friends. Our Reporters were
Immediately despatched to the scene of the
fearful occurrence, and gathered the follow
ing details: o. .is.
Al Eve o'clock in the morning special
train Of cars left the Master street Depot,
with the scholars of St. MichaeI's Roman
Calbolic Church, in Kensington. The excur.
sion party consisted OF between five and six
hundred persons, the great majority of whom
were children, They intended proceeding
to Fort Washington, fourteen and half
miles from the city, where they we're 10 en-
Joy a picnic.
Owing 10 The number of the cars, and the
weight Of the train, there was some delay,
and the conductor, Mr.. Alfred F. Hoppel,
finding himself behind time, pushed forward
with great fapidity when towards the end
OF his rip.
The regular passenger train for the city
left Gwynedd at six o'clock, and reached
Camp Hill at six O'Clock and eighteen min
| uies. Finding the excursion train had not
yet arrived, Mr.. VIM. Vanstavoreu, the Con-
ductor, determined not 10 wait for il, and his
train was moving along when The expected
train came laundering on around curve, at
the rate of thirty miles an hour. A col
lision Of course ensued, with the most aP-
palling consequences.
The passengers in the down train escaped
without serious damage, but the scene pre-
sented by the excu rsion train was fearful
The three forward cars of the train were
crushed completely 10 pieces, and the wreck,
mingling with that of the locomotive fire,
communicated TO the o.her cars of the train.
The two next cars after the three that were
wrecked outright took fire, ard were entirely
consumed.
The inmates of the three forward care
were completely mixed up with The wreck,
and largo number of them we're killed in
s,anlly. There were probably fifty persons
in each Of the three cars, and The lowest es-
innate as heard fix the number killed al fifty
while i, was feared the dread aggregate
would reach one hundred. .......
As soon as the dreadful intelligence reach.
ed the city car was dispatched with all
possible speed from the Master street depot
with physicians and other assistance.
The excitement at the Willow street and
Master street Station House was most in.
tense. Thousands of excited persons were
eagerly nquiring for the lates, intelligence
from the scsne, while those who had chill
dred on the il-faied train were in the most
dreadful condition Of suspense.
| Eleven hodies of men and women, and
J two children, were found burnt 10 Death in
ore cur. Tne names are UNKNOWN. They
were caught under the side of one OF the
cars anc roasted alive.
The mutilaleG remains of four men and
women and child were dug from beneath
the engine and tender.
The remains of six other bodies were
raked out Of the ashes and placed on the
grass opposite 10 were the accident happen
| ed.
The conductor of the down train, we un.
derstand, committed suicide on Thursday,
after the accident, swallowing arsenic. He
was probably driven to this rash aci by the
fear that the blame of the terrible calamity
would be thrown upon him. He liS2 in
Buttonwood street, above Tenth.