New-York daily tribune., 1856-07-18
APPALLING DISASTER.
COLLISION
On the North Pennsylvsnia Railroad.
AN EXCURSION TRAIN WRECKED.
SEVERAL CARS BURNED.
Nearly Fifty Lives Lost.
From The Philadelphia Bd,eGs o. July II.

About O'Clock Idle morning tue hppflnuP utc"f
genee reached the city that coli-ion had occurred
upon the North P nnsy sylvana Railroad, between the
,.eu ar morning train from Gwynedd and and an e1'
cursiop train II at left the city at O'Clock this morn
irg With large party of school children with their
teachers &c.
tt particulars, far have been able to CLEAN
them from reliable sources, are as follows:
At S o'clock this moroing specis train OF ten cars
left the Master street Depot ~ith the school' OF St.
Micbsels Roman Catholic Church, in Kensington.
The excursion party consisted Of between FIVE and SIX
b,indIed persons, the great majority of whom we're
chiioren They intended proceeding to Fort Washing.
ton fourteen and half miles FROM the city, where they
were to enjoy picnic
Owing 10 the number Of care and the weight Of the
trsip, thers was some delay, and the conductor. Mr.
Alfred f. Hoppel fipdiug himself behind time, pushed
forward with great rapidly when toward the end OF
bis trip. ,
The regular passenger train for the city left Gwynedd
at 6 O'clO k, and reached Camp Hil at o'clock ana
ls minutes Finding the excursion train bad not yet
arrived Mr. VIM VanatavOren, the conductor, deter
mined not to wait for il, and bis train was moving
soig when the expected tram came thurderItg on
aronnd o cuIve at the rate OF 80 miles an hour
collision of course ensued with the most appalling con-
The down train escaped without serious damage, but
the scene presented by the excursion tra'n w.s fearful
Ibe II rec ward OF thc utln WEIR
petey to pieces and the wreck-Inngling with that OF
the locomotive-took FIRE, aid tbe aaDes communicated
to the other cara of the train The two next cars after
the tbrt that were wrecked outright TOOK nre ana
were entirely cot sumec.
The inmates of toe three forward cars wera com
plet+y mixed no with the wreck, and large numb
1T then were killed outright. There were probably
y persons in each of the three cara, and the Test
tstiuste we beard fix the number Of killed at dfy,
While it feared the dread aggregate would reach
hundred.
When our informant left the spot, every effort wa.
being mace to the wounded and The 10 iee OF
the dead from the wreck. Everything was il the
widest confusion, and it was OF course Impossible,
unoer the circumstance, TO arrive with any &c 'anty
at the Dumber Of the victims or to pretend 10 OBTAIN
any particulars as to their nam's. 1890
Mr. Hoppel, The couducto,, eecaped with very little
iIuy. Harry Hsrris, the ergn' er OF the excursion
train, was cut tn pieces and killed instantly and John
DagaIe the fireman. is among the missing, aad II Is
believed he il uLder the wreck.
As soon ss the drea6fu. intelligence reached the city
a car Was d. tatched wi all UOssible speed from the
Master street depot with physicians aud other assis
tance.
One of our reporters, on teariog the news, immedi-
at.y repaired to the Office Of the Com Jauy. at Font
eno Willow streets but the 10 O'Clock train had just
left the station.
he then procef ded along the line of the road to the
outer depot Of the Company where he founc the ice
President and eDg eer of the o.c at the depot,
which was surrounded by Thousands of excited raen
Snd wOmen.
He was informed that an attempt had been made to
serd band cars along the read to the OF the acc
dent, but they hao been INN edately surrounded by
the mob and the police ard the employ OF the Com
paDy had the uimOrt difficulty In keeping them from
being rur off with.
The excitement at the Willow stree. Staten wss
also intense. Excited crowds were eagerly inqurng
for the latest Intelligence from tre scene, whs those
who had cbicren the ifsec train were Ia the moet
dreadful condition of suspense.
The news of the accident having been widely crcu-
late d. q large ruuber Of persons who imagined tier
fieDds might be among the uted also PROCEEDED to
the OuteI station. .
The excitement auong the pedestrians, tie majority
Of whom females, appeared to increase as the!
reached the Cobocksinc etstion.