Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-04-21
DREADFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Seventy Persons Killed and Wounded
Seven Bodies Consumed.

NEW YORK April 15.-One of the most
terrible disasters on record occurred early
this morning, thirteen miles west of Port
'Jervis. on the Erie Railway. The cars were
thrown off the track by the breaking of
rail and precipitated down an embankment
seventy>fye feet high. Thirteen dead bodies
are at Port Jervis depot, and ffty-two of the
injured are at the Port Jervis hotels. Two
more have not yet arrived. Mr.. Lynch, the
sleeping car conductor, estimates that seven
bodies are consumed, but it cannot be verified
until the wreck is removed:
The officers of the company took the wound
ed to the Port Jeryis hotels, and everything
possible has been done for their relief.
LATER.
The following particulars of the terrible
accident on the Erie Railroad have been re-
ceived from passengers on the train, who have
arrived in this city:
left Buffalo yesterday afternoon in charge of
conductor ] Judd and Charles Douglass, Super
intendent of the Division, and consisted of
engine and tender, 8 sleeping, 2 LIST class, and
l I'd class, 2 baggage and l postal cars.
The train proceeded on time, making the
usual stoppages until evening, when the pas,
seugers in the sleeping cars retired for the
night About three thisA. NJ. Messrs. Ames
and Morton, of the General Postofice in this
city, who were in charge of the postal car,
saw the bell rope straighten out and break,
when Mr.. Judd Immediately remarked to one
of the officers that he had lost his rear car.
They ran to the platform of the car, when
the four rear cars were seen rolling down
precipice from IS to 100 feet high The
scene of the accident is thirteen miles beyond
Jervis, on the Delaware division of the road.
The sides of the precipice are formed of
jagged rock, and in the descent the cars were
broken to pieces. At the bottom is culvert
through which flows stream emptying into
the Delaware. The disaster was caused by a
broken rail, which threw the rear car imme-
diately in front, and the whole were precipi-
tated down the embankment Conductor j udd
and Division Superintendent Douglass were
slightly injured. The cars in going over the
embankment turned several times before the
bottom was reached, and were nearly de-
molished. The sleeping car was entirely
consumed by fire. The passengers imme-
diately began to rescue the wounded and to
remove the bodies OF the killed. Many of the
latter could not be recognized. Seven persons
were burned to death and six were killed by
coming in contact with jagged rocks, &C.
The wounded persons were placed on the train
and brought to Port Jervis, which place was
reached at 9 this morning.
Several surgeons were Immediately sum-
moned and everything was done to alleviate
the sufferings of the injured. The bodies of
the killed were left on the ground.
Daviel P. Snow was injured and his wife
and one of his children killed. Three chill
dreu escaped with lyslight injuries.
STATEMENT Of SURVIVOR.
Mr.. G. 3. Hollenbach, Morris, Illinois,
left Cleveland yesterday morning, and while
in the first of the sleeping cars was awakened
between three and fouF. o'clock this morning
by jerk, with conclusion and subsequent
rolling Of the car down the embankment.-
On the cessation of the motion screams of
fright and pain arose from several women and
children occupying the car who had not held
as tenaciously to their berths as the male
passengers. He received a few Commissions
but was unconscious of them at the moment,
and, in company with others, at once left the
car and surveyed the scene. The car had
rolled on an inclined plano down bank and
stopped at distance of 100 feet from the road
Fearful shrieks arose from the central and
last sleeping cars. The former had fallen
perpendicularly fifty feet from the culvert
into small stream below, and the latter had
rolled similarly, but had caught fire from
cinders in the stove. Both were much
shattered, and blows from fragments as the
cars broke contributed much towards the
injuries sustained.
Attention was Immediately given to extri-
eating the sufferers, and the engine, baggage
err and smoking car and one other passenger
car went to Port Jervis and transferring the
passengers, baggage and mail to another train,
Immediately returned for transportation of the
wounded
Mr.. Hollenbach reached this city about
II 30 to-day, together with about dozen
others who had been slightly hurt, and whose
accounts corroborated his own.
Mr.. Fairman, senior partner of the Elmira
Advertiser, was among the wounded.
BY the, latest dispatches received at the
Erie Railway Office, in this city, it appears
that twenty persons are dead and fifty wound
ed, OF the latter ten are seriously, if not
fatally injured.
Physicians will leave the City Hospital for
Port Jervis this evening, to assist in taking
care of the wounded