The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-16
RAILWAY DISASTER.

The tCOlisiOu on the Erie lIkniIrond Yesterd,y
-SiN Persons Killed aud Several Ininred2
Three ofthe Bodies Burned-FuII PnrticuInrs
Ofthe Catastrophe.
Yesterday a telegram to us announced the
disaster on the Erie Railroad, at Cars Rock.
In addition to the details given in that des-
patch, the following were received, but too
late for our yesterdays ssue-
New YoRK, July IA terrible disaster
occurred this morning on the Erie Railway.
The following are the PARTICULARS
The disaster occurred at Mount Hope depot.
twenty-nine miles from Port Jarvis. and is
believed to have been caused by the mis-
placement of the spur switch.
Train No. 3 ran into engine No. 275. at
tached to The first express train. The engine
of No. was thrown from the track The cars
piled upon the engine and immediately took
fire All but the last three coaches of the
train were destroyed. In the smoking car
were number of emigrants going West, four
of whom were instantly killed. Three of the
bodies were consumed by fire.
The Rev. Benjamin b. Halleck. of No 500
d. Fourteenth street, was in the smoking car
and was burned to death.
1t is surprising, from the nature of the ac-
cldent, that so few passengers were injured
The number of wounded is reported by tele-
graph, to the Erie Railway officers, as not
more than three or four. OF these, Erastus
Nu6uJOu WIS SlBnIly injured III one OF MS
feet, and Daniel Baur was burned and iammed
in the wreck The father of the latter was
burned to death.
The engine of No. 3 was almost entirely
destroyed by fire. One mall one express
one baggage, two day coaches, and one sleep
ing car were entirely destroyed. The officers
of the road and the citizens of Mount Hope i'm
= mediately turned out, and set to work extr-
eating the passengers, removing the injured
1 and searching for the bodies of the dead
Part of the mails were burned, including the
through, way, and registered mails. Out of
$50 pieces of baggage only II were saved
The remainder destroyed by fire or
ground up in the wreck The messenger
succeeded in saving the safe from the express
j car, which is all of its contents that could be
got out.
| Information of the accident was immedi-
| ately telegraphed to the officers of the Erie
Railway i'll this city. The latter gave orders
2 to have train made up without delay to
4 convey surgeons to the scene of the disaster
and also to take every article that might be
required to alleviate the sufferings of the
injured This was done, and at last accounts
| the injured were reported to be doing well.
A rigid investigation into the cause of the
accident will be begun at once by the officers
of the road and if it shall be found that it
was caused, as it is reported, by misplaced
switch, the guilty person or persons will be
was entirely cleared by nine o'clock this
morning, and trains are now running regu-
larly.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
One of the passengers gives the following
account of the disaster:-Left New York at
$50 p. NJ, and took berth in the sleeping
\ car next to the rear Car. There were -four
sleeping and five other cars in the train. AT
11'45 he was awakened by jerking motion,
and found the speed was Stacking but did not
feel apprehensive of going off the track In
quiring what was the matter he was told the
| engine had run into freight train. He got
up and went out, and found the flames burst
ing out of Mount Hope station house, and the
baggage-cars next to the locomotive were also
on fire.
Il He found that freight train which should
have been waiting a siding on the left OF
the road this side of the station, and started
on before the arrival of the express, had the
engine of the former had not reached thu
main track when it was struck by the locomo
tive of the express train, which was running
at the rate of forty miles an hour. The en-
gine of the freight train was standing on
I frog, and was SO firmly fixed that it was no
misplaced. The engine of the express trail
struck the station house, to which it set fire
and then turned round and went off the trac
i headed east, and the tender went to the righ
headed west. The express car went down
hill towards the river; the first passenger ca
telescoped into the baggage car, and tn
whole train was burned, the three sleepin
cars only excepted. Only dozen pieces c
baggage were saved.
\ The freight engine stood locked into tn
passenger engine, and, after vain effort t.
extinguish the flames with water carried froI
1 the river, the passengers moved the frelgh
cars east Two cars were moved at time
many of them loaded with oil. At 1'30 A. N
there was no engine at the scene of the acc
dent, and some of the passengers were sutfe
ing terribly from wounds, and others wei
past all pain. At 6 A. M. nine dead bodiC
could be counted. Some distressing scene
of suffering occurred, and there were som
remarkable escapes. The engineer of the e.
press train stood bravely at his post, an
n turned over several times with his engine, bl
fortunately escaped injury.
The Rev. Mr. Halleck told his brother-il
law he was not hurt at ALL but was wedged Il
His fellow-passenge used efforts to say
him, but he died slow, agonizing death
the presence of sympathizing friends, wi
were unable to help him.
young German said his father W
burned, and when the ruins OF the smokil
car were removed, he recognized the renal
of his father by his watch.
The disaster is attributed to the carelet
I ness of the engineer of the freight tram, w
started out before the express train h
passed him. 1t is said he has made hims
n ! scarce The management OF the road
4 I severely criticized by all who saw the ac
dent, there being, it is reported, no disciph
*s# among the subordinate officers OF the road.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.