Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-07-16
8Iisabstb 3aiIa @laonitor,
PUBLISHED AT 155 BROAD STREET, BY
J. MADISON DRAKE.
TERRIBLE CALAMITY
ACCIDENT ON ERIE RAILROAD.
MAST HOPE, Penn, July Is.

VI llleen lulutil DC1ubS heIc 6uuuSnly
crushed, bruised, mangled, and finally
burned to death, nothing but few
oharred remains being left for sepul-
ture. The facts Of this last and most
disastrous calamity in the annals OF
Erie Railway horrors are as follows:
Train No. 3, through night express,
left Jersey City at O'Clock on Wednes-
day night. The train consisted of 8
cars. The train arrived safely at Port
Jervis, the end of the Eastern division,
where locomotive No. 31S was attach
ed, of which Chas. Coffee was Engi-
neer; Henry Smith was the Conductor
The train sped swiftly along west
ward, the passengers having mostly
made themselves comfortable for the
night as they supposed, and little
dreaming of the terrible havoc which
was shortly to ensue. An extra to
freight train No. 80 lay i'll the long
switch at Mast Hope, waiting for the
express to pass. This was also bound
west, and it being q single track for
some miles along here, the freight
train had to make way for the express.
The conductor of the freight train was
j. S. Brown and the engineer James
Griffin. The train was drawn by loco
motive No. 275 The express train was
some % minutes overdue at Mast Hope,
it being then about IL o'clock, when
the engineer of the freight train, awak-
ing from comfortable nap, and presu-
ming, it is supposed, that the express
had gone by, reached out and pulled
the throttle Of his engine, and the train
slowly moved forward on to the main
track The engine had just reached
the "frog," and stood partially on the
main track, diagonally to it, when the
express train rounded the curve at q
tremendous rate, and quick as lightning
crushed into the freight engine, COM
pletely shattering the two locomotives,
and " telescoping" the forward cars on
tho passenger train into heap of ruins,
The passenger locomotive was over
turned, scattering the fire through the
splintered wreck, which speedily igni-
ted, and blazed up into brilliant con-
fagration The engineers and firemen
on both trains escaped with very slight
injuries, although how they escaped
they are themselves unable to tell
The only witness of this terrible col
lision was Edward Smith, the fagman
on the freight train, who was sitting
upon depot platform, and was injured
by the locomotive as it careened from
the track. The passengers in the rear
passenger cars, who were thoroughly
aroused by shock, at once rushed out,
and aided by the hands On the freight
train, endeavored to recuc the injured
passengers from the burning wreck.
The fire had gained such Roadway that
it was useless to attempt to check it,
there being no water near. The rear
cars of the train were showed back one
by one, three Of them being saved by
this means. The fire meanwhile COM
municated to the depot and telegraph
Office, which were likewise burned to
the ground. The heat became Sc intense
that it was impossible to tender much
assistance in extricating the dead and
wounded, and they were therefore left
to perish in the flames.
A German, who lives near the scene
of the disaster, was aroused by the en-
gineer of the train, and saw the flames
when they first burst forth from the
burning cars. AS he approached the
wreck he heard the most agonizing
screams issuing from the smoking car,
but they gradually died away as the
victims succumbed to the effects of the
fiery clement.
John Hunt, a resident of Waterford.
N. Y, had most providential escape
He had his leg broken and was jammed
between the seats. The flames had al
most reached him when, by the super
human exertions Of the bystanders, he
was dragged from the ruins, almost
suffocated by the smoke.
One of the most narrowing scenes of
the disaster was the death of the Rev.
d. B. Hallock, a Universalist clergy
man from New York City, on his way
to Syracuse. He was accompanied by
his brother-in-law, who made every eff
fort to save him, but without avail.
Mr.. Hallock was caught by the legs in
the crushed timbers of the smoking
car, and, and, although he was uninjur-
ed, and appealed piteously for help,
nothing could be done to save him
from his terrible fate.
The station is situated just at bend
in the Delaware River, around which
the roads few rods from the shore.
With the exception of the boilers and
Conclusion on inside page