The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-07-20
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painful and tragic character
Mast Hope. tie scene q the disaster
Is a station Of the Neu York and Erie
Rnlway. situated sb3u. sixteen miles
70 thc west q Port Jerus. and nine
milos beyond Cars Rock, tie scene 81
TIE terrible disaster q las, year The
station house il about ten rods from
lie Delaware River, ADD a steep dec.iy-
ity q about fifteen feet leads 10 the
waler
TIE night express train which left
New York at 80 n on Wednesday
loaded with emigrauts and 4 number
u other citizens. was due at Mast Hope
al little before II o'clock, midnight.
At Mast Hope freight train bad the
track at about this hour. but WAS d.
rer.od by telegraphic orders to ran OF
on side track until the express train
should pass Accordingly the freight
train was switched of, but was placed
upon the side track in such a careless
manner that when the express train
( No. 3 came dashing along, it ran into
the other train, and was instantly
thrown from tho track The engine
was quickly run into the ground and
stopped but not until it had been cap,
sized The other cars ran upon it, aud
all we're Immediately wrecked The
timbers at dice caught fire, aud some
Of the passengers were literally burned
to death. Those who were able crawl
ca from the wreck, and immediately
set themselves to work to extricato
their less fortunate fellow. passengers
The scene was heart-rending in the ex-
IRENE. The people Of the village spec
Oily gathered at the scene Of the dis
aster, and rendered every assistance in
their power to the carload Of suffering
humanity that had been thus suddenly
landed IN their midst The work Of
removing the dead and extricating the
living, and housing the latter and allie
WAITING their sutlerings as far as posi-
Bile, occupied the people all the rest Of
the night.
Among those killed is Rev Benz. b.
Halleck, Of No. 800 East Fourteenth
street, New York, who was in the smo-
king car, and was literally burned to
death, being uninjured otherwise, but
wedged by the timbers IN such man
ner that be could not be extricated He
had gone forward TO the smoking car
to enjoy cigar before retiring to the
sleeping car When the accident had
occurred, and the uninjured persons
in the train were enderyoring to rescue
those in the front cars, Mr. Halleck,
with great ealmness, directed the eff
forts OF the workers, but they were I'M
able to help him. Just before the
flames reached him, he told the persons
his name and residence in calm and
unexcited manner, They were finally
compelled to abandon him and the
other injured passengers to the flames,
and retire beyond sight Of the terrible
scene and hearing of the piteous cries
Of the suffering victims.
Among others who are known to have
been burned and injured are Erastus
Wheaton and Daniel Baur.
1t is reported that nine persons were
consumed in the smoking car among
them a woman aud three children, but
no names are at hand at this writing.
Our later dispatches from The scene
will probably contain the full list of the
lost and injured
The locomotive and cars constituting
express train No. 3 were almost alto
gether destroyed. The engine was con-
sumed, as far as it could be, by fire.
One sleeping car, two ordinary passen-
ger cars, the mail, express and baggage
cars one Of each we're completely de-
stroycd Most Of the mail was burned,
and all Of the baggage, Ll50 pieces, J
except eleven trunks and boxes The
only thing saved in the express car was
the safe, which the messenger succeed
ed in getting out. An immediate and
| rigid investigation Of the cause Of the
disaster will Immediately be made By
the officer Of the Company and by the
official authorities at Mast Hope, and
/ il is to be hoped that they viii not hold
| him guiltless whose carelessness has
resulted in such tegnae holocaust
STATEMENT or Mr.. a. ". GIBSON.
| Mr. Gibson, Of Loominster, Mass,
who was passenger on the train at
the time Of TIE accident occurred, de-
scribes il as follows
left Jersey City on the evening o.
the l4th, in the $50 express train
bound West There were quite a
number Of passengers on board. Every.
thing went right until we neared Mast
Hope about 1l40 O'Clock that night
AT that point the freight train going
West sas waiting our approach, but
bad not crossed the switch. SO that VIC
might pass on. Through the careless
ness Of its engineer, the engine attach