The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-24
TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Collision on the Pittsburgh n and Con.
nelIsviIle RaiIroad-A Man KILLED
and HIS Body Burned Up-Other
Persons Injured.


nellsville Railread-A Man Killed
and HIS Body Burned Up-Othei
Persons Injured.
Our community was startled on Sat
nrday morning last to learn that a
serious accident had occurred the day
before on the line of the Pittsburgh and
Connellsyille railroad, at q point near
Bidwell station, about sixty-nine miles
west OF Cumberland, which had resulted
in the death OF a very worthy man, Mr..
Moses Collins, mail agent on the Pitts
burgh and Connellsville road, between
Cumberland and Pittsburgh; and the
injury Of several other persons, and the
destruction of considerable property.
Although the disaster occurred at !
o'clock P. NJ, on Friday, it was not
permitted to become generally known,
and it Was = o clock on Saturday morn
ing before the people in this city began
to hear Of it from passengers over the
road who had just arrived. The railroad
officials, as uaual in such cases, endeav-
ored 10 keep the affair As secret as pos
sible, hut it is an old saying that "mur-
der will ont, and at last some account
of the horrible disaster vas detailed by
persons not connected with :he road. to
the following effect
The mail train which lett Cumber
laud tor Pittsburgh at $40 A. NJ. on
Friday, consisting OF one oyster car, one
mail, one baggage and express car, and
two passenger coaches. colllded with a
freight train coming east at point
about sixty-nine miles west OF Cumher.
land, by Shich both engines and a
number OF cars were badly wrecked,
and the oyster car, and the mail, bag
gage and express car, together with
nearly all their contents. were consumed
by fire.
But the most terrible, heart sickening
part OF the account was that Mr.. Moses
Collins, United States mail agent on the
train, had beeu crushed to death and
his body almost wholly consumed in
the fire which followed the disaster.
The trains were running at full speed,
and az they neared each other the
alarm was sounded, but too late TO avoid
a headlong and terrific collision. The
engines reared up against each other
like living animals in conflict; the
oyster car telescoped with the mail car,
crushing and shattering it into splinters,
and the stove in the mail department
setting TIE fragments on fire the wreck
of both cars, together with the mail,
baggage and express irei ght, were
totally consumed The safe only of
the Adams Express company ""o Hc I
l,r.>, ""n' tri, r'o'r;"', WY ''""'t ~ pe
almost wholly uninjured. Not even
the BODY OF poor Collins could be |
rescued. although efforts were made TO
reach it, and his comrades were com
pelled to stand hv ani see it consumed |
bv the flames. Miraculous indeed was
the escape OF Mr. Cooke, (the baggage |
and express man, and a news boy
who were in the i'll iatcd car at the
time. They were both knocked to the
rear end OF the car, rom whence they |
made their escape, slightly injured, 10y |
crawling ont at the top, the root having
been torn off by the force OF the COLI
sion. One brakeman had his leg |
broken, and some OF the other employees
on the trains were more or less hurt,
but no passengers were injured. The
engineers and iiremen on both Iocomo-
tives Jumped from them in time to save
their lives.
The cause OF the accident, il is SAID
is attributable to the freight conductor,
a very Young man. who states that his
watch was out OF order, or had stopped.
He was out of his time some forty min
utes, so we have heard it said.
Be it as it may, somebody has been
guilty Of the grossest negligence, and
we hope the matter will be brought TO
light, and the culpable parties held to
accountability and thus prove warn
ing, and thereby avert similar catastro-
phcS in future.
Mr.. Collins had been recently ap-
pointed postmaster at CoDnell'vllle, and
FRIDAYS trip was to have been his last
as mail agent Poor fellow, how fear
fully was it indeed his last trip. We
learn that he leaves a wife and family
residing in Fayette county, Pa. lie
WAS about tty-four years old, and is
spoken of as having been good citizen
and Trustworthy ofiicial.-C"m5fr'nn"