The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-08
THE GREAT HORROR.
Hudson r. r. Accident.
Scenes of Death and Destruction
Crushed, Frozen, Burned, and Drowned.
Bed of Ice and Curtains of Fire.
Statements of Eye witnesses.
rs ANY One Responsible ?
The Carriage of Explosive Oils.
ETC.. Etc. ETC.. Etc.. Etc.
Etc. Etc.. ETC.. Etc.. Etc.
Later Particulars OF the Terrible Disaster mt
New HAMBURG,

Later Particulars of the Terrible Disaster Mt
New Hamburg.
The n. Y. Post of last evening says
The following particulars in regard to the
terrible accident on the Hudson River Railroad
have been obtained in this city to-day from eye
Witnesses
The freight train which caused the accident
consisted of about twenty-five cars, most of
which carried tanks flied with oil. Before
leaving Albany every car was carefully in
spected by the workmen, and no defect was dis
covered.
When the train reached the wooden bridge
over Wappinger's creek, at New Hamburg,
about eight miles below Poughkeepse, sudden
shock passed through the entire train, almost
throwing it from the track.
Upon examination il was found that the axle
of the tenth car had broken. The car had then
broken loose from is couplings, careensd on
oHe side, struck against the framework of the
bridge, and lay total wreck upon the up track.
Almost at the same moment, and before sig
nal or note of warning could be raised, the eX-
press train which had left this city at o'clock
came rushing along at the rate of thirty miles
an hour.
The engine struck the wrecked car with terri
BILE force, setting fire to the oil, scattering the
iufammable materials and burning fragments
of the car in all directions.
The force of the collision instantly threw the
engine over the bridge into the creek.
The ice was very thick at the time, but was
unable to bear the weight of the locomotive,
which broke through and sank.
ksThe engineer, f. III. Simmons, perished. His
body has not been found.
The tender of the engine also fell into the
creek. Immediately behind the engine were
two baggage cars, which were followed by
sleeping car full of passengers.
The flames from the oil tank soon set fire to
these cars, which, after striking the wreck, fell
over into the creek, burning mass. Some of
the passengers in the sleeping cars succeeded in
leaping from the car in time to save themselves
from death, but the rest, numbering, it is said,
from twenty to twenty-five persons, were car
w Dridpp
either drowned or burned to death.
p. H. Vosburgh, the conductor of the sleeping
car, was on board at the time, and body, sup
posed to have been his, was afterwards found,
with the lower eXtremities burned away.
AS soon as the particulars of the disaster
reached this city, the superintendent, j. NJ.
Toucey, started for the scene, and has since
been engaged with a large body of men, in
searching for the bodies of the unfortunate pas
sengers.
This morning the wreck was cleared away
from the sleeping-car, as it lay upon the ice,
and vigorous search was made for the bodies
of those passengers who might be crushed in the
wreck or of those burned TO death.
In one corner of the car a heap of charred
and backened bodies were foTnd, but so disli-
CURED that Identification was impossible.
From the appearance of the bodies it was
evident that the passengers at the time of
the accident had rushed in despair TO the
rear door of the car, and had there miserably
perished.
Behind this car, which was the "Buffalo
car, were Two other sleeping cars, winch were
also totally destroyed by fire. The passengers,
however, many of whom were but partly
dressed, succeeded in saving their lives
Many of the cars of the freight train, together
with the baggage they contained, were also
burned.
E. Laurence Mooney, the brakeman who was
on the sleeping car when it fell into the creek,
is missing, and Is probably among the killed
He was discharged from the road a month ago
and was Teinstated in his position about two
weeks ago, at the urgent request of his mother
AS near could be ascertaned at the hour O
writing the number of victims was twenty tC
twenty-five.
The noise occasioned by the explosion of the
oil tank was heard for great distance, and the
flames of the wrecked cars and the burning
bridge could be seen for many miles.
The bridge over Wappin gers creek was q
wooden structure of about two hundred feet II
length and is totally destroyed.
Many of the oldest conductors and engineer
on the Hudson river road unite In saying tina
the scene presented at the place of the disaste
this morning was the most terrible they haC
ever witnessed.
From the New York papers of this mornin,
we take the following additional particulars o
the disaster:-
STATEMENTS OF SURVIVORS.
The fireman of the passenger train, who save
his lie by Jumping from the engine before
struck the Oil-car, was severely injured abou
the head, having been struck by some shar
substance when he fell. His story is substan
(Engine No 54), which attached to th
second Pacific express train, that left New YOr
at 8 o'clock on Monday evening
We reached New Hamburg at about 10 2C
somewhat behind time. When approaching tn
drawbridge of that place an engine was ot
served upon the track but il excited no SUI
prise, nor did it lessen the speed of our train
as 1t was usual for locomotives to stop at thi
place snd take in water from tank. We sa'
danger signals flashing through the darkness:
Our train shot by the locomotive aud porto
of an oil train that was behind IL near tn
bridge, and went crashing through the rea
of it,
Simultaneously with the collision arose
blaze from the scattered oil that had igniteC
and soon everything was enveloped in flame;
Prior TO the collision l that the accideI
was inevitable, and before the train reached tn
bridge jumped from il and landed SON
ice. For half minute or so / was cOnscioU
and heard the shattering of the timbers th
descent of the locomotive and other cars OvG
Ihs uraw Into LAC water, tue blaze flashed upO
me- and then came q stuPor, from which ":