The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-02-08

son, Lawrence Mooney, brakeman, al
Of this city. .--- -
The following additional particulars
have been obtained in this city from an
eyewitness
The freight tram which caused the
accident consisted Of about 25 cars
most of which carried tanks filled with
oil. Before leaving Albany every ca,
was carefully inspected by workmeu
and no defect was discovered. When
the train reached the wooden bridge
over Wappinger creek, at New Ham,
burg, about eight miles below Pough.
keepsie, sudden shock passed through
the entire train, almost throwing it from
the track. Upon examination it was
found that the axle Of the 10th car lad
broken. The car was thrown on one
side and struck against the framework
of the bridge and lay total wrick upon
the track.
Almost at the same moment, and be.
fore a signal or note of warning could
be raised, the express train, which left
this city at 8 o'clock, came rushing
along at the rate of thirty miles an
hour. The engine struck the wrecked
car with terrible force, setting fire to
the oil, scattering the infiammable ma.
terial and burning fragments Of the cal
in all directions. The force Of the col
lision instantly threw the engine over
the bridge into the creek The ice was
very thick at the time, but unable to
bear the weight of the locomotive
which broke through and sank. The
tender of the engine also fell into the
creek. Immediately behind the engine
were two baggage cars, which were fol,
lowed by sleeping car full Of passen-
gers. The flames from the oil tank
soon set fire to these cars, which, after
striking the wreck, fell into the creek
a burning mass 1t is said that some
passengers in the sleeping car succeeded
in La ping from the car in time to save
themselves from death, but the rest
were carried with the car over the
bridge, and were either drowned or
burned to death. The body of p. II.
Vosburgh, conductor of the sleeping
car, was afterwards found, with the
lower eXtremities away.
AS soon as the particulars OF the dis
aster reached the city, Superintendent
J. NJ Toucey started for the scene, and
has since been engaged with large
body of men in searching for the bodies
of the unfortunate passengers. 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 those burned to death
In one corner of the car a heap of
charred and blackened bodies were
found, but so disfgured that identified
ton was impossible From the ap-
pearance 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 mis-
erably perished. Three bodies, appar-
emily those of mother and her two
children, of which the arms yet remain
ed, were discovered closely embracing
each other, and it is surmised that, find
ing egress impossible, they had resolved
at last to die together.
Behind this car, which was from
Buffalo, were two other sleeping cars,
which were also totally destroyed by
fire. The passengers, however, many
of whom were but partly dressed, sue
ceeded in saving their lives. Many OF
the cars OF the freight train, together
with the baggage they contained, were
also burned.
Lawrence Mooney, the brakeman
among the killed, was discharged from
the road month ago, and was rein
stated in his position about two weeks
ago, at the urgent request of his
mother
The noise occcasiOned 10y the explo-
sion of the oil tank was heard for a
great distance, and the flames Of the
wrecked cars and burning bridge could
be seen many miles. The bridge over
Wappinger creek was a wooden struc-
ture of about two hundred feet in
length, and was totally destroyed.
Many persons from Poughkeepse
and New Hamburg, as sonn as the
news of the accident reached those
places, hurried to the scene, and by
their efforts succeeded in giving relief
to many of the passengers who were
injured. This morning baggage car
was turned into a temporary morgue,
and as fast as the mutilated bodies
were removed from the wreck they
were carefully transferred to the car
and a guard placed over them. ,
Many OF the Oldest conductors and
enc:neers on the Hudson River road
unite in saving that the scene presented
AT the place of the disaster this morn
inc was the most terrible they had ever
witnessed.