Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-02-03
RAILROAD SLAUGHTER.
Terrible Accident on the Lehlgh VAL
ley Railroad.
An Entire Train Preeipitated down
an Embankment Firty Feet High
Seven Persons Instantly Killed
ana Fifteen or Twenty HORRIBLY
Manned. HrnNl.E

WlIKEsDARRr, PENN, February a.
The Immediate cause of the disaster on
the Lehigh Valley railroad on Thursday
morning was broken rail, over which
the locomotive, mail, baggage and first
messenger cars passed in safety, while
the two rear cars we're preclpitated
down the bank on the frozen river, kill
ing seven persons and injuring twelve.
The dead and wounded were speedily
carried away, trains having been sent
from Mauch-Chank and White-Haven, to
which places the wounded were carried.
The embankment is sheer plunge Of
fifty feet. Parts of cars were strown all
over the ice on the river. The killed
were all in the second car. Many in
the last car were badly injured, some
having been thrown Fifty feet over the
ice at the plunge. Miss Rosa Troxall
was taken to Whitehaven horei, where she
now lies in a critical condition. The
theory is expressed that a rail was broken
by the locomotive and thrown ont of
place by the two first cars enough to
force the two following passenger cars
to lump the track and break the link
connecting them They were thus forced
to plough some distance along the track
through a huge pile of rocks at the side,
and finally to roll and tumble down the
bank fifty feet to the river There they
stopped with a crash, but the momentum
was such that the roof of one car was
thrown completely off and carried rod
or so further on, while the other car was
broken in the middle and caught fire
from the stove. 4NA
The cars had. an average number OF
passengers in them, and the scene that
ensued was one of the most intense hor-
ror and agony. Men and women were
hurled and thrown from seats and lay
crushed and MANNED in mass, and the
most energetic exertions were demanded
for the rescue of many from the burning
cars. These exertions were happily sue
cessful, in so far that few, if any, were
burned, or even scorched.
Mrs. Proctorius, wife of L. Procto-
RUS, of this city, was injured so seriously
that she died within two hours. She was
on her way to meet her husband, ex-
pecting with him to attend wedding
party.
. The following lis a list of the killed:
Mrs. Proctorious, of Wilkesbarre; "A.
Smith. of the firm of Gordon 4 Smith,
Mrs. j. Miller, Tanney
Station; Mrs. Til and daughter, Reading,
Pa; Theodore Baxter, Arch street.
Injured: Sheriff Whit
.ker, Whitehaven, right arm badly
bruised, and several cuts about the head
md face; Judge Dana, Wilkesbarre, face
,adly cut; Miss Spayde, sister of DR..
,payde, of Wilkesbarre, face badly cut
md legs injured; Mr.. Wolfe, injured in
he throat by bolt passing through it,
rom which he cannot recover; Geo. A.
3raden, Whitehayen. head badly cut
md arm broken; James Morrison, White
raven, left shoulder dislocated and in
ured internally; Abner Kelsey, Hickory
Run, slightly injured; Fl. Fl. Gilcock,
lumber dealer, of Lists, fatally injured
" being thrown a distance of one hun
lred and fifty feet; Conductor Seigfried,
CASTOR, face badly cut and flesh Of one
lrm badly torn.
Several others were slightly injured.
drs. Til was found lying on the ice in a
wing condition, q large iron bolt having
,assed entirely through her body. An
tempt was made to remove it, but the
woman suffered such excru-
iating pain that they desisted, and it
ras not removed until she had died.
Ir. Caxter, of Philadelphia, was one Of
he number killed; his head was SO badly
nashed that in attempting 10 remove the
at part of the head came off with it,
CHASTITY sight.
An elderly man named Sampson, an
Id resident of Berkeley, was taking a
rink of water at the time of the acct
emit, and was violently pitched against
he water tank; he grasped one Of the
acks on the side of the car and main
aimed firm hold Of it until the car
truck the ice in the river, where he was
ound in an unconscious state. Restora-
ives we're applied and he soon regained
Consciousness, but the shock was so
reat il is feared he will not recover
NEW YORK.