, 1872-12-07
1HELAsT RAILROAD HORROR.
Particulars Of the Fearful Dis
aster Near Mimin, Pa.
Five Persons Killed by the TelesC0ping
Of Sleeping Cars.
TWO Prominent Business Men OF Chicago
= Among the Victims.

Spcid1 Despatch to Tie Chicago Tribune.
new ORE, Dec Gas two Of the business
men of thieago lost their lives in the accident
on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, near
Milf in, lst night, add some particulars Of the
disaster; The fact that the rear section Of the
CincinnG Express ran into the front one Was
admitted How This came to be done, it Is i'm
possible. .or passenger definitely to determine.
It WIS SD that tie front section OF the train to
which to 5 P. n. Chicago train Of the night
previous YVES attached, left Altoona nearly IN
hour thind time, with the expecta-
ton hat the most OF it would
be made up before reaching Harrisburg. In
stead Of that, the engineer could not keep up
STEAM ssd at the time of the accident tho train
probably .was not making much over twenty
miles amour. The conductor of the rear Sec
tion stared, as usual, twenty minutes behind
the first, end suppoBing the train ahead was out
OF the wg, wes also running fast to make up
time. Tie collision occurred just before akort
bend, which, With the freight train just passing,
prevented the engineer Of section ffon seeing
the 1sd Lights on tho rear Of the train ahead
This$as the account given OF the canse of the
accident, but of course I'll Investigation will de-
nEmine the 5acte. Tho rear end Of Pullman Car
No. Is was no. injured very much by the stIlk-
ing Of the locomotive, hut the forward end Of it
at once mounted on the 'Plymoutt, :" te1escop-
ing with it some twenty feet. The wreck made
able. It was in the rear end Of the Plymouth
where, azuon5 the debris, Knowles Bacon. and
Daatz, wife and child lost their lives. It took
more than and hour to dig out their bodies. D.
got out without, it Is hoped serious Injury.
TloR. Thayer, wife and son, OF Elizabeth, n. j.,
were in the rear end Of the Plymouth. Mr.
Thayer and son escaped with some bruises how,
carght By beam, and it took more than an
hour to get her out. She was perfectly con-
scious, end gave directions to the workmen,
showing the greatest coolness and heroi6m- It
is thought she is not very seriously injured The
Several others we1- slightly injured.
The cars were heated by hot water, and hence
did not take fire. Had they done 80, Mrs.
Thayer must have persisted. The conductors Of
the attaches Of the train did all they could for
the sufferers. Southgate, Of the Plymouth, WAS
specially active.
Ihe community generally was deeply shocked,
yesterday morning, at the intelligence Of the
tragic fate of two weN-Lnown citizens, Matthew
Enosles, Esq, Of the firm OF Knowles, Cloyes
d c., wholesale grocers, and George F. Bacon,
grosers. These gentlemen, with several others
belonging to this city, we're in the sleepihg-car
on Thursday night when ths deplorable accident
on tie Pennsylvania Central Road occurred
Thy were en- route for New York, to settle up
SOM business TRANSACTIONS pertaining to the
now dissolved firm OF Knowles, Bndsau d Ba-
coz.
MATTHEW KNOWLES.
II: Knowles was tn Englishman by birth, and
can to this country poor boy, dependent upon
Lis tyn exertionB. The first few years Of his
life Is III adopted citizen were spent in New
-Yor4 from which city he removed to Chicago
-abot fifteen years ago, engaging in the sign-
JohIC. Knowles, after 3 brief experience IS q
eignoainter, be embarked in the grocery bIsi-
ness starting 3 retail store on kinzie street,
when the brothers prospered exceedingly: They
then moved to the corner Of Market and Ran
dolph ssreets, their old store being now occupied
byz T. Hall Their stay in this place was also
of thrte years. duration, during which tine they
were lso very successful IN business, making
abonA S50, 600 each,-a very large Gum for the
retaalkrocery business. In the year 1864, they
sold out their business, and Matthew Knowles
engaEd in the wholesale grocery business
N thetlrm Of Knowles, Cloyes d. Co., ut No. 145
!aoal3 street. Previous to the fire his health
gave Wy, End the an1ieties of business were too
oppressive. He withdrew from the firm, and
Went nto the real estate buRiness. The fire
ser1otsly embarrassed him, and, his health hav-
4l4plUFtu3 A6 4GLAIN9<l7 2IEGT t49 GQQuaEIa-
ton, 70 his old business, where he remained.
Mr. klowles IVES 36 years Of age, aad leaves a
wife, bnt no children. His life was insured for
$4,000 in the Etna, Of Hartford As merchant,
a2d honcr- As private individual, his qualities
OF mead a11u Aes-t won for him the esteem Of all
who had dealings "ith hi1n, and the warmest
friendship OF those who we're more intimate
with him. There are few men ID Chicago whose
untimely demise would be n1ourned With rs much
sincerity, and by as large number Ct pcrsuna
IS nov lament the death Of Matthew Knowles.
MR. GE0EGE F. BACON
was native of New York State, and & resident
OF Chicago for two or three years only. He was
Il years Of age; was married some four years ago
to the daughter Of Mr. Myriok- They have two
children. Mr Bacon spent a number Of years OF
his life in Peoria in the music-book business,
and was married few months before coming to
this city. As stated above he was associated
with Mr. Knowles in the grocery business two or
three years ago, since which time he has been g
member of the firm Of Willard Bacon d Co.,
wholesale grocers On Wabash ayenue, near Lake
street. Tie warm friendship existing between
him and 1lr. Knowles was due to mutual ap-
probation Of the shining business and social
qualities which were conspicuous in both, and
which secured for both gentlemen the warEest
1espeG and personal admiration.
4 lEETIS6
Of tia Board Of Grocers is to be held this moTn-
ing to express the sorrow of the members at
the untoTard event. The remains of the unfor-
this city last evening
PULLMAN ENTERPRISE.
How the Chicago Sleeping Car Man Over
came the Objection to Travelling win the
Hie Road-The Clifton Change Avoided.
The Erie Road, because OF the change at Cliff
ton, made necessary BY the difference in gauge
between it's track and the tracks Of the Western
=, uIaro 1uf,