The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-15
A Locomotive Demolished ON
the OvvegO Grade.
One Nan Killed, Several Fatally Injured and
Several Missing.
Great Excitement at Suse
Quehanna.

SUsoUEHANNAH DEPOT Pa, Feb. IA, 1872.
About eight O'Clock last night the authorities
about the Erie depot ut this place, well as the en-.
Tire village. were attracted by the loud and cOntn-
ued whistle or locomotive coming down the grade
east of the station and by bright light In the east.
The headlight OF the locomotive soon became
visible, and 1t was seen 10 be approaching at fear
full rate. IL stopped AZ the depot and the
engineer, as well as his excitement and
apparent fright would permit him. stated
TO the astOnshed crowd that had assembled
that pusher engine PSI, which left the place to-
gether with the engine which had just ar-i
rived, behind extra freight 80 few mnutea
before had exploded about three miles up :hd
grade, and nine persons on the engine and caboosd
ahead OF II had been Killed.
TIE Widest EXCITEMENT AT ONCE PREVAILED. \
surgeon and a number OF citizens we're al oncof
sont to the scene OF the reported disaster by the ra
road officials Upon arriving there fearful seemed
| met their sight. Down bank thirty feet laid the4
| demolished locomotive, and in the glare Oh
burning freight and oil cars laid four prostrate{
| forms, one of them CHASTITY In death. Althoughk
the report OF the engineer at Susquenanna noH
found to be strictly true. The disaster was yet a
fearful one.
THE PARTICULARS
as given by one OF the tranmen are as fOllows:-
Extra train, No. So Minor Reyes, conductor, LETT
Susquehalna about haf-past seven O'clock.t
| Will tuc puSHcI NJ. FOL anu uuOLucr
one to help her up the grade. The grade Is ABOUT
seventy-nve feet to the mle and to raise It freight
trains are obliged to have the aid OF moro
| pushers, engines without tenders and very
powerful ones, too. When about half way to
| the summit the boiler OF PSI exploded, the
break occurring IN front, in the under side.
This lifted the locomotive bodily from the rails and
sent IL several feet the air and then down the en-
bankmenr throwing 1t completely around so ID
| faced the station.
THE sCALDTNG STEAM
was sent rushing into the cabOOse ahead
| where Conductor Reyes, his nagman ana four
brakemen, were sitting. The rear pushers, with
full head Of steam closed the space left by the
exploded engine, and crashed into the caDOoseI
That any OF the inmates escaped death
does not seem possible but beyond very
severe scalds on hands and faces by the steam no
injury was done to them. AS soon rs they recov-
cred from their confusion the conductor and his
men, as well as they could, commenced an investi-
gallon OF the disaster and its results.
THE DEAD.
Lying several feet from the track, dead and
mangled they found the body OF Patrick Mccoy, OF
Deposit, o brakeman,
THE MANNED AND scALDED.
On one side Of the track an old man was found
| with two ribs broken and q large hole
| cut In one OF his legs. On the other side
1
| less mangled These two were on their way home,
| at the Summit, ana, standing upon The rear plat
form OF the caboose at the time Of the accident,
! were hit by piece OF the boiler. MI
chael Carey, the engineer OF the fated loco
| motive, was found short distance away,
| sitting with his head In his hands. Upon being
| spoken to he looked about with absent and con-
| fused air and asked where his engine was. His
head badly cut. and he had no consciousness
| whatever OF the accident
| Charles Underwood, the fireman, found in
| the caboose of the locomotive, down the bank,
| crushed and scaded, but alive. He carried up
| the bank, and made easy as possible.
boy who was riding on the pusher was also
carried down with 1t, but escaped injury.
Charles Dean, Frank BloKer, Michael Fritz and
Patrick Connolly were badly scalded.
A boy who was standing on the platform OF the
caboose near the Old man who was so badly hurt,
Is missing.
THE TRAIN ON FIRE.
A few minutes alter the explosion
the caboose caught fire, which commu.
nicated to an oil can adjoining 1t. But for the ar
rival of the mail train IRON the East, which had
been tagged too soon to prevent q still greater
disaster, the whole train would have been de-
stroyed as the locomotive was unable to move 1t.
The engine Of tile mail train was detached and
coupled the engine OF the freight train, and tho
burning cars being separated the others were
moved out OF danger
TIE DEAD BODY OF MCAY
and the injured persons brought to this sta.
ton.
What led to the explosion Is as yet unknown.