The New York herald., 1873-09-27
FRIGH7FUL RAILROAD COLLISION.
Two Engines on the Midland Road
Rush Into Each Other.
Freight Train and Passenger Train in De-
bris-Names Of the Woundsd-How the
Disaster 0ccurred-rhe Scene-Ter-
rible Result of Carelsssness
Somewhere A Slow
Watch tho Cause.


after six o'clock, on the Midland Railroad, q few
hundred yards from the Homestead station ON the
Northern line and about half q mile from New
Darham, which resulted in serious n not fatal,
injuries 70 three or four men and the total wreck
Vi VIC TWO csiiidng engines and OF several cars.
ohe o. the trains was freight train going West.
ward ana the other passenger train bound Tor
Jersey City. dense fog overhung the scene OF
the disaster, ana though this was by no means the
cause OF the collision yet 1t had something to do
with preventing the engineers from seeing ahead
when tho two trains were but o few hundred yards
OF each other; but OF course, such q signal At such
time was perfectly useless
The freight train had ten cars, the passenger
train only two one being . combined smoking and
baggage car. Both engineers came along at their
usual speed, and the shock on colliding was ter
rife. About forty persons we're In the passenger
train The force Of the collision was SO great that
the tenders OF both engines were smashed from the
engines the tender OF the freight train being
thrown up over the engine. The front car Of the
passenger train was telescoped and three Of the
freight cars were smashed to pieces. Both locomo-
tves were 30 crushed and broken as to be almost
worthless in the future.
The brakeman, man named Brock on the pas
senger train. green hand, stood by his post and
difficulty from the debris. John Kelly the engineer
OF the passenger raiR had his left arm broken and
his side seriously injured. The fireman Of the pas
senger train, Nathan Soledate, escaped BY jump
ing. Cornelius LangdOn, engineer OF the freight
train, jumped and escaped unhurt Albert Meis-
ner, fireman Of the freight train, received serious
injuries about the body and had some of his bones
McNe the Station agent T az New pTpbsm on the
northern road, who was ON the passenger train Tor
New New York re received fracture Of the skull
have pronounced his wounds as fatal. The
conductor OF the freight train was J. II. GIL
Neither was hurt. few others sustained CON-
paratively slight injuries, those who suffered most
corneas Day sshS sf ~ Rs n
man, left arm slightly bruised; Mr. Oracle. slight
cuts In the head; r. Ames, ankle injured; w. Burt,
train Of the Northern road, that passed soon
after the accident, took the passengers OF the Mid
City. The injuries sustained by Kelly and Meisner
were found to be SO serious that these two
once once Conveyed 's ''s to sne Sisters ' Hospa. At
late hour last night both men were suffering very
very severely James 3, Mcneil, who resides as
hope is entertained Of his recovery, Brock, the
brakeman, is at st. Marys Hospital, in Jersey
place Of collision showed what q rtghtful accident
had occurred. The engine of the freight train,
broken and bent, lay until about half:past three
O'Clock in the afternoon, embedded ID the road.
The parts OF the three freight cars were In debris
scattered about on every side. Barrels Of hour.
in an adjoining field, having been carefully col.
lected from the heaps OF timbers and.metal that
strewed the track. The track Itself was broken in
several places and workmen were engaged during
the day IN efIecting. the needed repairs,
about four O'Clock the track was so far
improved as to be trm enough TO allow trains to
travel over it. During the morning and early af-
ternoon trains had to stop at either side Of the
wreck, and other cars were required for the rest
Of the journey westward or eastward.
The cause OF the accident Is not very mysterious
The freight train was, IL is sald about. two hours
behind time, and the passenger train was strictly
time at New Durham, passing that station ct :2d
arrived at Homestead soon alter the occurrences
and the conductors OF the two trainA at once de-
livered up TO him their watches. Mr.. Lewis is Of
opinion that these watches could not have been
tampered with, for both conductors had been,
since the accident closely watching each other
the Watches It was oand on exsmnaon thse
the watch OF the conductor OF the freight
train was nine minutes slow, and That
engineer of the freight train there was nearly
eight minutes difference. The conductor Of tho
passenger train had his watch at correct time. Be-
fore starting train 10 is usual for the conductor
to compare his tme" with that OF the engineer,
but on this occasion 1t seems this was not done. A
Langdon Was told at Jersey City BY Brakeman
Brock that the latter had not the true time, and
that the reply was simply sharp retort about his
II would therefore seem to be evident that this
collision occurred because conductor happened
not to think It necessary to set mis- watch correctly
West End TO New Durham, where there ID q SWITCH,
is aOout three miles distance. The freight train,
three minutes in order to prevent the collision.
The wonder Is that the passengers on the train
for Jersey City escaped so WELL fortunately only
o THIS ns9 Is aus pRs sS. e that the
is 80 small.