The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-14
TERRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER.
THE NEW YORK EXPRESS FROM WASHINGTON
CRASHING INTO FREIGHT TRAIN-LOss OF

THE NEW YORK EXPRESS FROM wAsHINGro
| CRASHING INTO A FREIGHT TRAIN-Loss o
LIFE AND GREAT DESTRUCTION OF NONE,
The through New York express train fror
Washington, which left that city at $50 T
NJ, collided with the Baltimore and Obi
Midland freight train at Behring'S station, ol
the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, o.
Thursday evening. The express is always
well filled train. This train consisted of en-
CINE, tender, Adams express, mail and bag
gage cars, two passenger, one parlor, and fou
sleeping cars.
These, containing sixty passengers and fl
| teen mail express and railroad employees
were whirling along at thirty-tive miles al
hour over smooth grade when the enginee
noticed that switch opened to admit tn,
freight train had not been replaced. He wa,
then within two car lengths of the switch, and
perceiving that collision was inevitable, ht
reversed his engine, applied the steam brakes
| and leaped from the car just as the locomo-
| tive swerved upon the switch. Almost before
he touched the ground the two trains colhded
Half the freight train was forced from the
track before the express train came to stand.
still The shock filled the air for a moment
with flying fragments and the contents OF the
cars.
When the terror-stricken passengers ecram-
bled from their berths and seats, piercing
cries rent their ears. They came from the
rear Of the express car. A stowaway, who
YVES trying to steal a ride to Baltimore. had
been wedged in between the tender and the
car, and when he was extricated, both his legs
were found to be badly crushed.
The express and mail cars were completely
wrecked. The two heavily beamed, nearly
new frames were SO completely driven into
each other that together they measured little
more than the original length of one.
The mail car was in charge of Chief Clerk
Steck, assisted by Mail Agents John A.
Smith, G. T. Fayman and Edward Plaul. H.
X. Southwick, mail agent Of the Northern
Central Railway, was a passenger in the mail
Car. There were at least three safes and six
thousand pounds OF mail matter in the car
which the clerks were engaged in asserting
when the shock came. They describe it as
one fearful jolt in which every article seemed
collapsing upon them. The coal oil lamps
were shaken from their brackets, and a
second of total darkness was succeeded
by the sudden glare OF burning kerosene and
rapidly igniting papers. Mr.. Southwick
alone retained his presence of mind He
heard piercing scream, and in the burning
car he saw Agent Fayman tightly wedged in
between the boxes which line the car sides.
Southwick got to him as speedily as possible,
but the only answer to his inquiries was
groan. The heat Of the burning paper had
then become SO fierce that all who could were
forced to leave the car.
When the fire was extinguished the charred
remains of Fayman were found wedged in be- |
tween the pigeon hole. where he had last
worked It is Mr.. Southwick's opinion that
Fayman was unconscious before he died, and
he fact that his chest was badly crushed in |
he wreck is confrmatory.
The train employees were panic-stricken |
md helpless. Quick work might have saved |
much of the mail matter, but despite the best |
forts of the mail clerks, no well-directed |
fforts were made until the fire was beyond |
ontrol. The coal oil scattered upon the pa
,ers burned furiously, and as the flames
pread the express car was enveloped also.
In the express car were eight or nine Safes
obtaining possibly millions of dollars. When
be embers Of the car frames had smouidered
0 extinction the safes were still glowing at
5hite heat. The loss must have been very
arge, but the com pany is unwilling to even
stimate it now. They say that the safes will
e opened in the presence of Treasury officials,
nd if any Of the carbopized remains can be
Identified as money they will be presented at
be Treasury for redemption.
The mail loss will figure very heavily in the
asults of the disaster. The car contained
ne days Southern mail. At this season
outhern merchants are settling with their
lew York correspondents, and unusually val
able mails are the consequence.
The New York Post Office was fairly be-
legged yesterday by merchants expecting re-
,ittances by that particular mall some of
HON had been notified OF the sending by
slegraph. Of the six thousand pounds of
lail matter but one pouch and one sack,
9th for Baltimore, were saved. There were
$50 large Treasury remittances, one package
over million dollars in Treasury and
ational bank notes being burned past use
illness, although not past redemption.
Considering the speed Of the express train,
i'd the complete demolition of the forward
lrs, the loss of life is wonderfully small.
he switchman was not seen after the acct
ent. W. Sun, 9Th inst.