The New York herald., 1877-10-07

| THE PHENIxyILLE HoERoE--sTUPID RAILWAY
ENGINEERING THE cAUsE-DAMMINa UP A
RAvINE WITH SOFT LOAN FOR RoApBEp-
DEATH OF FOUR MORE VICTIMS.
'PHGSxvILLE Va, Oct Q. 1871.
News has been received hero OF the death Of TOUR
more OF those wounded In the railroad accident that
formed such terrible and tragic sequel the Pcnny.
i packer family reunion.
| Michael Corbitl the brakeman, whose body
crushed between two cars and whose screams Of
agony, MS he lay all night wedged In tho wreck added
to the OF the scene las, night tn Penn
! syivania Hospital, In Philadelphia whittier he had
been removed
| Mrs. Albert Pennepacker, OF P!keland, also died
almost Immediately after reaching her home
Peter Danhcd and John Latsham have just died this
! afternoon, making eleven deaths thus far
There are several others VINO are so badly hurt that
/ they are likcy TO die.
Its just reported that another death has occurred
| but II has not been confirmed.
! The work OF clearing away tho wreck began this
morning. a wrccking car and gang OF laborers hav.
ing reached the spot at nine O'Clock. Part Of tho
debris mad been set fire to last ght for the purpose
of disencumbering the track, and IT still smoderng
| Tho Coroner and his jury were also ON tho ground
cxamng the washout and tho surroundings aud
making careful measurements. The fears that other
bodies might be concealed under the ruins viii proba
bly prove groundiess as none have been found thus
/ now THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED
An examination of the railroad bed where the acci.
dent occurred VIII show At a glance the defiance Of
natural laws which resulted in the accident and con-
vince tho most casual observer that the Reading Rail-
road Company Is to bamo Tor piece OF engineering
stupid be crlminally careless its conslruc
ton Looking In tho direction Of PhGnxville ridge
about twenty feet high stretches along the right
side OF the railroad track for distance or say two
hundred yards Tho track tsoi is laid
bankmcnt ol soft loan and clay, with ballast
whatever. On the opposite side OF the rails from tho
hills Is the beautiful valley OF French Creek,
hity to sixty feet below, a broad meadow extending
between the made ground OF the embankment and tho
the railroad closely follows in It's eleven miles or
length. The TACK here curves little, and the
topography OF tho country is such that
the rav,ne the hills on tho right soping down gently
TO the middle point at the lett side Of the en-
bankment where tho drainage OF an area OF at least
twonty acres naturally seeks outlet. TINS ID Just
where tho break occurr,d aud the reasons Tor II
so simple that the wonder Is not that II should have
taken place on Thursday night but that the obstruc
ton was not swept away by tho storms long ago,
when II is remembered that the engineer had pro-
vided no culvert or any olner passageway escape
for the waters that even after ordinary rams,
always six or seven iect deep inside this dam as
am assured 10y tho farmers OF the neighoorhood tho
reckless neglect oil the Constructors OF the road VIII
no outlet, very naturally began forcing way through
the porous loan Of the cmbankment until the
had gained hcadway aud weight enough to away
with rush about seventy eet oil the soft bank OF
earth, leaving the rails held by thread, hanging
sixty feet IN The air The engineer OF the fatal ran
Ing blackncss plunged with his engine and tho
precious freight behind him hcadlong into the yawn.
ing chasm. Had the most ordinary precautions been
used in building inis railroad this terrible accident
would not have occurred Tho whole line Of tho Pick
erng Valley branch is said to be faulty, and quarter
Of mile above here IS another similar mDankmcnt,
with two feet square culvcr, which tho
have washed out to about seven co,.
Another and possible cause OF the accident may
have been the fact that the train was running back
ward, with the rear OF tho tender ahead and tho loco
motive headlight facing The other way The safety OF
tins on q dark and dangerous night may DO ques-
toned.
DAMAGE.
This storm has done damage than any that has
| ever visited tho line OF the Reading Railroad. A
large washout has occurred near PeIkIowen Junction
another Norrstown, and several further up the
road Travel has been lmpeded. All passenger trains
are late and Tor a distance OF eight miles ABOVE hero
coal trans blocked, condition OF affairs which
VIII cause much Inconvenience ana loss. only one
track available a present tor passenger trains both
| up and down.
The Coroner's jury to inquire into the OF tho
accident met this morning and adjourned until Mon
day before taking furtner testimony. Their verdict
viii probably condemn the railroad company Tor the
careless construction OF the road
THE MILFORD DIsAsTER-sIx PERSONS KNOWN
10 DE KILLED-oSE BODY SEEN FLOATING
AWAY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
TRENTON, N. j., Oct. o, 1877.
No additional bodies have been found tho Milford
wreck yet. though six known be killed or
drowned. The most diligcnt search about tho wreck
fails TO discover traces OF any Mrs Huber, Of
Trenton was seen floating the river above trenton
by party on the Pennsylvania side, who followed II
down, beng unable to get boat suddenly was
lost view. Portions OF the wreck found oppo-
site this city. The road Will DO open for travel again
on Monday.
THE WRECKED MAssAcHUsETTs-ALL HER
FREIGHT REMOVED PREPARING TO PUMP
HER oUT-cH,N NcEs OF FLOATING HEI-THE
| CAPTAINS STATEMENT.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
GRrESroET, l.. l., Oct. G. 1877
with dayligh, there came to tho aid OF the stranded
steamer Massachusetts the tug Cyclops, IRON Ncw
York towing a schooner OF the Coast wrecking Com
pany and having gang OF about twenty-five men.
From stonington, too there the steamers Fran
els and Sioningon, belonging 10 tho Providence
stonington line, here for The purpose taxing
the freight from the wreck Everybody work
early, ana tho Of the juttng shoro whce tho
4 great ship lies presented curious spectacle.
MORNING srEcrAciY.
On the GINS OF the point congrcgaicd in little
groups the inhabitants from miles around, many Of
whom had driven long distances TO the sconc OF
fusion The clamborcd 20 the small pcbbly beacn
beneath which were strcwn In all conceivable forms
pieces OF the ships timber and quantities of her
| cargo The women and children waited the higher
ground and watched the course OF things with qulct
curiosity. Bslcs cotton formed the principle ingre.
dtcn, or the mass oi castaway freight while now and
tbcn might be barrels OF nour and anu cases
OF wines and produce In the SURF winch to-day has
resumed lis usun degree OF Oftc, a large fe
boat belonging the Massachusetts and or three
small punts in the nands OF fishermen Lg
ana ,ro between the wreck aud shore. with workmcn
and spectators their patrons Several boid rocks
reared themselves above tnc tho Ice side or
| the steamer, while many more whose tops lust
below the suraco rendered navigation IN tue small
4 az
aDOgt the same position as last night, looking o
much at Ms II by her cock. rDulcd close o her
stArboard side was the wtecking schooner and al a
lille distance further out lay The tus aud Two
steamers.
TINS ExTExT
From visit made board the wreck by tho
HERALD correspondent this morning the true OK.
| tent OF the misfortune better estimated
than last night, though there many things
| yet TO DO determined before the full conclusion