The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-04-11
RAILROAD DISASTER.
COLLISION OF TRAINS ON THE LE-
HIGH VALLEY RAILROAD.
Six Persons Killed and Fifty WOunded-ssd
Scenes After the Explosion Of an OIL Tank
Men in Flames-TWO Hundred Thousand
Dollars Worth Of Property Destroyed
-List Of the Dead

Slatington, Pa, April 5.-A terrible accident
occurred Rt this place about five o'clock this
morning causing the loss oflve lives and wound
ing several persons, Freight train No. 40, on the
Lehigh Valley Railroad bound east, was stand.
ing on the track near the station, when an oil
train, drawn by the locomotive Rockdale, collided
with 1t, Engineer Witmore and his fireman
jumped from the engine and escaped with slight
injuries The oil train was running at an aver
age rate of speed and It's velocity showed the
freight train about forty feet ahead both trains
being southwark bound till the Rockdale got
nearly on the railroad bridge, a short distance
below the station. The oil tanks broke and
poured their contents over the Rockdale, the
boiler Of which exploded, sending piece Of its
machinery nearly one hundred feet, where It
went through the slate roof of stable. By this
explosion one or two train hands were injured
slightly, and seventeen out of the forty one oil
cars caught fire and were subsequently destroy
ed with their contents.
The complete list of the killed is as follows
VIM. Shoemaker Lehigh township, Northampton
county; burned to death yesterday. Arthur VIII
liams, aged 49, Sahrgton; died this morning at
o'clock. Dan'l Reber. Washington Tp, Lehigh
Co.. died at 1 o'clock this morning; leaves no
family. George Evans, of Slatington, aged 1S;
died this morning. Irwin Clarke, South Easton
died this morning at 4 o'clock at ST. Luke's Hos
pital; leaves q family. Matthew JONES' franklin
Lehigh Co., aged 10 years, died this morning. He
was badly burned yesterday morning and was
stripped naked by some people to whom he ran
for assistance. In this nude condition, In his ag
ony and terror, he ran into house and cried out,
won't you please let me come in" He was
.tndI rod fOr h,tf y,ntbiuo antI1h
The following persons are not expected to re-
cover as the physicians say they may die any mo-
ment: John George, Irwin Beers, David Hutch
inson VIM. Zanes, Aaron Snyder, VIM. Snyder
The last two are from slatington. Altogether
about fifty people were injured, some Of whom
were girls Eli wighenmeyer, Lehigh and sus
quehanna Wrecking Master, was burned by the
OIL he took hold of the rope to pull over the tank
that was exploded.
Engineers Wattmore and Mosser are slightly in
iured and large number of persons including
women and children, were slightly burned or
otherwise injured, making the total number OF
casualties about forty Dr. Horace de Young, OF
Mauch Chunk, and all the Slatington physicians
were In attendance.
sibility for the loss Of oil and tanks depends on
whether signal light at the station was turned
red or white. There are several conflicting re-
ports as to who is to blame,
The noise and immense flames speedily attract
ed a crowd of people, which, as the day advanced,
constantly increased. The Lehigh Valley Rail
road Company Immediately telegraphed for as
| sistance and by o'clock 200 men were working
at the blazing wreck. The railroad bridge hav-
| ing In the meantime heen destroyed the adjacent
! borough bridge damaged, and the machine shop
and foundry Of Williams & Costard entirely de-
stroyed-loss, $4,000 The pattern shop adjoining
the foundry was saved. The Companys men
every effort 10 keep the crowd back from the Vi
cinity of the flames, but 1t was impossible.
I'm To five minutes of o'clock there had been
no loss of life, but at that time burning tank
that occupied an important position In the wreck
was pulled over by a rope, so that its manholej
were shut, and II exploded, scattering large voN
ume of burning oil over thirty of the people near
by, with the results above stated. The spectacle
then was fearful TO behold and terrible in its ma
ture. Men rushed hither and thither complete
ly wrapped in flames, only one having the pres
ence of mind to run to the river Another ran
into house, and was saved by the inmates
wrapping him in carpet and smothering the
flames Some passed friends who were power
less to help, and could only look on in speech:
less horror. The Oil.soaked men were wrapped
in flames that shot four or five feet above their
heads Some of those who had only a small
| quantity of oil on them escaped with slight
burns, but about fifteen men were badly scorCh-
| ed. Mr.. Sayre prevented the explosion OF an
other tank by having Winchester rifle bullet
shot through 1t, and the oil spurted out OF the
bullet hole, increasing the flames. At half past
| six this evening the fire was under control and
no further serious damage is expected. The to.
tai loss is estimated at 100000 The amount OF
| insurance is small.