The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-06
Collision of Oil and Freight Trains on
the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
LOSS OF LIF r
Sad Scenes After the ExplO-
sion Of an Oil Tank.
M Z N IN FL M E S q.
Two Hundred Thousand Dollars
Worth of Property Destroyed.
INK TELEaRApH TO THE HERALD

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
SLATISGToS, Pa, April s, 1873
A terrible accident occurred at this place about
five O'Clock this morning, causing the loss OF five
lives and wounding several persons. Freight train
No. 40, on the Lehgh Valley Railroad, bound east,
was standing on the track near the station, when
an oil train, drawn by the locomotive Rockdale,
collided with It Engineer witmore and his IRE.
man jumped from the engine and escaped with
slight injuries. The oil train was running at an
average rate OF speed and Its velocity showed the
freight train about forty feet ahead, both trains
being southwark bound till the Rockdale got nearly
the railroad bridge, a short distance below the
station. The oil tanks broke and poured their con-
tents over the Rockdaie, the boiler or which ex.
ploded, sending piece OF its machinery nearly one
hundred feet where 1t went through the slate
root OF q stable.
BURNING OF THE OIL CARS
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 de-
stroyed, with their contents.
TIE KILLED AND INJURED
WILLIAM SHOEMAKER, OF Lehgh township,
Northampton county, aged seventy eight years q
spectator, was burned to death in few minutes.
JOSEPH GOLDBURG, employ6, badly burned
IRWIN CLARK, cmploye, South Easton, badly
burned sent to St Lukes Hospital
WILLIAM lanes, employee South Easton badly
burned; sent to St Luke's.
ARTHUR WILLIAMS, Slatington, fatally burned
DANIEL REBER, Washington township, Leflgh
county. fatally burned
IRWIN BEERS, Lenigh township, fatally burned.
JOHN ROHRBoCK. Washington township, Le-
high county, fatally burned.
EDWARD RUBY, Slatington badly burned
DAVID HUTCHINSON, Slatlngton badly burned
AARON SNYDER, Washington township, Lenign
county, badly burned.
JOHN GEORGE, Slatngton, badly burned.
EDWIN SElBERT, Walnut Point, burned in the
face.
LOVE HUGHES, slatington, slightly burned
CHARLES HUNT, Slatington, burned in the
neck.
4. X. MARSHALL, Siatington, badly burned
CHARLES BARTHOLOMEW, dangerously burned.
GEORGE IVES. recovery doubtful
JOHN KOEHNER, recovery doubtful.
THOMAS JONES, badly injured.
MATTHEW JONES. not expected to recover
Engineers Wattmore and Mosser are slightly in
jurcd. and q large number OF persons, including
otherwise injured, making the total number OF
casualties about iorty.
nr. Horace de Young, OF Mauch Chunk, and oil
the Siatington physicians were In attendance.
THE FATAL SIGNAL
The question to DC decided In liking tho RESPONSE.
bility for the loss OF oil and tanks depends on
whether o signal light at the station was turned
red or white. There several conflicting re ports
as to who IL to blame. There is signal here,
and 1t was the duty Of the hind brake.
man TO signal engine No. 49, which
was running irregulary. The engineers as
sert that the signal was not turned so as to sig-
nal them back, and several citizens confirm their
statements Even II they had been signal.ed 1t
would have been impossible to stop the train,
which was heavy one, running on a down grade.
ATTACKING TIE FLAMES.
The noise and immense flames speedily attracted
q crowd OF people, which, as the day advanced,
constantly increased. me Lehgn Valley Railroad
Company Immediately telegraphed for assistance,
and by eight O'Clock 200 men were work.
ing at the blazing wreck. The railroad
bridge having In the meantime been destroyed, the
adjacent borough bridge damaged and the machine
shop and ioundry or Williams 4 Costard entirety
destroy d-loss, $4,000 The pattern shop al.
Joining the foundry was savet The company's
men used every effort to Keep the crowd back from
the vicinity oi the flames. but IL was impossible.
SuperIntcnd X. IL Sayre, Stanley Goodwin and
Robert Packer were early on hand. and directed
the operation OF removing the debris and combat.
ing the danes, which ragged furiousiy.
A PAINFUL SPECTACLE
Up 20 i've minutes OF nine O'Clock there had been
no logs OF life, but ut that time burning tank that
occupied an important position IN the wreck
was pulled over by rope, that It's
manholes we're shut, and 1t exploded, scat
tering large volume or 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 nature. Men rushed hitler and
thlther, completely wrapped IN flames, only one
having the presence of mind TO run to the river
Another ran into house, and was saved by the IN.
mates wrapping him in carpet and smothering the
names. Some passed friends who were powcr,css
to help, and could only look on IN spccchless hor.
ror. The oil.soaked men were wrapped IN flames
that shot four on live feet above their heads some
Of those who had only a sm,ll quantity of oil on
them escaped with slight burns, but about fifteen
men were badly scorched.
PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE
Mr. sayrc prevented the explosion Of another
tank by having a Winchester nnc bullet shot
through. It, and the oil spurted out OF the bullet ho.e
increasing the flames.
THE ESTIMATED loss.
At halrpast SIX this evening tile nrc was under
control and no further serious damage Is expected
The total loss Is estimated at 100000 The
amount Of insurance Is small
TRAFFIC. ISTERRuPrEn
The destruction ~ the bridge has seriously inter.
rupted trafnc. Men are already nj work construct.
ing temporary bridge, amt VIII have II COMPLETED
In lew days. In the meantime thc.trains Of tue lie.
high Valley Railroad win run over the Lehiah and
Susquenanna road between satington and Coplay
FATAL EXPLOSION OF AN OVEN.
[pr TELEGRAPH TO The HERALD.
ROCHESTER,, ". ". April 8, 1873
A twenty ton oven, Tor baking Japannod tin Tor