Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-10-14

A Frig htfut Accident in Piirsburg on
Saturday Ntght-HoSv the Calamity
Came About CareIessuess and
Neglect.

A Frig htfut Accident IN Piirsburg on
Saturday NtRht-HoNv the Calamity
Came About CareIessness and
Neglect.
PIrTsBuRa Oct 10 --Ls4t night the
Twenty eighth street crossing of the
Pennsy lvania rail- DAD was again the scene
of frightful disaster, which was attended
with almost AZ great a loss OF life as We're
the famous riots here in July, 1871 Yes.
teruay was the last day of the Exposition,
and thousands Ut persons hocked to the
city to see the olosing exercises La add
ton, the Democracy lad an Immense
demonstration which brought marching
clubs from all the surrounding couulry.
! After the parade was over, Just before
midnight, the first section of Wallis
accommodation train. going cas-, left
the Union depot crowded to its utmost
capacity. The back platform war M
full that the signal lgnis we're hidden from
view. When the train reached twenty
eighth street 1T stopped to allow the
special train, which was block ahead, to
get out OF the WAY Ton inmates after
the tir-t section lets the depot tue second
section started ont at the rate OF 10 uliles
an hour Owing 10 tue crowd ON the
back platform OF the first section the
slgull lights were ub5oured aud ctus,-
quently the engineer OF the s"coud aecl i0n
did not see the train ahead Of MIN uuti he
was so near that bis traiu could not bu
checked in time tn prevent collision,
and the engine went crashing into the rear
coach OF the first section, packed as it was
with human beings.
Tue englue buried itself to tho very cab
windows among the screaming, suffering
men, women aud children, mangiug all
who were III its course. The boiler head
of the locomotive was burst OF 10y the
shock, aud the scelding water and steam
poured over the occupants of the car. aa
though bent nu completing the horrible
work that had gone before, The scene
that followed beggars description. Shrieks
and groans rent the mir and mingled with
the hissihg OF Hteam from the disabled
locomotive.
A telephone message was sent To the
Mayor Office for Wagons In the excite
ment it was reported that hundred per
sons had been killed, ana lu short time
a corps of pbysiciaus, the Mayor aud II
squad of police were on the spot ii render
all the assistance they could Nine per.
sons We're killed outright and twelve have
since died. The wounded will reach % of
which 90 cannot recover The wounded
were carried TO the West Pennsylvania
Hospital, short dstauce from the scene
of the disaster.
Some of the scenes ut the hospital were
heartrending. One in particular was
peculiarly sad. Hurrying back and forth
from one ward to another, pushing
through the crowd of anxious persons wa,
an aged woman named He,z-l from the
East Eud. She had three children on the
train, two boys and girl. Tho younger
boy and his sister were lying in the nos.
pital, snockingly burned aud dlsiigured by
the soalding steam. The broken-heartet
mother could scarcely leave the bedside al
one long enough to weep over the other
and while She was striving to aleviat,
their sutierlugl her first born boy LAY
crushed aud dead in the round house, auC
she knew it not. She only knew that h,
was missing, and she looked with tenr
dimmed eyes into the face OF every new
conner, in the hope that she might fin,
him living.
All day crowds have visited the spot
, aud the scene foyciby reminded one of tn
, fearful Sunday, July -, 1871.
The name Of the eng neer OF the secou
locomotive is Juaus Hu y and INA; u Ia
fireman H4mbo BON .rl r,s ,lritts o
1 Pittshurg, and svap,d ana jared. uui
1 withstlnding that they stuch To The ougip
, when it pIoughed through The rear car 4
the other trnin
Up TO late last night II p-r7oua ha
( died and 20 others are hot expected I
recover.
= Robert Pitcairn, superintendent Of ia
road, says if the rules OF the company ha
y not been disobeyed, the accident woul
o not have occurred. The tram had not Y,
4 gone into the block operated by the sign,
l., system, and the ll4gmtn was under impe
70 alive orders to 20 back half miie and fla
the following train. lie must not wait
" he ordered back by the conductor, but e
IT of his own accord. This applies whsthl
:, the train is iu tue block or still III Il
Il yard limits, as in this case. The n4gma
d and all tue enplpyeS of the train nre o
e and experienced men, Aud the otticis
,s cannot condemn them until investigate
Is hat hut the matter will lie slfted, at
the responsibility placed where it belong
Passengers say thAt the illgu4u, who
V name is PeurOd", did not 20 back
N The orders for the movement of trai
were the same s5 have been ia vogue {
y 30 years. and the officials insist that d
ut train men, and not the superior officer
re violated the rule. PUolic opinion seer
to place the responsibility GU Fhgu,
Penrode of the first section.
lR MIR. Pitcairn says the loss 10y the wre
ty will not be ~ 900 that tue "fuu iu'' "
of not an extraordinary accident that {
"A escaping steam was the cause OF {
~ fatality, and that the Pun in" might oct
q again without the loss of single life.