The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-10-14
FRIGHTFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT

FRIGHTEUL RAILROAD ACClDENT
A Locomotive Buries Itself in q rowded
ExcursiOn Car-Horrible Manslfng OF
Helpless Humanity.
The details of a horrible railroad accident are
reported from P~ittsburg, resulting in perhaps
not less than forty-fve deaths, and more than
as many more wounded. The u~nfortunates
were excursionists, and had gone to Pittsburg !
to witness the closing scenes of thee exposition,
and the Democratic demonstration The first
section of the Walls accommodation going east
left the Union Depot at LIS P. m: The back
platform was 30 crowded that the headlight on
the second section following could not be seen.
tn first section stopped at the regular station
on Twenty-eighth street, where they we're de-
layed on account of another train which was in
the next block. The second section came along
at q good speed, but, owing to the crowds on the
back platform of the first section, the signal
lights were hidden from view and consequently
the engineer of the second section did not see
the train ahead Of him until he was SO near it
that his train could not be checked in time to
arrest the collision, and the engine went crash
ing into the rear coach Of the first section, as
packed as it was with human beings,
Among those unfortunates the engine buried
itself to the very cat windows, in among the
screaming, suffering men, women and children,
tiangling all who were in its course. The
boiler head Of the cofiding engine was bursted
of by the shock and the scalding water and
steam poured over the occupants of the car as
if bent on completing the horrible work that
had gone before. 1t is impossible to describe
the fearful scene that followed. The means of
the dying and wounded and the shrieks of those
who had lost their friends was frightful.
Word was Immediately telegraphed to the
Mayors Office for assistance, and twenty-five
policemen, with a full corps of physicians and
wagons were dispatched at once TO the scene of
the disaster, where they were soon busily en-
pIoyed in alleviating the sufferings of the vic,
who were unable to csre for themselves we're
carried to the Soldiers Hospital, located but a
short distance from the accident.
The lame of the engineer of the second loco
motive is Julius Huey. and that of the fireman
Rambo. Both are residents of P~ittsburg, and
escaped uninjured, notwithstanding they stuck
to the engine when it plowed through the rear
car of the other train.
A correspondent, writing on the day follow
ing the accident, says: Up to the present time,
twenty-one deaths have occurred, as follows:
Edward P~rentrer, Pittsburg, aged twenty-seven,
scalded, died this morning; Homer Kepple,
twenty, lives in the East End, scalded; Mrs.
Margaret Jacobs, Pittsburg, aged fifty, crushed
and scalded; John Toriey, Pittsbnrg, aged
forty-eight, scalded and buried; Kate Torley,
daughter Of John Torley, agedsixteen, scalded;
Miss Jessie Simcox, in the West End, aged
sixteen, inhalation Of steam; Annie n Schuster.
East End, aged twenty-five, inhalation of
steam; Milton II. Edwards, sonof Hon. Mat
thew Edwards, aged twenty-five, scalds and in
halation;s Miss Dorah Taylor, of Pittsbnrg,
about twenty-five, inhalation of steam; James
o'Neal, California, Pa, aged thirty, died this
morning from scalds received; Chas. Hetzel,
East End, scalded; Edward Butler, baggage
master, aged twenty-five, crushed and burned;
Isaac K. Love, Edgewood, Pa, aged seventeen,
aged nineteen, scalded and frightfully mutilated;
Mrs. Elizabeth Boyd, Pittsburg, aged thirty
five, inhalation; Miss Rosanna Boyd, sisterin-
law of Mrs. Boyd. aged twenty, inhalation;
David Balfinger, railroad employe, head cut
from body; Samuel Elliott, conductor, aged
ifty-two, crushed; James McMeehan, Dallas
Station, aged sixty, scalded; VIM. Linnhardt,
East End, died from internal injuries and in.
h%alation; Miss Emma Winneberg, aged nine.
teen, Pittsburg, scalded.
Those dangerously injured are now in the
West Pennsylvania Hospital, of whom the
physicians say but few WIN recover: George
Young, East End; Frank Kinsinger, East End
JEFF. P. Myers, Frewsburg, Chautauqua County
> N. Y; Frank Delavie, East End, James Hetzel
Edgwood; q. w. Black, Swissvale; Robert
/ Dickson, Swissvale; David Aiken, Cherry Camp
W. Va; George Cummings, East End; Janel
Laurence, East End; Hugh Muldoon, Sprins
Hill, Pa, James Dempsey, Spring Hill, Pa.
William ]. Smith, Spring Hill, Pa. Annie Quinn
3 ,Shadyside; Miss Mollie Stinebaugh, East End
Miss Matte Taylor, Edgewood; Miss Mary Daw
son, East End; Mrs. ]. P. Richmond, Edge
wood; Miss Rose McCabe, East End; Miss Kat
: Leslie, East End.
r These are injured painfully, but not serious
1 ly: Nancy Manley, colored; Catherine Manley
t and Wilkins Marley, all of Waynesburg, Pa.
. Miss Bessie Eicmand, of P~ittsburg.
Robert Pitcairn, Superintendent of the road
one of the best in the country, said that if tn
rules had not been disobeyed the accident woul
not have occurred. The train had not gon
into the block operated by the signal system
It and the flagman was under an imperitiye orde
to 60 back half a mile to flag a following train
a and must not wait to be ordered back by til
conductor, but go on our own accord. This ar
: plies where the train is in the block or still i
the yard limits. As, in this case. the hagme
y and all employees of the trains are old and ez
;. perienced men, and the officials can not col
denim them until an investigation is had, br
' the matter will be sifted, and the responsible
placed where it belongs.
: The passengers state that the fagmal
s whose lame is Penrod, did not go back. Z
o will be examined. The orders for the movt
ment of trains are the same as in vogue fl
: thirty years, and the officials insist that IL
:: train men, and not their superior officer
d violated the rules. Public opinion seems
place the responsibility on fagman Penrod,
10 the first section.
Mr.. pitcairn says the loss by the wreck wi
not be $1,000; that the run in was no g.
L traordinary accident; that the escaping steal
le was the cause of fatality. The run in migl
Is occur again without the loss of a single life.
The latest intelligence places the number
dead at twenty-four, and the physicians g,
10 that twenty others will certainly die from Il
effects of the steam which they have inhale
The blame, as nearly as can be learne
r seems to rest upon Hughey, the engineer of Il
- second section, and the fagman, who is nc
~ thought to have been sent back to flag the sc
70 ond section by conductor Elliott, who was kille
J. 1t is also said that the railroad officers order
If this class of trains to stop at Twenty-eigh
, street, to allow fares to be collected, and th
= Hughey did not know this. adI,5