The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-10-11
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Collision of Trains on the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad.
TWENTY, PERSONS ALREADY DEAD.
And AS Many More Fatally Injured.

PrrrsBuRG, Pa, Oct. 9.-Midnight.-A ter
rible accident occurred here tonight on the
Pennsylvania railroad. Wallis accommoda-
tiop train which left here at II 80 o'clock, COL
lded with special train from Greensbury at
28th street, where the riots occurred four years
ago Both trains were filled with passengers,
especially Wallis, which contained several
marching clubs which participated in the
Democratic demonstration here tonight. 1t is
reported that eight passengers were killed out
right and ten injured. Nothing definite how
ever is known at this hour.
PITTsBURG Oct 10.-The collision last night
on the Pennsylvania Railroad near the Zotn
street crossing was more disastrous than hrst
reported. Nine were killed outright and elev-
en- more have since died, while as many
more are dangerously hurt whom physicians
say cannot recover. In addition TO these tnere
were many but slightly injured. The hrst
section of the Wallis accommodation going
| east left the Union depot at ll.3l p. m. having
"a large crowd of passengers on board who mad
| been to the city to participate IN tne closing
| exercises of the ext osltlon and witness the
| Democratic demonstration. The back plat
| form was crowded. The first section stopped
| at 2Sth street where it was delayed on account
| of another train which was in the next block.
| The second section came along at good speed,
| but owing to the crowd on the back platform
of the first section the signal lights were hid
| den from view and consequently the engineer
| of the second section did not see the train
ahead of him until it was SO near that his
| train could not be checked in time to arrest
coll sion and the engine went crushing INTO
| the rear coach of the first section packed with
| human beings. The engine buried itself to
| the very car windows among screaming, suf-
fering men, women and children, mangling all
| who were in its course. The boiler head OF
| colliding engine was burSted Off by the shock
! and scaidng water and steam poured over the
| occupants of the car. Word was Immediately
telegraphed to the mayors Office for assistance
| and % policeman with a full corps OF physi-
clans and wagons were dispatched at once to
the scene of the disaster where they were soon
employed in alleviating the sufferings OF the
victims and clearing the wreck, The wound
ed who were unable to care for themselves
were carried to the soldiers hospital located
but short distance from the accident.
The name of the engineer of the second 10
connective is Julius Huey aad that of the fire
man Ramba, both residents OF Pittsbu' e. they
ESCAPED uniniured though they stuck to the. en-
CINE when it plowed through the rear car OF
the other train. At the present time % p. m.)
twenty-one deaths have occurred. Ihose
dangerously injured are now in West Penn
sylvania hospital and the physicians say but
few will recover.
Several prominent business men called tc
Messrs. Pitcairn and POUCH OF the Pennsyl
vania road this road this evening and stated
they considered that by the gross carelessnes:
of some persons a murder had been committed
| and asked that the investigation be thorough
| The officials promised that everything possible
would be done to fasten the guilt on the proper
parties. Coroner Hope was also called upor
and stated thall those found implicated would
| be placed under arrest
At II O'Clock three more deaths had just oc-
cured swelling the number to a. !.
Robert Pitcairn, Superintendent OF the rail
road one of the best in the country, said if thu
| rules had not been dsobeyed the acciden
would not have occurred. The train had no
vet gone into the block operated by the sigma
system and the flagman was under imperative
orders to go back half mile and flag the fol
| lowing train. He must not wait to be ordered
back by the conductor, but go on his own &C
count. This applied whether the train is il
the block or still IN the yard limits as in thi
case The flagman and all employees OF train
are old and experienced men, and the official
cannon condemn them until an investigation j
had, but the matter will be sifted and the re
sponsibility placed where it belongs. The pas
sengers state that the fagman, whose name
Pemrad, did not go back. He will be exam
| ined tomorrow.
| 0The orders for movements of trains is tn
same in vogue for thirty years, and the officer
insist that the train men and not their superio
officers violated the rules. The opin
ion seems 20 place the responsibility on flag
man Pemrad of the first section. Mr.. Pit
} cairm says the loss by the wreck will not b
$1,000, that the run in was not an extraordinar
accident, that the escaping steam was th
cause of fatality. A run in might occur agail
without the loss Or single life.