Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-30
RAILROAD WRECKS.
ATERRlBIE DISASTER LAST NIGHT.
AT DANcERuUs PLACE.

Cars Wrecked.
Last night about half-past IL O'Clock a
terrible railroad wreck occurred A: North
Bend, . short distance east of Christiana.
by which two locomotives and a number
Of cars were destroyed and two men, if
not more, were killed. -
The facts q nearly as We have been able
to gather them are, that ak North Bend
there b q very de,p cut through
hill, and short curve in the
road, which prevents the engineer Of one
| train from seeing the train in front of him
until he is almost upon it. Near the east
end Of the deep cut engine 253 ran into the
rear OF the train drawn by engine 2l3.
Engine 253 and some of the cars were
thrown upon the south track, and engine
~ with freight train east ran into it.
Engine 80 was upset and thrown against
the bank of the cut and 4 number Of cars
were broken and piled on top of it. Es-
Gaping steam from the damaged engine
badly scalded George Difenderfer. en-.
ginecr, and Samuel Craig, fireman, both
of whom were besides badly battered and
bruised by being struck with fragments Of
the wreck, Craig having his hip frac-
tured.
Tho trains Immediately took fire from
the burning Goals thrown from tho fur
naces of the damaged engines, and the
flames ragged fiercely all night, lighting up
the country for miles around. At day
break this morning there was scarcely 4
particle OF woodwork left of either of the
engines or the cars that were wrecked
around them-nothing, indeed, but Il great
mass Of red hot castings, wrought iron
machinery, and thousands of pounds of
nails aud fused glass tumblers, the burned
cars having been freighted with glass
ware, nails and shingles.
Owing to the excitement caused by the
accident it was some time before it was
known who or how many persons had been
killed or injured. 1t was ascertained,
however, that Brakeman Frownfelter, of
Harrisburg, was missing and all efforts to
find him proved futile. There is very little
doubt that he was buried under the wreck
and burned to ashes.
The Washington fire steamer, of this
city, was sent for, and being loaded on 4
truck, started for the scene of the file
with one thousand feet of hose but it
was delayed on the road for hours by tho
long line of freight trains with which both
tracks were blocked, and at 8 o'clock this
morning had got no further than Bir,l-in-
Hand. But dispatch received from Phil
adelphia at 10:40 a. m. says tho firemen
from this city had arrived and were play
ing on the flames.
At Q o'clock this morninga "ma,le- cup
train brought OH to this city the p,ssen-
gers from tho east whose train could not
pass the wreck, the passengers being
obliged to walk around it and take the
made up train. Engineer Dif1endcrfer and
Fireman Craig were aboard, both very
badly hurt. They were taken to their
homes in Harrisburg. 1t was said Craig
could not possibly recover and it was fear,
ed lie would die before reaching Harris
burg. He is a single man, son of John
Craig who was formerly conductor Of
the Dillesville local. The dispatch
from Philadelphia says that three men
were killed and names Diffenderfer and
Craig among them but that this is not
true we are positive, as an attache of the
1NTELLIGENCER Office OH his way home
from Philadelphia, left the scene of the
wreck this morning ard caH.c to the city
on thetrain which took the injured men
to Harrisburg. He reports Diffenderfer as
not so seriously injured as Craig, though
the latter, it is feared, will not recover.
Tho front brakeman, who is missing, is
reported to have been Ga young unmar-
ried man from Maryland, and had
only been on the road two weeks
The Philadelphia press reports say that
his charred body has been found under the
debris, and the railroad telegraph operators
i'll this city arc of tho opinion that Inc
was also q Harrisburger. Coroner Mish-
lcr, who reached the station in this city
very soon after the news Of the accident
reached him, took the frat available train
for the scene Of the dire disaster.
By some gross blun'ler on tho part Of
the postal Or railroad authorities, in the
transfer Of passengers westward bound,
the mails and papers were not included
and the mail matter and Philadelphia
newspapers which usually come to Ian
caster on tho Ga. m. train have not reached
the city at this hour of writing, l: 80 D. H.
There is no reason why the public should
have been subjected to this Inconvenience
Cause Of tho Accident.
The accident is said to have been caused
by tie parting of freight train to which
engine No. 213 was attached that the front
part Of the train then ran back, repaired
the broken coupling, and got under way
again, but was moving very slowly, when
engine 253 ran into it, tho train hands
it to be q considerable distance
anead, the flagman having been called in.
Wreckers have been working all day in
the debris from the road, and it
Is said the north track will he cleared
early this afternoon, but the rails and ties |
being badly twisted and burned it is not |
likely that any trains will run through |
this afternoon.
The BrakeMan's Body.
About 40 p. IN. q train arrived in this |
city with 4 box containing the charred re- |
mains of Brakeman FrOwnfeltcr, which |
were found under the wreck.
Dr. DickInson's Team stolen.
Immediately after tho accident medical
aid was summoned to the assistance of the |
wounded men, and DIR. Dickinson, of |
l'arkesburg, hurried to tho scene. On his
arrival hc hitchcd his team of black ponies
TO the fence. While ministering to his |
patients some hcartless thief stole the
team, and nothing has been heard of it
since. One Of the ponies is horse, the
other q marc. The latter has one white
DOT. 1t is to be hoped the thief will be
and severely punished for his un-
paralleled heartlessness.
THE LATEST.
Three Men Dead-Engineer, Fireman and
brakeman.
The cha"red remains Of Charles Frown-
elter, the brakeman, have been found
buried beneath the wreck. Coroner
|lishler is on the ground and will hold an
inquest.
Tho fireman SamueI (,rai,, d;od M