The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-01-20
RAILWAY DISASTER.
Terrible Accident en the Hudson Riv-
ey Railroad.

NEW YORK, Jan. IA.
The two rear cars OF the Atlantic express,
from tho west, on the New York Central and
Hudson river railroad, were crushed and
TANNED together by the Tarytown local train,
near Spuyten Duyvil crock, last night. The
wrecked cars were set on fire, and nine persons
are known to have perished in the flames. 1t
Is believed that 1T least three others must have
been burned.
State Senator Webster Wagner u supposed
to have bee, crushed between two Of his own
drawing-room cars, and to have persisted with
the other victims. The Atlantic express left
Albany at s:2o p. m. nearly three-quarters Of
an hour behind time. The train was heavy
one, comprising thirteen cars. Next TO
the locomotive were two mail cars and .
baggage Car. Behind them were three
ordinary passenger cars. Five Wagner
drawing-room cars completed the train.
They were tho Red Jacket, Sharon, Vanderbilt,
Minnehaha and Empire. The Empire was the
roar Car. At Greenbush on the opposite side
OF the river from Albany, the Wagner drawing
room car Idewild. from Troy, was coupled to
the engine and becsme the last car OF the train.
The train was IN charge OF Conductor George
H.nford, an old employe on the road. The con-
ductor Of the drawing-room cars was Mr.. Taylor.
other ut Poughkeepsie From this last point
the train began TO make up some OF the lost
time A speed Of at least fcrty miles an hour
was maintained until the Spuyten Duyvil
Greek Station was reached. Here the en-
gineer slowed down, and the train suddenly
cams TO a stop about midway between that
station and the KiDgsbridge Station. Some
thing, it was said by the train attendants, WAS
the matter with the air brake. For some reason
it failed to work. 1t was then few MN
utes past 7 O'Clock The delay must have
continued between ve and ten minutes. Sud-
denly one shril blast from locomotive WAS
heard, when the sound OF grinding wheels
from the rear grated harshly on the ear. The
next instant there was shock which shivered
the Idlewild TO splinters, drove its heavy frame
like telescope INTO the Empire, AID COM
pietely wrecked that car in All instant. Two
minutes later the ldewild was on
fire from the stovo N the forward
end which had been thrown over by
the shock. The famos lesped upon the
splintored Empire, and that too, was filed
with fire and smoke almost before the occu-
pants could escape. At least d dozen
persons who were in the Idlewlld were cut
off from escape, csught 10y tue jagged tim
Lers aud there held to be slowly roasted alive.
In the Empire were the following persons, at
OF whom managed 10 save themselves, though
a number who we're in the rear end had MI
raculous escapes from the swift advancing
flames State Senators John q. Jacobs and
John w. Browning. Assemblyman AL red G.
Chaplin DIR. j. w. Monk, OF Brooklyn;J. Hamp.
den Robb, Lucas l.. Vanamen, James j. Cos
tello, John McAanus and Edward g. Sheehy. or
New York-the toree last Tammany men; Com
missioner of Police Sidney Nicholas, MIR. Il r
ward Kearney, Maurice j. Holahan, Commas
soner OF Emigration rich, Mr.. Edward Ca
hill, Charles Swan, Messrs. Joseph Doyle and
Augustus Abel, two ladies, A. w. Lyman, COR
respondent OF the New York Sun, and the
Times Albany correspondent
The three TammaDy Assemblymen had just
left compartment at the rear OF the Empire,
where they had been making merry, and were
gong toward the front of the car when the
cIurh came, which spiinterod the very compart-
ment they had just abandoned. Senator Web
sler Wagner bad just passed them on bus way
TO the Idlewild. He WAS not ten feet from the
newspaper correspondent, and must have just
stepped upon the rear platform OF the Empire
when the ldlewild shot forward aud telescoped
the Empire.
The first indication that the Empires passen-
gers had OF danger was tho single whistle OF
the locomotive OF the local tram, the larry
town ex press The shock hurled them from
their seats, and they were flung along the Car
floor. The swivel chairs, wrenched from their
fastenings, were thrown after them ana lay
piled On top OF the struggling OCCUPANTS.
a shower of glass came down from over
head, and the roof of the Empire was crushed
in upon them by the weight OF the Idlewild's
roof, which seemed TO have been ii ted bodily,
and shot forward upon that OF the Empire. To
add TO the confusion the lights began TO glm-
mer and the darkness to deepen. Nearly all
the occupants found their way out through
windows whose sashes had been shattered 10y
the shock. The ladies were buried in heap Of
debris, and were extracted without having re-
ceived any severe bruises. Assemblyman
Monk was pinned between tmbers close
to the roof. The roof was pred OF, and
he was with great difficulty released.
He was completely prostrsted 10y the shock to
his nervous system, and had 10 be assisted To
the Minnohaha. The correspondents had, per-
haps, as narrow an escape as anybody. They
were In the rear OF the car, at the side OF the
Car which was inside OF the curve which the
track makes at this point. A gentleman who
sat opposite them, and was consequent
ly on the outside Of the curve, WAS
buried beneath the debris and was only
released from his perilous position by the
efforts OF his two neighbors across the aisle.
The fire was creeping slowly toward him and the
smoke was sitting, when he was pulled out and
pushed through the window. Whether there
were more passengers in one of the rear COM
partments OF the Empire cannot be determined.
As the last newspaper man climbed through the
window he heard the screams or two women
and the shouts OF man proceeding from
the extreme rear OF the Empire. Whether
they we're among that cars passengers,
or whether they were in the forward end
Of the Idlewild, which was launched far into
the Empire. ia not known. With the exception
of Assemblyman Monk, the occupants OF tue
Empire before mentioned all escaped with
slight cuts or bruises.
The noise Of the co llision was heard half q
mile away. and the glare of the burning cars
Illuminated the country far around. A
crowd of the residents Of King Bridge
and Spuyten Duyvil soon gathered. Axes
were brought and heroic endeavors to chop
hole in the side OF the Idiewild were made.
Nearly all of the Idlewlld's passengers were
caught III tho timhers, and were unable to move
! hand or foot. Their shrieSs we're appalling.
The flames were gaining Roadway. aud there
was neither hose, nor pals, nor water at hand
to quench them. Water there was enough IN
the creek, not 200 feet distant from the doomed
cars. Dut in the absence Of vessels Of some ces-
cripuon it could not be obtained
Finally some of the neighbors, whose dwells
ings fronted on the railroad track. furnished a
few wooden pals. Valuable time had been
lost, and the flames were now beyond control.
The villagers continued to throw water through
the windows nearest those spots where human
voice could be heard unul the heat drove them
far beyond point wh,re the primitive fre-ap-
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