The patron of husbandry., 1882-01-28
4 TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.


The Chicago Express from Albany Run In
to on the Hudson River Railroad, Near
Spuyten Duyvil. by Special Train-Two
Sleeping Cars Telescoped and Fired, and
Several of the Occupants Crushed
burned to Death-State Senator webster
Wagner, the Sleeping Car Man, in the
List of KiIled-A Bridal Couple Burned
to Crisp.
NEW YORK, Jsnuasy 13.
The two rear cars of the Atlantic express
from the West on tie New York Central 81
hudson River Railroad we're crushed and
damned together by the Tarrytowa local
train pear Spuyten Duyvil Creek tonight.
Ihe wrecked cars were set on fire, and nine
persons are known to have perished in the
names. 1t is believed that at least three
others must have been burned. State Senator
webster Wagner is supposed to have been
crushed between two of his own drawing-room
cars, and to have perished with the other vic
TINS The Atlantic express left Albany at
o:2o P. m, nearly three-quarters of an hour
behind time. The train was a heavy
one, comprising thirteen cars. Next to
the locomotive were tive mail-cars
and baggage-car. Behind them were three
ordinary passenger-cars. Five Wagner draw
tng-room-cars completed the train. They
were the Red Jacket, Sharon, Vanderbilt, Min
nehaha and Empire. The Empire was the
rear car. At Greenbush, on the opposite
side OF the river from Albany, the Wagner
drawing-room car Idlewild, from Troy, was
coupled to and became the last of the
train. The train was in charge of Conductor
George Hanford an old employe on the road.
The conductor of the drawing -room-cars was
Mr.. Taylor. Two stops were made-one at
Hudson and the other at Poughkeepsie. From
this last point the train began to make up
some of the lost time. A speed of at least
forty miles an hour was maintained until the
Spuyten Duyvil Creek Station was reached.
Here the engineer slowed down and
the train suddenly came to a stop about
midway between that station and the
Kingsbridge Station. Something, it was
said by the train attendants, was
the matter with the air brake. For some rea-
son it failed to work 1t was then few min
utes past seven O'Clock. The delay must have
continued between five and ten minutes Sud
denly one shrill blast from locomotive was
heard, when the sound of grinding wheels
from the rear grated harshly on the The
next instant there was a shock which shivered
the ldleWild to splinters, drove its heavy frame
like telescope into the Empire, and com
pletely wrecked that car in an instant. Two
minutes later the Idlewid was on fire from the
stove in the forward end, which had been
thrown over by the shock. The flames leaped
upon the splintered Empire, and that, too was
filled with fire and smoke almost before the
occupants could escape. At least a dozen per-
sons who were in the Idlewild were cut off
from escape, caught by the jagged tinbers
and there held to be slowly roasted alive.
Three Tammany Assemblymen had just left
compartment at the rear of the Empire,
where they had been making merry, and were
going toward the front of the car when the
crush came, which splintered the very com
partment they had just abandoned. Senator
Webster Wagner had passed them on his 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 and
telescoped the Empire. The first indication
that the Empires passengers had of danger
was the single whistle of the locomotive of
the local train, the TarrytOwn express 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 and 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 Idlewilds roof, which seemed to
have been lifted bodily and shot forward upen
that of the Empire. To add to the confusion
the lights began to glimmer and the darkness
to deepen. Nearly ali the occupants found
their way out through Windows whose sashcs
had been shattered by the shock. The ladies
were buried in a heap of debris, and were ex-
tracted without having received any severe
bruises. Assemblyman Monk was pinned be-
tween tiInbers close to the roof. The roof
was pried off, and he was with great difficulty
released.
Nearly all Of the Idlewild's passengers were
caught in the timbers, and were unable to
move hand or foot. Their shrieks were ap-
palling. The flames were gaining headway,
and there was neither hose, nor pals, nor
water at hand to Quench them. Water there
was enough in the creek, not two hundred
feet distant from the doomed cars, but in the
absence of vessels of some description it could
not be obtained. Finally some of the neigh
bors, whose dwellings fronted on the railroad
track furnished few wooden pals Valua-
bic time had been lost, and the flames were
now beyond control. The villagers continued
to throw water through the windows nearest
those spots where a human voice could be
heard, until the heat drove them far beyond
point where the primitive fire apparatus
could be utilized.