Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-15
RAILROAD COLLISION.
Two Trains Come Together on the Bal.
timore Il Ohio KailrOad-Heavy
Loss Of Life.
PITrsBURG. May IA.

PITTsBURG. May IA.
About ten o clock this morning a collision
occurred on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad at
a point one mile east of Connellsville, be-
tween west bound freight and an east bound
construction train, resulting in a terrible loss
of life. The construction train consisted of
dump cars containing so laborers on their
way to the Ohio Pyle Falls Works. 1t was
telescoped and a number of men crushed to
death. Many of those who escaped death
were terribly injured. The names of the
killed have not been received. There is q
sharp curve where the accident occurred, and
both train scame together with crash. The
cars took FIRE and the bodies were cremated.
Later particulars say that the west bound
freight train collided with the gravel train
on the Baltimore Ohio railroad, one mile
east of Connellville between and 10 A. NJ,
and that from IL to 20 laborers were killed
and many injured. The scene of the disss-
ter is sharp curve. The freight was heavy
ladened. The gravel train consisted Of six
cars and contained fifty men. Both were
going at high rate of speed and came TO-
gether with a terrible crach. The engines
remained on the track and telescoped each
other in to the smokestacks, but the heavy
tenders jumped into the air and fell, the
freight tender on its engine and the gravel
train tender back upon car in the rear of it,
The car was . scene of death. Six men
were killed outright, and four who were
fastened down by timbers were roasted to
death, the car catching FIRE from an over.
turned stove, and burned up before the stu
perfied survivors could comprehend the sit.
uation of their shriekinR companions. Three
escaped from the car, and one of them stated
that the fire could have been extinguished
had wster been applied. The wreck was q
ghastly sight.
Inside the car that was burned could be
seen sitting among the glowing embers, iron
rods and dead ashes three grinning skeletons,
one sitting bolt upright peering into the
flames that smothered out his life. At noon
Q large force of shop hands were on the
ground extinguishing the flames and the
wrecking train vas at work pulling the debris
away and rescuing the charred remains. The
trunks of four were taken out. Across the
breast Of one the white unsigned flesh con-
trnsted strangely with the black surround
ings. That spot wss where the heavy timbers
caught and held him until the flames left
nothing but the headless, leRless trunk. The
remains we're placed on . board and laid
down on the grass. A lean and hungry
dog snuffed the wasted flesh and licking hi.
chops descended on the remains. Fortunate.
ly he was discovered and driven away. The
officials decline to say who is 70 blame, bu,
popular opinion places the responsibility or
| one of the train runners.
When the wreck wss cleared away il wal
discovered that IL persons we're injured and
IA missing. The bodies of 10 of the latter
| have been recovered. The others are sup
posed 70 have been completely consumed o
those recovered only two could be positively
identified. The others were burned into
shaneIess mass One of the Injured died n,
the way TO the hospstaI. The injured wer,
/ taken to the West Pennsylvsuia hospital, an,
the dead to Connellsville for burial.