Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-05-22
TERRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER
Fifteen OF Twenty Men Killed and
Ruruad ThrauRh \ O0llfalan

burned Through q Collision.
PrTrsBURe, Pa, May IA About 10
O'Clock this morning 4 collision occurred
on the Baltimore Il Ohio railroad at q
point one mile east of Connellsville,
between freight train west and . oon-
struotion train east, resulting in terri
BILE loss of life.
The scene Of the disaster Is on sharp
curve just west Of Speer's sand works.
The freight train was heavily laden with
ore. The camp train consisted of six
cars. 1t contained about 80 men, who
had Just been transferred from the
Pittsbu Southern railroad, and were on
their way to Ohio Pyle Falls to work on
grading for the double track on the
east end of this division.
Both trains were going at high rate
Of speed and came together with terrible
force. The engines remained on the
track and telescoped each other into the
| smoke stacks, but the heavy tenders
jumped into the air and fell, the freight
tender upon its engine and the gravel
train tender back upon the first car in
the rear. Here was scene of death.
| Six men were killed outright in this
car; four others were fastened down by
broken timbers and roasted to death, the
car catching IRE from the overturned
stove, and burning up before the stupe.
fed survivors could mprehend the
awful situation of their companions.
Three men escaped from the car, and one
Of them assured correspondent that the
fire could have been extinguished had
water been applied in time.
The wreck itself was q chastity sight.
The tender of the freight engine stood sc
feet in the air. Iu the side OF the iron car
that was burned could bs seen sitting,
amid the glowing embsrs and twisted iron
roads, the dead ashes OF three grinninp
skeletons. 0ne was sitting bold upright
apparently pssring into the flames thai
had smothered out his life as well ai
those Of his companions.
1t is impossible to get list Of the dead
and wounded, but it ia known that Johr
Neville, John Ward, John Carey ant
and John Hughes were burned. Pat Gas
sadly, who was In the second car, WAS In
stantly killed another named Shay, VIII,
was injured, has Just died. At noon
large force OF shop hands we're on tn,
ground extinguishing the flames, and tn,
wreck train WAS at work pulling the de
bris away and rescuing the charred re
mains.
, PiTrsBURo, May 15.-The names ofthos
injured At the Connellsville accident, yes
terdsy as far as learned, are as follows
James Smith, lsborer, scalp wound
. Samuel Clay, engineer Of the camp train
I right arm broken; William MoNulty
, laborer Of Philadelphia, right ankle frac
tursd; Daniel Albright, lsborer Of Ursins
I Pa, leg broken; W. J. Burns, clerk, ,righ
/ arm broken. Four Swsdes whose name
are not known were also injured but no
dangerously.
, The injured were brought to the Wes
4 Pennsylvania Hospital, this city
9 and the dead were taken to Connellsvill
for burial.
When the wreck near Connellsgill
was cleared away, IL WAS discovered ths
II had been injured and IA we're missing
: The bodies of 10 Of the latter have sine
been recovered. Other bodies are SUI
il, posed to have been completely consumed
;. OF those recovered only two, Cassidy an
VI Oermott, could be identified. The othel
!, were burned into shapeless mass.
b One OF the injured, J. L. 0'Shea, die
Al on the way to the hospital. The coroner
:, jury returned q verdict that the accidei
was caused by the csrelessuess of Gilbe
re Lewia, the train dispatcher.