The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-14
4 MISPLACED SWITCH
Causes the Frightful Wreck
of a Railway Train.
urRo1c CONDUCT.
How q Thoughtful Passenger saved
a Confagration and Burned
His Hands.

prrrsarpa. November ia frightful
wreck occurred at the Dluestone quarry on
80 Raltimore & Ohio railway. at Z O'Clock
this morning. Train No. IL, the through
-axnress from Baltimore to Pittsburg, con-
sisting OF a sleeper, two coaches Dag
gage and one express ear. ran lnto a ihis-
nlaced switch. and was completely wrecked.
The sleeper rolled over an nkm INTO
Youehiogheny river. The other cars were
,onaet and the whole train detached from
the engine:
sIxTEEN PERSONS WERE INJURED,
h,,t zone killed outright. The names OF
the injured persons are: Charles n: Doyle.
member OF Congress from Fayette district;
:John Dowlins, collector OF internal revenue
Tor the 23d district; ]. N. McJilliton. legal
agent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway;
p. II. Bigler, c Hector OF internal revenue
for the 23d district, and thirteen oOher
eastern people. None OF the wounded are
believed to be dangerously injured, unless 1T
il Congressman Boyle, whose condition ID
thought to be serious. The report OF the
wreck reached this city about 9 O'Clock TINS
morning and caused great excitement as IL
was known that many prominent men 81
this city were expected gu tho train The
accident
DIsARRANGED THE TELEGRAPH WIRES
and IL was a1Uor ~ u CIOCh DoioIO OhO NH
lowing particulars Of the accident were re-
ceiyed: The express was about fifteen min
utes late when it reached the point at which
the wreck occurred. At BluestOne quarry
the track makes a short curve around the
river. A short distance back from the bank
there is u switch at the commencement OF
the curve. Whether some one had left the
switch open or not is not yet ascartained.
The officials of the Dad say that it was
tempered with, evidently with the object in
VIEW OF CAUSING A WRECK.
Had the switch been open the train
would have gone into it all right and could
nave been stopped before any damage had
been done. As it was the train could 60 on
neither track. TIL result was that the
engine dashed along the ties, tearing up the
track and causing the coaches and sleeping
cars to break loose and dash on over the
e~mbankment in the widest confusion. The
sleeper rolled over and over, and stopped
with it's side lying in the bed Of the river
thirty feet below. The two passenger
coaches stopped at the waters edge. The
baggage car went into the water. There
were MANY passengers on board. The scene
that followed beggars description. Cries OF
the injured and manned were heard from
every car.
THE FRIGHTENED
sprang from the windows and struggled
with each other to escape from the rolling
cars. Walls Of pain were heard from some
who had been caught and held within the
wreck. TIL Sc who escaped without injury
were too startled for a time to render as
sistance Then they began the rescue A
/ messenger was sent to Connellsvile for med
| ical assistance. and in Il short time IA corps
| of physicians was set up IN a special train.
| After dressing the wounds OF the injured
| they were removed to the hotels in Con
| nellsville. The wreck caused great excite
| ment in Connellsvill and for hours after
| ward the people hurried to the scene. The
track was blockaded and torn up ), badly
that no trains got through till this after
noon.
Congressman Boyle, though very seriously
hurt, will probably recover. He Was taken
to his home at UniontOwn.
HEROIC
O. Van Meter. of this city. by his heroic
action, saved the car from taking fire and
perhaps some passengers from death.
When the train jumped the track he
grabbed the stove with Il deathlike
| grip and held on until the car stopped at
| the foot of the embankment. Then he .et
| go, to find the flesh burned Off both his
hands and arms.