The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-19
THE WEEK.
In the United States and the
Old World.
A MISPLACED SWITCH,
Express Train on the Baltimore 4 Ohio
railroad Wrecked.


Express Train on the Baltimore 4 Ohio
railroad Wrecked.
A Pittsburg Pa, dispatch Says A irightful
wreck has occurred at the Blue Stone quarry,
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at seven
o'clock this morning, Train No 70, the through
express IRON Baltimore 10 Piitsturg, consist
ing OF q sleeper two coaches, two baggage
cars and one express Car, ran into q misplaced
switch and was completely wrecked, The
sleeper rolled over the embankment into tho
Youghiogheny River, The other cars werc
upset and the whole tram was detached from
the engine. Sixteen persons were injured, but
none were killed outright, The names
Of the injured are the Hon, q. Il,
Boyle, member oil Congr,ss from the
Fayette district; the Hon, John Bowlin,
collector Of internal revenue for tho twenty
third district; j. n. Clifton, legal agent OF the
Baltimore & Ohio Company; tho Hon, l., ii.
Biglcr, collector ot internal revenue for the
twenty-sccond district; j. Foy, Boston, Mass,
foot hurt John Shemsn, Piedmont, W, Va,
right arm cut b, Shaines, New York, right
hand and back hurt slightly; Mrs. W. l., Wells
OF Indianapolis, leg sprained; Charles Hirsch,
shoulder hurt and scalp wound; f. W. Young.
oil New York, back and leg spraned; Joseph
+. Dalian 1t Brooklyn, hands cut; Ms. Lucy
MolfMt OF Sewicklcy, Penn, hands burned; $.
II, Werner Of CARAT, Penn, believed 10 DO
injured internally; Mrs. Dyer of Pittsburg
buck bruised; c. F.. ldding, scalp wound and
bruised; +, MoGriw, badly cut; unknown
man, hands cut. Mono OF the wounded are be-
lieved to be dangerously injured, unless it is
Congressman Boyle. J. NJ. Mc(iilton's
ankle was badly sprained, and Collectors
Downer and Bigler were slightly bruised
The accident disaiMnged the telegraph wires,
and it was after ten o'clock before the fol-
lowing particulars OF the accident were
received: Tho express was ID minutes lte
when it reached the place where the wreck
occurred. AT Blue Stone Quarry the track
makes sharp curve around the river, n short
distance back from the bank, There is IL
switch ut the commencement Of the curve.
Whether some one had left the switch partly
open or not is not ceria II. The officials Of the
road saw the switch had been tempered with,
evidently with the intention Of causing a
wreck. Had the switch been open the train
would have gone into it all right and would
have been stopped before any damage had
been done, but as it was the train could go on
neither track The result was that tho engine
dusheG along The ties, tearing up the track and
causing the coaches and sleeping cars to break
loose and dash on over the embankment in
the widest confusion. The sleeping car
rolled over and over md stopped with
,
so feet below. The two passenger coaches
stopped at the waters edge, but the
baggage car went into the water There
were many passengers on board. The scene
that followed was one that bcggared descrip--
ton. The cries OF the injured and MANNED
were heard from every cat. Frightened pas
sensers sprang from windows and struggled
with each other TO escape from the rolling cars,
and walls OF pain were heard from some who
had been caught and held within the wreck.
Those who escaped minjured were too much
startled for time to render assistance. They
then began the rescue.
A messenger was sent TO Connellsville Tor
medical assistance, and in a short time q corps
oil physicians was sent up on a special train
The injured, after having their wounds
dressed, were removed TO the hotels Of Con-
ncllsviiIe, where they received every attention
that could be given them by the railroad oom-
pany. The wreck caused great excitement
in Connellsvlle, and for hours aiterward pco-
pie hurried TO the scene of the accident. The
track was blyck0dcd and torn up SO badly that
no trains got through until this afternoon.
In addition to the l6 before reported, the
following persons were slightly injured: j.
A. Kelly, Baltimore; Grin Van Meter,
Pit sburg; George Lane, England; John
Younker, engineer, Conncllsvlle, Penn, and
Division Freight Agent Btrgerson, OF this city
Congressman Boyle is very seriously hurt, but
vii! probably recover. He was taken to his
home at Uniontown. Grin Van Meter by
his heroic action, saved the car from taking
fire, and perhaps some Of the 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
emblnk;nent, where he let go, to find the flesh
burned of both hands and arms.