Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-12
sIxTY.F0UR DEAD 80 FAR.

=
And Many Moro Of those Manr,.a I'm
the Lehigh Valley Disaster Likely "a
Die-A s"sptctea that Engineer Geek
was Drunk.
Many OF the unfortunates who lost their lives
| IN tne disaster on the Lehigh Valley Railroad on
wednesday night have not yet been identifled,
out up 70 last night the List Of the dead numbered
axty-four, while in hospital at wilkesbarre were
seventeen whose wounds were such as TO render
tneir recovery doubtful Many others Of the
wounded who chose 10 b taken TO their homes
may also die, so that It will be some days yet be-
lore the full extent Of the sickening horror be
known.
II Is clear enough how the accident happened,
as was shown In yesterdays STAR, but why the
70 stop his engine In time is stin mystery. It is
feared that when an investigation IL made IL will
show that he was either asleep or drunk. II seems
OF the nrst train, or section g. TO let the train be-
hind know it was standing stin The
cursionisis TO Hazeton in the morning
were TO bear them away home, and early In the
evening the FIRST one pulled out, the others follow
Ing with the tenmnutes' interval required BY the
company's orders Four trains had passed Mud
kun before the accident The fourth waited there
charge OF CONDUCTOR Charles Terry, Of Mauch
Snuak ne found That he was only four minutes
behind the other; He ran his train 600 or 200
allow the ten minutes 70 expire. AT this point
there Is a VIDE curve In the track, bending inward
just at the upper end OF the curve and must have
been plainly visible TO any train coming on the
curve at the other end.
tn. CRASH CONES
section Q, as II was known, was coming along
behind, and every precaution was taken; red
lights were hung out at the Mud Run Station, and
a nagman was sent out q quarter OF mile behind
the standing train But on came section g. with
ten heavily loaded coaches. drawn by TWO huge
coal train engines AT the throttle OF the nrst
engine was Engineer Henry Cook, OF Wilkesbarre,
and the second engine was In charge Of Thomas
Major, OF Mauch Chunk. How these men failed 10
see the standing train or the signals that had been
put out Is marvel Hugh Gallagher, the fireman
Of Majors engine, did see them when he was
10 tns 9o9 eet OF x5 5ae sSsndng train He called
Jumped from the cab, followed by Gallagher. Cook
never lett his post IN his cao and escaped pract-
cally unhurt. Anderson Brown, Of Wllkesbarre,
engineer or the standing train, saw the other when
IL was 900 feet distant and he put on steam but
ms is, Train mad hardly begun TO move when the
the weight or the heavy train behind 1t and rum
nng 20 miles an hour, crushed into the rear car Of
The dreadful scene that followed was rendered
even more horrifylng by the wild CONFUSION and
excitement OF the uninJured passengers. They
formed crowd or from l,5O0 TO 2 700 people, men
women, and children, ana IL Is said tnat not few
OF them were drunk and their maudlln rawlings
were revolving feature Of the terrible situation
All were WILD with excitement. Shr.ekng women
struggled amid contending men TO force their way
from The Cars, and rushed about calling Tor their
Irlends and relatives not knowing whether they
were dead or alive.
The railroad of1cials made every effort to get
the passengers, both wounded and uninJured,
away from the spot, but II was past In the morn
Ing before the 1rst Train load was sent away. The
more seriously injured, about forty in number,
were taken up on separate train, attended by
doctors. seventeen OF them were sent 10 tine
Wukesoarre hospitals; the others preferred 70 20
10 tnelr homes No record was Kept OF Their names
or the nature OF their injuries The dead bodies
were subsequently placed IN three passenger
Coaches on n siding and remained there until noon
on thursday. They were then brought up 10
Whte haven, Where number OF uudertakerS
We're In waiting, VINO received the bodies, washed
and prepar. IneIn Ior burial, and plac d them in
neat Baskets provided BY the company. Last
as had oeen Identified were taken 10 their desc
late homes.
suffers terrible blow. Two-thlrds OF those killed
anu injured are from that town, whose whole pop
ulatlou Is not over 1000 or the Father Mathew
Cadets or that town, who went down thlrty-slx
StronS In bright, gay uniforms, all but eight are
killed or more or less seriously injured
WHAT ENGINEER COOK SAYS.
correspondent OF the Philadelphia Press last
evening visited Henry Cook the engineer OF the
engine that dashed into tue standing train. He
Was Iound In bed suffering from severe bruises re-
celyed In Jumping from his engine. de stated
That bis engine was then merely In the CAPACITY
Oh a helper; that he had been given absolutely no
orders except Simply 10 help this particular train
along. he denied that any nagmen were out, ana
stated most positively that the Train neared
Mud Kun station they were SHOWN The white lign ut,
and thereupon he sounded The Two whistles w Cali
attention VI the engineer belind him that all as
night. Just as they reached the station he saw
red light aud a second later he saw the train Ia
front he smut on steam and jumped, followed by
his fireman.
HORRIBLE STORY.
Engineer Major, Of The second engine has not
been seen since directly after the accident His
home A Gfor taa
been set afioat. 1t is said that Hugh Gallagher
The fireman ior Harry Cook, has stated In the
presence or several witnesses that he the train
In front OF them when they were at the station.
he called Cooks attention to it, and Cook Called
out: Let's plug EN-" few seconds later ne
jumped from mis- engine anu Gallagher followed
An EaStOn, Pa, dispatch reports a gentleman
VINO visited the scene OF the wreck say Ing: sine
section OF the train wrecked was made up OF Jersey
APOLOGIES Tor Cars Two OF these We're completely
demolished and The other two are next To worth
less Tue story that some Of the We're thrown
over the em0ankInenL Is not true. From my
knowledge OF the strength OF The cars SHOULD say
that II they had been Lehigh Valley cars instead
OF jersey Central the accident would not nave
three VI four persons would have been killed"
->O~-
Big Election Bets.
sEvERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS wAGERED IN THE
QUAKER CITY, ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
From the PhIlsdephis Press to-day.
EX-Ponce Lieutenant James Flaherty now OF
Atlantic City, yesterday bet s. 900 even with
Charles Seger, OF the California Bank Exchange,
that Cleveland would he elected. forfeit Of 500
was placed in the hands Of Magistrate Durham,
who Is to be the stakeholder. Later In the day
Seger laid 81, 900 with Charles Rldgway, OF the
Ridgway House, and $1,000 with George Glide
meyer, hardware merchant, ON Harrison He
has still $1,000 OF the $4,000 placed with him ny
In 1dNor OF Harrison, and says that after
that Is taken there Will be $4,000 more awaiting
acceptance Magistrate Durham during the DAY
wagered 500 with Charles +. Dome lily Chairman
OF the democratic city committee, that Alfred
Gratz would be elecIed register OF Wills He
wanted 10 wager $500, but Chairman Donnelly de-
clned 10 stake That much. SulI another wager
offered was that Oh James Christie, In the employ
VI Sheoie Hill, commission wool merchants. He
wanted 70 bet 5000 even with anybody