Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-10-26
CARNAGE ON THE RAIL.
One Crowded Excursion Train
Crashes Into Another.
A Large Number Of People
Killed and Many Injured.

A frightful railroad accident at Mud Run
Station on the Lehigh Valley Railroad in
Pennsylvania has resulted in the instant
death of many people and severe injuries to
numerous others. Particulars of the sad at
fair are follows:
The wrecked train was a section or
Father Mathew excursion train returning
from the annual parade of Catholic Temper
ance societies at Hazelton. Nearly 5000 Luz
zerne and Lackawanna Ieop had gone TO
Hazelton. There were seventy weight cars
from WIlkesbarre to HazeltOn, the number
of passengers be ng about 500: The sections
were all crowded to suffocation, furnishing
the condition for terrible loss of life in case
of wreck.
The third section of the excursion train
stood on the track few hundred yards from
Mud Run at 10 P. NJ, waiting for sections
ahead to get out of the way. Suddenly the
passengers on the rear platform sa a train
approach at high rate of speed. Several
of them jumped and escaped. In an instant
the fash of headlight illuminated the in
terror of the ill-fated rear car; there was
a frightful crash, and the engine plunged her
full length into the crowded mass of people.
The shock drove the rear car through the
next one for two-thirdS of its length, and the
second car was forced into the third Not
single person escaped from the rear car. The
second was crowded with manned and bleed
ing bodies, and the third car had but few
passengers who escaped. The unlnJured
but terror-stricken passengers of both trains
made their way out of the cars, and went to
the telescoped engine and cars, where the
full horror of the terrible disaster dawned
upon them.
The shattered engine was pouring forth
streams of solid steam and water, which hid
from their eyes the full horrors Of the scene,
while the Kissing sound deadened the shrek
and groans of those imprisoned in the wreck.
Some of the dead sat pinloned erect IN their
seats. The timbers of the rear car were
crushed and wrenched, while on all sides
Id he hn fnHp
bodies which were not mangled were burned
and scalded by the steam.
The uninjured began at once to do what
could be done for their unfortunate COM
panionS. The few light tools on the train were
called into requisition, but proved very ineffi-
Gent The st. Francis Pioneer Corps, who
were on the train, piled with zeal their broad
axes, which were meant for holiday occasions.
They We're, however, but little adapted to the
work. and were soon rendered useless. The
windows of the cars were smashed in and men
released those least hurt or least entangled.
In one case they found James Lynch, of
Wilkesbarre hanging from the roof by one
leg. His cries brought friends, who, to re-
leve his suffering, stood upon the wreckage
and held his weight upon their backs until he
was released. A young lady was found
caught by the limbs. One limb was quickly
re, eased, but the other could not be freed,
and a instructed blow of an axe severed it
from the body. She herOicaly bore her tor
ture and taking out her gold watch she
handed it TO an acquaintance a gift to a
friend at home. She was put of the
trains and given all possible care but she
died in the arms of her friends on the car.
To free the bodies in the rear the train
men attached locomotive to the wrecked
engine and started to pull it from the wreck.
The first movement of the shattered wreck
brought from the wounded such cries of dis
treSs that the surrounding friends ordered
the engineer to desist pain of his life. They
did not wish to see the mangled forms still
further mutilated. The few houses about
the spot were thrown open to the suffering,
and bOnfireS were lighted to aid the work of
relief.
One brave man named McGinty risked
all danger, and mounting the wrecked loco
motives pulled out the fire. The night was
intensely dark, and bonfires had to be built
along the railroad to enable the rescuers to
work. The cries of the wounded they tried
to escape from the debris were heartrending.
Nearly all of the passengers were damned in
between the seats and broken timberS. They
could put their heads out of the windows
but could get no further, as their lower
limbs were held in the wreckage like a vice.
Every effort was made to rescue the unfOr-
tunates but in most cases they persisted be-
fore this could be effected. Many of the male
passengers used their shirts for bandages to
dress the wounds of the injured.
Two special trains carried the wounded to
the hospitals at Bethlehem and WilkeSbarre
Forty physicians were on the ground at day
break.
The first list of men, women and children
who were instantly killed, or died soon after
of their in juries numbered about sixty peO-
pie, and the injured comprised many more.
Of the badly hurt many were not expected
to recover.