, 1888-10-12
The Terrible Accident on the
Lehigh Valley Road.
Heartrending Details Related
by Survivors.
Horrible Deaths of Many of
the Passengers.
How the Dead and Dying
We're Rescued,

word Of the terrible accident at Mudrun
on the Lehigh Valley road was received
at 10 o'clock last night. There were
nearly 5000 people from Luzerne and
Lackawanna counties in the excursion at
Hazelton. S~eventy-eight cars we're from
Wilkesbarre, the number of passengers
being about 5, 800. The sections were all
crowded to suffocation, furnishing condi-
tons for terrible loss of life. People
focked to the depot, ~wringing their hands
in agony, but the railroad officials would
not or could not give n information,
nor would they furnish facilities for any
one to go to the scene, though the anxious
ones offered to pay any price. Through
out the night the depot was thronged by
hundreds of persons
SUFFERING UNTOLD AGONY
over the uncertainty, and the throng was
loud in its denunciation of the company
for refusing all information, causing need
less suffering.
AT $3.50 a. m. a report was circulated
that arrangements had been made for the
receipt of a large number Of the wounded
at the hospital, and the rumor was soon
confirmed. The officials were expecting
twenty-five of the victims. With such a
list of wounded coming in this direction
the public pulse stood still over the
HORRIBLE POSSIBILITIES
and thousands of f~ainting hearts quivered
in dread. Many persons after waiting
during the long weary hours from 10 to 8
in the morning took the southbound train
which passed here at $40 and went to the
scene of the disaster. There it was
learned that the third section of the ex-
cursion train had stood on the track a few
hundred yards from Mudrun, waiting for
the sections ahead to get out of the way.
A fiagman, some say, had been sent back
with a lantern to guard the train from the
rear. Suddenly the passengers on the
rear platform saw the train approaching at
a high rate of speed. Several jumped and
escaped. In an instant the flash of the
headlight Illuminated the interior of the
Ill tated rear car, there was
A FRIGHTFUL CRASH
and the engine plunged full length into
the crowded mass of humanity.
The shock drove the rear car through
the next one two-thirds its length and the
second car was forced into the third. Not
a single person escaped from the rear car
and the second was crowded with MANNED
and bleeding bodies. The third car had
but few passengers who escaped. The
u%ninjured of both trains made their way
out of the cars and ON going to the teles-
COPIED engine and cars saw the shattered
engine pouring forth scalding steam and
water which hid from their eyes the full
est measure of
H HORRIBLE SCENE,
while its Kissing sound deadened the
shrieks and groans of those imprisoned in
the wreck. CHASTITY white faces peered
into the windows to be greeted by faces
more ghastly. Some Ct the dead sat
PINNED IN LEI EAT
erect as if in life and staring open eyed as
if aware of the horrible surroundings.
As the steam and smoke cleared from
the rear car awful sights were revealed.
The timbers of the cars were twisted and
wrenched. while on all sides hung man
gled bodies and limbs. The few bodies
not maugled were burned and scalded by
the steam and but little remained in the
rear car which bore human semblance
When the shock of the first crash had
in a measure subsidized the uniniured be-
gan to do what could be done for their
unfortunate companions. The few light
tools On the train proved feeble instru-
ments indeed. The st. Francis Firemen
corps, who were on the train, piled with
zeal their broadaxes meant for holiday
occasions. They were, however, but little
adapted for the work and were soon rend.
cred useess. In the meantime the win
dows of the cars were smashed in and
the brave men entered and released those
least hunt or least entangled. John
Lynch of Wilkcsbarre was hanging from
the root
BY N LEG
His cries brought friends who stood
upon the wreckage and held his weight
upon their backs until he was released.
A young lady was found caught by her
lower limbs. One limb was quickly re-
leased, but the other could not be freed.
Unfortunately a misdirected blow of an
axe
SEVERED IT FROM HI BODY.
She heroicly bore her torture, but could
not survive the shock and soon died.
To free the bodies in the rear car the
trainmen attached a locomotive to the
wrecked engine and started 10 pull it from
the wreck. The first movement of the