St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-10-18
FRIGHTFUL RAILROAD DISASTER

Fifty-seven killed and as many
wounded-is the record of a frightful
disaster on the Lehigh Valley railroad
at Mud Run station, Pa, Wednesday
night, October 10. The Lehigh Valley
company transported 5000 people to
Hazleton during the course of the day
to witness IA parade of all the Roman
Catholic societies of the Scranton do
cese in honor of the birth of Father
Matthew. The excursiOnists began to
return to their homes at o'clock in
the evening. The first train out for
Wilkesbarre and Scranton passed
through Wilkesbarre all right. The
second train containing nine cars made
a stop at Mud Run. One minute later
the third train of IL cars, drawn by two
heavy locomotives, dashed into the
train standing still on the track. The
locomotive piled upon the two rear
coaches, smashing them into a thousand
splinters and carrying death and de-
struction on every side.
Passengers on the several sections of
the train relate that the third section
of the excursion train stood on the
track few hundred yards from Mud
Run, waiting for the sections ahead to
get out of the way. A brakeman, so
they said, had been sent back with
lantern to guard the train in the rear.
Suddenly they saw train approach
ing in the rear at high rate of speed.
Several who were on the rear platform
jumped off and escaped. One young
woman sprang, but seeing two little
boys who were in her charge yet ON
the platform, she climbed back to res
cue them, and lost her life by her dar-
ing. In an instant the flash of head
light illuminated the interior of the
Inflated car. There was frightful
crash, and the engine plunged her full
length into the mass of humanity. The
shock drove the rear car through the
next one for twO-thirds of its length,
and the second into the third. 1t is
said that not single person escaped
in the rear car. The second was
crowded with MANNED and bleeding
bodies, and the third car had but few
passengers who escaped. The passen-
gers throughout both trains were terri
bly, shaken up and bruised. They soon
swarmed upon the track and the full
horror of the accident dawned upon
them. The thrOngs from the two
trains gathered beside the telescoped
engines and cars and there witnessed
the most fearful sight of their lives
The shattered engine was pouring
streams of water, which partly hid
from human eyes many horrible sights.
The steam deadened the shrieks and
groans of those involved in the ruin.
CHASTITY white faces peered into the
windows, to be greeted by faces more
CHASTITY. Those already dead, gripped
1 m tIFlh
as in life, staring open-eyed, as if
aware of the horrible surroundings.
Here, a youth, stone dead, held in his
arms his little brother, whose feet
were pinioned. A father was crushed
and mangled, and lay at full length
upon the PROSTATE form of his badly
injured son.
Since the awful catastrophe hundreds
of people have been asking "WhoSis to
blame 7" From the unanimous testi-
mony of eye-witnesses it is found that
James Hanigan, the rear brakeman of
the train known as section four, was
swinging the danger signal at least 200
feet from the rear of that train. The
red signal was out at the station also
and red lights at the rear of the cars.
The n-coming train with it's immense
human freight was slackened little
in response to the signals, but just then
Conductor Keithline claims, he heard
two whistles from the forward section
as signal to go ahead. He therefore
gave the signal to his engineer to go
on. When but so feet away from the
section ahead, Engineer Cook and Fire
man Gallagher saw the danger. The
lever was partly reversed, but it was
too late. An official says: Section Z
laid short distance beyond the sta
ton. No. came laundering along,
and the brakeman gave the engineer
the signal to stop. He failed to heed
it, and dashed by the signal. The
train plunged on, disregarded the sig
nal at the station and the awful disas-
ter followed.
New York tobaeeonists say that