Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-10-18
A PAIR OF HORRORS.
Appalling Accident on the Lehigh
Valley Railroad.
Two Crowded Excursion Trains Collide and
Scores of Passengers Are Killed and
Indured-Fcarful Accident at
Quincy, Ill.

WnKEsBhRRE, Pa, Oct. ia special
train on the Lehigh Valley railroad, car
rying Wilkesbarre delegation home from
Hazleton from the Father Mathew cele-
bration last evening, was wrecked above
Penn Haven and it was reported that sew
eral cars were completely wrecked and
some forty or more persons killed.
The rumor of the terrible accident was
soon confirmed. The fifth division of the
Father Mathew excursion returning from
HaZleton was wrecked and the cars piled
up in a sbapeless mass one being stood
upon its end. All the cars were crowded
and the fatalities will run into awful fig
ures. Ali the physicians from White
Haven and nearby points are at the wreck,
as also all Lehigh Valley officials from
this city. The number killed is variously
reported from twenty-five to eighty per-
sons.
The only information received here up
to midnight was from passengers on the
Central railroad trains, who reported a
horrible condition of affairs, the groans of
the wounded being heard across the river
where the tracks of the Central run. At
the depot here hundreds of people gathered
on the platform, many weeping for the
safety of their friends supposed to be on
tbs wrecked train.
The accident on the Lehigh Valley road
at Mud Run near Penn Haven is beyond
all question the most awful disaster that
Sver happened in this portion of the State.
Though no details can be learned there is
no doubt that the number of killed will
reach nearly eighty and the injured near
ly double that number.
The trains were excursion trains return
ing from the celebration at HaZleton OF
the annual parade of the Catholic temper
ance societies of the Scranton diocese.
Thousands Of people went to HaZleton
from the towns of Luzerne and Lackawan-
ma Counties. Seven trains, with the cars
filled to the doors. passed through White
Haven yesterday morning, taking the old
route by Penn Haven. On the return the
first train left HazletOn about five p. M,
the others following as rapidly as was
deemed best. The first three sections came
through without accident. the disaster
happening to the fourth and fifth sections.
For some reason not explained the fourth
section was standing on the track five
miles below when the following section
swept around the curve and crashed into
it. The cars Were smashed and broken
and hurled off the track. The road lies
close beside the LehiGh river, a steep en-
bankment sixty feet high running down to
the water. Several of the cars rolled down
this and others were crushed against the
cutting on the other side.
VIA HAzLEroN.
HAZLEToS, Pa, Oct 1.-THE big excUr-
sion trains loaded with human freight
from the upper end OF the county and
Scranton left here at six O'Clock in three
sections. Near Mud Run. q small station
on the other side of White Haven, the sec
ond section ran into the first section.
The engine of the first section was
disabled and before signal
could be thrown out the second section
with its large number of passengers ran
into it. The engineer jumped off just as
they struck. The fireman was seriously
injured. About sixty people were killed
and as many wounded. Twenty-Five bod
les have been taken from the wreck. News
is hard to get as there is no telegraph sta
ton at Mud Run.