Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-11
DEATH ON THE RAIL.
Excursion Trains TelescOped.ScOres
of Victims.

PoTTsyILLE, Pa, October 1O.-Infor
nation reached this city tonight of a
terrible accident which occurred on the
Lehigh Valley Railroad at Mud Run, the
first station above Penn Haven. A grand
parade of Catholic societies took place at
Hazelton to-day, and large excursion
was run from Wilkesbarre for the occa-
sion, composed of lodges, bands and
sight-seers from Wilkesbarre, Nanticoke
and other points along the line. The
excursion train was run in two Sec
tions, and upon their return trip
tonight the rear section ran into
the forward section at Mud Run, about
8 o'clock, with disastrous results. Sew
eral cars of the forward section were
telescoped and forty persons were killed
outright and about an equal number
injured, many of them probably fatally
The late hour at which the accident
occurred, the remote and isolated locality
of the scene and the reticence of the
railroad people, combine to render the
obtainment OF details extre mely difficult.
1t is impossible to obtain the names or
residence of any of the victims, but
their number is stated above with ap-
proximate accuracy.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, October 1O.-The
accident of the Lehigh Valley at Mud
Run, near Penn Haven, is beyond all
question the most awful disaster that
ever 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 nearly double that number. The
4 roinc trasnn
from the celebration at Hazelton of the
ance Societies of the Scranton diocese.
Thousands went down to Hazleton from
the towns of Luzerne and Lackawanna
counties. Seven trains with the cars
filed to the doors, passed through White
Haven this morning, taking the old route
by the Pennsylvania. On the return the
first train left Hazelton about P. NJ, the
others following as rapidly as deemed
safe. The first three sections came
through without an accident. The dis
aster happened to the fourth and fifth
sections. For some reason, not ex-
planned, the fourth section was standing
on the track near the little station OF
Mud Run, five miles below White Haven,
when the fifth section shot around
CuIVo ClOse DouluU anu Cra6no0
into it. The cars were crushed
and broken and hurled off the track.
The road lies beside the Lehigh river, q
steep embankment, sixty feet high,
running down to the water. Several
cars rolled down this and the others
were crushed against the cutting on the
other side. Up to this writing, IL 80 A.
M, no direct communication has been
established with the scene of disaster,
and the railroad officials here, if they
know anything, absolutely refuse to give
any information.
At O'Clock this morning the reports
about the accident are still very conflict
ing; it is known, however, from dis
patches received at the depot, that the
accident is quite as bad as at first report
ed. and that at least thirty or more are
killed. Nothing officially can be OBJ
tanned at the company's office, which is
closed to reporters and others. One train
has been started from the wreck and 1t
is expected to arrive here about O'Clock
this morning. Most of the injured are
said to be from Scranton and Lacka-
wanna counties.