St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-07
Wrecks Seventeen Buildings,
Kills Eight Persons and
Injuries Thirty More.
Dcors Blown OFF, Windows
Broken and Many Cars
Derailed.
Accident to a Circus Train In
Ohio---The Cook Sealded
to Death.

tween 10 and II o'clock last night ter
rible accident occurred on the Phila-
delphia & Reading railroad between this
place and Locust Gap. A freight train
consisting of seventy-five cars bound
for Williamsport became disconnected
by the breaking of coupling and the
engine and three cars ran half mile
before the crew discovered that the train
was divided. The first section awaited
the arrival of the second at the foot Of
heavy grade, and the two brakemen,
losing control of the second section, it
dashed into the first section, causing an
explosion in the third car, which was
loaded with Dupont powder. At the
scene of the accident the railroad runs
along a steep hill at the bottom of which
stood two rows of houses, occupied by
the Philadelphia and Reading Coal &
Iron company's employees. On the hill
side stood little cottage occupied by
John Quinn and family of four children,
two boys and two girls. The force of
the explosion
WRECKED THE BUILDINGS.
seventeen in all, and the stoves set fire
to the ruins. Quinn and his two little
pirls were burned to death. The two
boys escaped with burns. Simon Ker-
wick's family consisted of Mary and
Willie Cavanaugh, adopted children,
aged respectively eight and fourteen
years: Daniel Kerwick. aged eight;
Alice Kerwick, aged five, and his wife
and a new born babe. Mr.. Kerwick
carried his wife from the burning build
.ng. but the children were burned to
death. Thirty persons were injured,
he most seriously being Mrs. Miles
Dougherty, leg broken, bruised and cut;
her mother, Mrs. Matheas, cut, bruised
and internally injured; Mary, daughter
of Mrs. Miles, neck cut and bruised;
Andrew McElwee, right eye destroyed
and neck cut; John Donlan, left hand
Rmputated and cut about the limbs;
Mrs. Patrick McManus, injured by mis-
siles: Mrs. Simon kerwick, suffering
from shock: her condition is serious.
Several of the injured were sent to the
miners hospital. In all twelve cars
were DESTROYED and seventeen houses
with their furniture. All the windows
in the Locust Gap churches and schools
we're broken and the doors blown off. In
Mount Carmel large store windows were
broken. The total loss is estimated at
$4,000. Wrecking crews have the road
open again for travel.
SCENE OF TIE HOLOCAUST.
Tile Reading railroad track at the
point of the accident just at the eX-
treme western end of the town, is
about 200 feet above the level of the
street and runs alongside the mountain.
At about this distance below the road
there is a street containing one single
dwelling on the north side and three
. double ones on the south. OF these
seven nothing now remains. They were
completely torn down by the explosion
and fire did the rest. 1t was in these
that all the. deaths occurred. Mr.. and
Mrs, Kcrwich, who lost their three
man was blown out of the window,
fnd fhen 0R5E goEE 6is SgnE SICK "7TTsS' wfe oaf Mf
of the burning building, and afterwards
rescued several of his neighbor's chill
dren, which, in his daZed condition, he
believed his own. About 100 yards be-
low these buildings there is another
row of four double houses. These are
terribly demolished, but the fire was az
rested by the promptness of the owners
in eXtinguishing the burning coal of the
stoves. On the same street. some 500
yaldS east, stand nine more houses. a
row of double and one single. While
not so entirely demolished, they, too.
show plain evidence of the destructive
force of the explosion. Boards are
torn out, roofs caved in, and the in
teriOrs are simply masses of wrecked
furniture. So great was the upward
force of the exploding power that car
wheels were thrown a distance of 200
yards. One axle
THROUGH THE ROOF
of one of the houses Oh the lower street.
On the hill above, traces of the debris
may be found a quarter of mile away,
while between this distance and the
wreck there are quantities of the debris
of cars. The wrecked train, in addition
to the cans of powder and dynamite,
was freighted with Singer sewing ma
chimes. glass, phosphate, oil. lumber,
-four and sheet iron. Within radius
of sixty feet there is perfect litter of
these goods, all broken and mixed up.
Trees near the train were uprooted,
while one large one was blown on
top of a freight car. The lumber
car was loaded with flooring
and where this was blown up the hill
many of the long pieces are stuck in the
ground. Beneath the wrecked train
there is a large hole, fifteen feet in
diameter, the work of the dynamite
None of the trainmen near the accident
were injured, although one is said tC
have been blown considerable dist
ance. The engineer of the locomotive
which was very close at the time of the
explosion, was stunned but soon recov
cred. The sufferers were soon supplied
with all the help that willing hands
could give, as shortly after the explo
sion large numbers of people were OF
the scene. To-day all roads leading tt
the horrible wreck are lined witt
vehicles going and coming. Locust GaI
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