, 1888-10-18

attached the locomotive to the wrecked
engine and started to pull ~ from the
wreck. The first movement brought from
the wounded such awful cries of distress
that those present ordered the engineer to
desist under pain Of losing his life They
said they did not wish to see the manged
forms still further mutilated
WHAT PASSENGERS SAY.
The few houses in the neighborhood
were thrown open to the suffering. Bon.
lire ires were lighted to aid the work of re.
lief. Passengers on the rear train state
that they saw the train ahead when they
were far down the road. They sprang
from their seats and started in wonder
and surprise that the train did not slack its
speed. Suddenly their engineer and fire.
man were seen to jump and then came the
shock. Engineer Harry Cook and fireman
The fireman says be saw a red light ahead
and informed the engineer, and then
Jumped. The passengers give many
different accounts of the probable cause
OF the accident, some attributing it to the
negligence of the flagman in not going
back with the red light. A train from the
scene of the accident arrived this morning
bringing a number of those who went down
to make inquiries, and from them the
foregoing facts were learned.
The scenes about the depot are of the
most distressing character. A special
train of three cars arrived at o'clock this
morning from the wreck, with "a injured
They were placed in the hospital. Many
are badly injured some being burned by
sparks from the engine stacks. Two of
the wounded at the hospital here died this
morning. The bodies of the dead will be
brought to White Haven this afternoon
where they will be placed in caskets and
forwarded to their homes, There are
still a number of dead unidentified, but
the list of dead exceeds 30.
THE FUNERAL TRAIN.
At $50 this evening the funeral train
arrived in Wilkesbarre bearing 81 dead
bodies, They had been partially prepar-
ed for burial and lay upon boards placed
upon the backs of the seats in the passen-
ger coaches. As the train drew up to
the Wilkesbarre depot a dozen policemen
were required to keep back the frantic
crowds Of friends and relatives who had
come from Scranton and Pleasant Valley
to meet the dead. A special coach had
been provided for these friends, hut they
insisted on entering the cars containing
the dead and were only stopped by the force
and efforts ct five priests who were on the
train. One body was removed from the
cars at Wilkesbarre. The train then con-
tinued on its way upon the Delaware 4
Hudson road to Miners mill and Scran-
ton. The people in the special coach
again began to camor for permission to
enter the funeral cars, but were again re-
fused, it being alleged that no one had
keys. Several became desperate and soon
broke down the car doors and began
search for their loved ones. Clothes were
removed from mangled and scaded bodies
revealing the gay uniforms of st. Alph
OF st. Alogius men. cadets and other men,
bers of the society. Those who knew
their relatives were on board also flocked
into the cars and began rearranging the
attire and covering of corpses. Many
were distorted and in horrible attitudes,
and friends endeavored to lessen their
frightful appearance. No lights could be
obtained and much of the work was done
in partial darkness. Ii was as the train
drew up at Pleasant Valley that the most
heartrendering scenes were enacted.
Ropes had been stretched about the depot
and guards kept the immense throng back.
The shrieks and screams of stricken friends
and relatives were pitiful in the extreme.
The fret body carried out was that of
Oscar Gibbons l3 years of age, born in
the arms of his stalwart brother. Then
one after another of the As white-sheeted
bodies were carried out and given into
charge of friends. The shrieks and cries
of women and hoarse shouts and impreca-
tions of men, made a terrible scene.
When all were out the train again pulled
out to bear the remaining dead to Scran-
ton, Minooka and points beyond
1t is impossible to tell the number of
wounded. Twenty-Five were brought here
to the hospital and numbers of others
slightly injured have gone to their homes.