San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-11
LATEST TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
As ISOLATED Press Dispatches and
Specials Up to the Hour of
Going to Press.
The Lehigh Valley Disaster.

1enlgn valley TOau laSt ulShV, Soh
5irms the first report. The big eXcur-
sion train left Hazelton at six O'Clock.
Near Mudrun, a small station on the
other side of White Haven, the sec
ond section ran to the first section.
The engine of the first section was
disrailed, before signal could be
thrown out. The second section with
it's large number Of passengers, ran
into it. The engineer jumped of, just
before they struck. The fireman was
seriously Injured. About sixty peo-
pie were killed, and as many wound
ed. Twenty-Five bodies have been
taken from the wreck. The railroad
officials were mute, they knew moth
ing. Gradually the stories took terrible
forms. 1t leaked out that Superinten-
dent Mitchell and others, had gone
down the road ca a special engine.
Many well known citizens were seen
at the depot, wringing their hands,
their faces fearful and pale with dread.
Women thronged the depot with
terror stricken cOuntenances, sobbing
and crying, or silent and trem bling,
with dreadful uncertainty. Still the
railway officials preserved their ter
ribly cruel silence, declaring they
knew nothing The New Jersey Cen
trail train finally brought news,
eighty were killed. The excite
ment grew intense. ALI White
Haven physicians had gone to
the scene, there were seventy-eight
cars from Wilkesbarre to Hazleton,
the number of passengers being about
$500. The sections were all crowded
to suffocating, furnishing conditions
for terrible loss Of life in case of a
in circulation that arrangements had
been made for the receipt of
large number of passengers ON the
rear platform saw the train approach
ing at high rate of speed Several of
these passengers who saw danger,
jumped and escaped. In an instant a
flash of the headlight Illuminated the
interior of the Inflated rear car. There
was a frightful crash, the engine
plunged her full length into the
crowded mass of humanity. The
shock drove the rear Car through the
next, for twO-thirds of its length, and
the second car was forced in
to the third. Not single
person escaped from the rear car.
OF the wounded at the hospital, the
rumor was soon confirmed, that the
officials were expecting twenty-five of
the victims, with such a list of the
wounded coming in this direction, the
public pulse stood still over the horri-
BILE possibilities, and thousand of faint
ing hearts quivered in dread at the
scene of the disaster. 1t was learned
the third section of the excursion train
had stood on the track, few hundred
yards from Mudrun, waiting for the
sections ahead to get out of the way.
The tlagman, some say, had been
sent back with a lantern to guard
the train from the rear. Suddenly
the second was crowded with mutt
lated and bleeding bodies, and the
third car had but few passenge
who escaped. The terrOr-stricken pas
sengers of both trains made their way
to the telescOped engine and cars.
The scattered engine was pouring
forth streams of scalding steam water,
which hid from their eyes the fullest
measure of the horrible scene, while
it's kissing sound deadened the
shrieks and groans of those imprison-
ed i'm the wreck. CHASTITY white faces
peered into the windows to be
greeted by faces far more ghast-
ly. Some of the dead sat
pinioned in their seats, erect as in life,
staring open-eyed as if aware of their
horrible surroundings. AS the steam
and smoke cleared away from the rear
car, its awful sights were revealed.
Timbers were crushed and wrenched,
while on all sides hung and mangled
were bodies burned and scalded by
the steam, and little remained in the
ear which bore human semblance.
The first movement of the shattered
wreck, brought from the wounded
such awful cries of distress, that the
surrounding friends ordered the en-
gineer to desist OH pain of his life.
They did not wish to see the man
gled forms still further mutilated.
After news was received at the hos
pital confirming worst fears, the scenes
at the depot were heartrending. A
strong guard kept the crowd back
when the train approached, and it
was reported would go on to the hos
pital. A desperate man sprang for
ward and with an awful imprecatiOn,
declared his family was on the train,
any attempt to keep him from them
would cost his life. AS the train drew
up it was found to contain many from
Pleasant Valley, and Minooke, who
had left their dead friends behind, as
they alighted and met acquaintance,
their shrieks and walls were pitiful to
hear. One young woman moaned
that her father and sister were dead,
another brother, and so it went.