The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-16
SIXTY DEAD.
Il FRTGHrFUL PENNSYLVANIA MAS
SACRE.

WILKESBADRE, Pa, October 1t--About 10
O'Clock last night the dreadful accident OF
Lehigh Valley railroad YVES rumored to have
taken place, and q further report said the
! wrecked train was n section of an excursion
train, returning from Hazelton. Nearly six
thousand Luzorne and Lackawanna speople
| had gone there, and no one knew just who had
returned. The raihoad officials were mute
They know nothing, Gradually the stories
took terrible form. 1t leaked out that
Superintendent Mitchell and others had COMO
down the road on o special engine. Then
private telegram arrived saying an accident
had occurred at Mud Run, one section of the
excursion train running INTO another. Forty
! persons were reported killed. The people
were in agony, and the crowd at the depot
welled TO hundreds. Still the officials
were mute No. dispatches could be
gotten over the wires Many we'll
known citizens wcro seen at the depot
! wrngng their hands, faces fearful and pale
with dread; women throrged the depot with
terror stricken countenances, sobbng, crying
| or silent and trembling with dreadful uncer-
tainty.
THE MUTE OFFICIALS
Still the railway officials preserved their
terrible cruel silence, declaring that they knew
| nothing.
Every means was taken to get information.
but all to no purpose. Tho New Jersey Cen
tral train finally brought news to the effect
that eighty were killed and the excitement
! grew intense. All 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 suffocation
| furnishing condition for terrible loss of life
| IN case of wreck.
Throughout tho night the depot was
thronged by hundreds of persons suffering I'M
| told agony over uncertainty Tho throug was
in -
| refusing all information and causing needless
suffering
At $3.50 a. m. n report was in circulation that
| arrangements had been made for the receipt
OF large number OF wounded at the hospital
| The rumor was soon confirmed. The officials
! were expecting twenty-five of the victims
With such list Of wounded coming in this
direction, the public pulse stood still over hor-
| rible possibilities and thousands of fainting
| hearts quiyered in dread. Many persons
wanted to go to the scene of the disaster and en-
! deavored to charter a locomotive. Rev. Father
| Moylan, of Scranton, offered to pay cash for
| any expense in that direction, but the favo-
| could not be obtained. owng,to the absence OF
superintendent Mitchell at the wreck.
SCENES AT THE WRECK.
| Many persons, after waiting during tho long
| weary hours, from ten to three in the morning,
| took the south bound train which passed hero
| at $40, and went to the scene OF the appalling
| disaster. 1t was there learned that tho third
| section of the excursion train had stood on the
! track few bundled yards from Mud Run,
waiting for the sections ahead to go out Of the
| way. The fiagman, some say, had been sent
back with lantern to guard tho train from
the rear. Suddenly the passengers on the rear
| platform saw a train approach at d high rate
! OF speed. Several of these passengers who
| saw the danger jumped and escaped. In an in
| slant the flash of n headlight illuminated the
! interior of the Inflated rear car. There was n
| frightfui crash and an engine plunged her full
lad,
! shock drove the rear car through the next ono
| two-thirds of its length and tho second car
was forced into the third. Not single
| person escaped from tho rear car
Inc second was crowded with manned
! and bleeding bodies and the third car
had butfew passengers who escaped uniniured.
| But the terror-stricken passengers of both
| trains mnde their way out of the cars, and on
| going to the telescoped engine and cars whore
! the full horror of the terrible disaster dawned
| upon them Tho shattered engine was pouring
| forth streams of sealding steam and water,
| which hid from their eyes the fullest measure
| of the horrible scene, Willie its Kissing sound
! deadened tho shrieks and groans Of those i'm
! prisoncd In the wreck. Ghastly white faces
| peered into the windows TO be greeted by faces
| far more CHASTITY. Some OF the dead sat
plnioned in seats erect, rs in 1ife staring OPEN
| eyed, as IL aware of the horrible surroundings
AS the steam and smoke cleared from tho
rear car its awful sights were revealed. Tim
bers were crushed and wrenched, while on all
sides hung mangled bodies and limbs. The
few bodies which were not mangled were
burned and scalded by the steam, and little re-
manned in the car which bore human sem
bance.
When the shock OF the first crash had in n
measure subsidized, the uninjured began
to do what could be done for their
unfortunate companions. The few light tools
on the train were called into requisition, but
proved feeble instruments indeed. The ST.
Francis Pioneer Corps, who we're on the train,
piled with zeal broadaxes, which were means
for holiday occasions. They were, however
but little adapted to work. and were soon rem
dered useless In the meantime, the windows
Of the cess were smashed in, brave men entered
and released those least hurt or the least en-
tangled In one car they found John LYNCH
Of Wilkesbarro, hanging from the roof by one
leg. His cries brought friend. who, to re-
lieVe his suffering. stood upon the wreck
age and held his weight upon his back until
he was released from his terrible position.
a young lady was found caught by the lower
limbs. Ono OF her limbs was quickly released,
but the other could not be freed and. unfortu-
nately, tho misdirected blow from an ak sew
credit from her body. She heroically bore her
torture, and taking out her gold watch, she
handed 1t TO IN acquaintance rs gift TO q
friend ut home. She was put on board one Of
the trains and given all possible care, but she
could not survive her terrible INJURIES and
died in the arms OF friend on board the car.
To free the bodies in the rear car tho train
mon attached ~ locomotive 10 tie
wrecked engine and started TO pull 1t from tho
wreck. The first movement Of the shattered
wreck brought from the wounded such awful
cries or distress that surrounding friends
ordered the engineer to desist on pain OF his
life. They did not wish TO see the mangled
forms still further mutilated.
The few houses about the spot were thrown
open TO the suffering, and bonfres were light
ed to aid the work Of relief II 10 not proba-
bic the work will be completed before noon.
Passengers on the train state that they saw the
train ahead when far down the road. They
sprang from their seats and stared in wonder
and surprise that the train did not slacken its
speed Suddenly the engineer and fireman
were seen TO iump-then came the shock
Engineer Harry Cook and Fireman Hugh
Gallagher sustained slight INJURIES. Tho fire
man subsequently stated nc saw red light
informed the engineer and then jumped. The
passengers gave many different accounts Of the
probable cause Of the accident, some attribut-
ing it to negligence Of the fagnan in not
going back with a red light. Others say the
fourth section, which ran into the third, had
no air brakes After the news was received ut
the hospital, confirming the worst fears, the
scenes at the depot were heartrendng
indeed. Several hundred persons assembled as
the report spread that train approaching