The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-17
THREE VALLEYS In GLOOM.
SCENES BEeeARINe DESCRIPTION.
Thousands of Excited, sorrowfuI People
ThrOng the Depots, Awaiting the Ar
rival of Their Dead-The Death
Roll Numbers Fifty-Seven.

WuKEsBARRE, Pa Oct. 11.-Yesterday was
q gala day at Hazelton, such an one as the busy
borough on the mountain had never known
before. Twenty thousand people had assem-
bled to do honor TO the memory of the beloved
saint, that noble temperance apostle, Father
Theobald Mathew. The town was brilliant
with decorations the streets thronged with
patriotic Irishmen with their wives and chill
dren; bands filed the streets with sweet music,
golden-framed banners and bright regalia added
brilliancy to the glittenng pageant. Father
Mathew day of 1888 was the grandest In the
history of the Scranton diocese.
Seven special trains from Lackawanna coun-
" and six from this region rolled into the Ha-
zelton depot freighted with light-hearted hui
manity and other specials swelled the aggre-
gate to 81 cars. Besides these, the regulars
were bringing in thousands of people from all
directions, and it is safe to say that never be-
fore in Its history has the Lehigh Valley road
handled such a passenger traffic as 1t did yes
terday.
The festivities Of the day are ended. The
multitude, joyous with the grandeur and sue
cess OF the occasion, are boarding the trains for
the Journey homeward. There is no thought
of danger, for they think not OF the sad tate
that awaits many of them-the impending dis
will send a thrill OF terror from the Lehigh TO
the Laekawanna Shrouding the three valleys
in a cloud of gloom, and making hundreds of
happy homes the abOdes OF untold agony.
Two sections come through safely. The third
is nearing home. The fourth, composed of Jer-
sey Central cara and freighted mostly with
Iackawanna people stops at Mud Run,a station
between Penn Haven junction and White
Haven, for water. The fifth is following close
behind Passengers on 1t watch the lights OF
the one ahead as they fly through the dark
ness for long way and as they see the third
section standing little way ahead of them at
The run, they wonder why their train does not
slacken its speed. As it dashes along at full
speed Fireman Hugh Gallagher of the fourth
directs the attention OF his engineer, Harry
Cook, TO the signal lantern Of the third, and
jumps from the cab. The engineer follows
him. An instant later the crash comes.
The fretting, Tuning, putting engine ploughs
its heated body through nearly the entire length
OF the rear ear, scalding, jamming and killing
the unfortunate occupants. This car is jammed
into the next ahead of it, and that into the
third the three cars being n total wreck. The
lights are extinguished and darkness adds ter
Tor 10 the scene. The shrieks of the injured
and grOans of the dying are heard on every
side and the strongest hearts quail. After the
first shock is over, those who are able TO do so,
began the work OF reSculng. An effort TO with
draw the engine from the car into which II had
plunged adds to the suffering of the injured
and dying, and in response to their cries the
effort is reinluished. There the monster
stands amid the unfOrtunates, actually cook
Ing them with the escaping steam.
The rescuers are busy with hands and axes
There is found a girl pinioned in such a way
that she can only be released by the loss of a
leg. A blow OF the ak sewers the member and
she is free. There Is a man, an arm pinioned
in the wreck, the other clasping a joyous,
pTattlng babe; here again IS a young lady
jammed between two seats in the agony of
death, while her father is dying upon the
smOke-stack OF the snortinG engine.
Physicians were summoned from White Ha-
ven, and responded promptly rendering such
service as was possible under the circum-
stances. Seventeen of the seriously injured
were brought to the hospital in this city,
were many more whose injuries were so slight
that they were sent home.
As soon the news Of the accident reached
this city the widest excitement prevailed. The
depot was thrOnged with friends and relatives
OF those on the Inflated train, all seeking in
formation of their loved ones, but little was re-
ceived and all had 10 wait for some one COM
ing from the wreck. As the hours advanced
the suspense grew more and more agonizing,
and the scene was most narrowing. 4 large
number OF the relatives Of the dead and many
who feared that friends were on the Inflated
tram, crowded the streets OF WilkesbaTe from
early morning. An immense thrOng sur
rounded the depot and surged backward and
forward IN their anxiety to obtain the latest
news of the sad affair.
Among the first reports was one to the effect
that the Rev. Patrick McManus of Green
Ridge had been killed. Father McAianus is,
however, safe. He was on the train, but in
one Of the forward ears and escaped injury.
Another report stated that Father DOnOhue
the cOlOred pastor of st. Nincent's church at
Plymouth had been killed, but this also is I'M
true. Father DonOhue was on the section
ahead of the one that was run into and reached
his home in safety.
The scenes at the Lehigh Valley depot this
morning beggars all description Hundreds of
men, women and children thrOnged the platform
End WaiIing-rOOms, the sole topic of conversation
being the terrible disaster OF last night. The
people were divided into groups, each one Of
which was sure that some relative friend
was among the dead or injured In the absence
at Official information from the wreck, OF
course nothing definite could be ascertained,
but this did not prevent the widest indulgence
III the most painful speculation Every body
was sure that certain friends missing were
either killed or hurt.
Supt. Mitchell who was at the scene of the
disaster doing his best TO get the dead out of
the wreck, telegraphed at 10 o'clock that it
was difficult task to identify the dead owing
% the absence of friends. AL day long Supt
Mitchell Office was besieged by anxious in
quiTers, some Of whom wanted the latest in
formation from the wreck, and others Informa-
ton concerning the departure of the trains
Tor Mud Run. Many men came in with the
tears trickling down their faces and their ques-
tons were put between heart-breaking sObs
in each instance these stated that they had
sons on the ill-staTTed train and believed them
20 be numbered among the dead.
IS the morning hours advanced the crowds
ri the LehighV Valley depot increased until fully
a thousand excited, sOrrOwful people moved in
and out OF the building in nervous trepidation
The company posted bulletin OF the dead in a
conspicuous place as rapidly as dispatches
were received, and, when the first bulletin was
displayed containing the names OF the four
who had been identified, the manifestations of
grief were seen in all quarters. Many knew
come OF the dead, and here and there was
relative of one of them. Eagerly the great
crowd waited Tor further intelligence. To the
anxious thrOngs the news appeared TO come too
slow, but this was all owing TO the difficulty of
identification. Supt. Mitchell telegraphed as
fast rs he could all the identihcations but the
crowd, of course, did not understand this and
eensuTed the company for what it supposed
was a needless delay.
Mr. EssOr, who was at Supt. NitchelPs Office
sll day. said the road carried $3.50 passengers
on the excursion yesterday. There were
fghty-seven coaches in all and the train was
broken into eight sections. Before the acct
dent four sections of the excursion train had
passed Mud Run. the train ahead of the one
a regular passenger train to 90 by. When this
train passed the train that lay ahead of the one
that was wrecked pulled safely out. The
other then pulled ready to start after the ex-
piratiOn of ten minutes, the time fixed upon as
the division between the running of the excur-
sion sections
Every precaution was taken to warn all ap-
preaching trains that the section was on the
main track, and Operator Slogan hung out