Mower County transcript., 1889-10-02
MANY MEET DEATH

-ASA''A"A AANiAWay AcCtOen6 at PAlatinl
bridge. N. Y-The Death List May
Nench Thirty-Four Bodies Recovered.
PALAT1NE BRIDGE, N. Y, Sept. 2a-Ths
81 Louis express No. $, which left Albany
at ~ o'clock last night, was telescoped
about two miles east OF here at about
midnight The first section broke down
pd stopped for repairs The rear
brakeman was sent back to signal
the second section, but for some reason
tailed to perform his duty. The engi-
neer OF the second section says he did not
sec him and the first he saw was the lights
OF the first section directly in front of him.
The first section was made up of baggage,
mail, express and three passenger cars.
packed with people, and Wag-
ner sleeper on the end Tho
crash was terrific. The second
section telescoped into the first section,
knocking QUIT the lights and plunging every
thing into darkness Up to this hour-2 q.
m.-.our bodies have been taken out of the
sleeper, and 1t is feared the total number
of deaths will run up to twenty
five and possibly more, as the car
was full It is difficult to get
particulars. The four tracks are blocked
by tho " eek. East-bound trains are
stopped at Palatine. The first section left
| Fonda at 1l:2l, ten minutes late The sec-
tions OF the ST. Louis express usually run
ten minutes apart
| New YORK, Sept ga correspondent of
the Times was aboard the wrecked train,
and in aspecial dated Canajoharie he writes
| thus:
Just how the accident happened is not de-
! termlned. Conductor Abel says his rear
! brakeman was sent back, but Engineer Horth
who Is very badly hurt, has said that he did not
see him, and the first be saw was the lights of
! the train. Horth is in u bad way Both legs
| are broken.
| when the crash came the Times CORE
| spondent was asleep in the coach mex, ahead
OF the sleeper OF the first section. Every seat
! In the car was taken. One-half OF the pas-
sengers were women They made q wild
break for the door, but were deferred from
jumping out in the darkness by the cooler
| headed passengers.
'"There was not 4 surgeon or doctor on the
| train, and 1t was with the greatest difficulty
| that whisky and brandy were procured for
| the wounded. 1t was not until large bonfire
! was built on the north side of the track that q
realizing sense CT the disaster was Obtained.
THE wreck could not have occurred in q
more unfortunate place. On the left, in the
pitchy darkness. and fifty Ieet below
! was the roaring Mohawk. Not O light could
be seen except those in tho coaches
| The lights in the sleepers had all been ex-
| tingutshed. One-half Of the passengers we're
awakened from q sound sleep to find them
selves wrapped in gloom. For awhile the peo-
pie were too dazed to do any thing. The train.
! men were mute and reserved as usual under
such circumstances.
"Axes and saws were procured and willing
hands set to work to cut away the sides cf the
telescoped cars. How many bodies, il any,
are left In there at this writing it is impossi-
bic to tell. When the correspondent left the
scene at midnight they had not made much
progress
Engineer Weeks, of the first section, said:
My engine had broken down. Some thing had
happened to the steam-chest and was GU: by
the side OF my engine when the crash came
immed ately sent my fireman back to see
what was the matter, and Conductor Abel dis
patched a haguaau to Palatiue Bridge, two
miles away. for ass!staAce.'
1.-The correspondent tried In vain before
leaving TO fud the rear brakeman OF the first
train section, but cotld not find him. He Is
the most important person just now for it
was his duty, as prescribed by the rules OF the
company, 10 run hack at least 600 yards the
moment the train stopped.
There is discrepancy as to the length of
time that the first section was standing there
some persons claiming that scarcely moment
elapsed before the crash aud others that they
were standing fully five minutes.
THE first news was brought to Palatine
Bridge by the correspondent and Mr.. T. h
Coleman, of HornellsIIlle. who covered the
two miles over the railway ties in less thai
half an hour. The village was asleep
but Mr.. Coleman, by the assistance of
Officer Barret, went from house to
house awakening surgeons. who we're hurried to
the front as quickly as vehicles could take
them. All trains east and west, freight and
passenger. were held ut Palatine. Within half
an hour every doctor had gone forward and as
sstance had been telegraphed to from Fonda
and Little Falls
ut was just by a miracle that the disaster
not rendered tenfold moro terrible. With
five minutes after the crash the meat ex-
press came tearing along on tho fourth
track at the rate OF tn rty miles an
hour. 1t was stopped just in t me, else it
would have dashed into the debris OF the
wreck. The second Atlantic express, due in
New York ut $50 in the morning, was also
hailed at the station just as 1t was pulling
out"
ALBANY, N Y. Sept 2S, 1855 a m-Au-
thentic information received here says
four persons were killed in tho accident at
Palatine Bridge, three men and one wom-
an Train No. 10 from the West, due here
at $3.50, left Palatine at 2:05 one hour late:
She stopped at the scene Of the
accident just long enough to take
on Engineer North An ambulance
was in waiting at the depot and
he was conveyed to the hospital He
UIlheu lT6c1y Auu SsAlu uG S1OW0u his
train near Spraker's thinking he would
crawl up on section one. AT the scene OF
the accident there Is sharp curve,
and he did not see the first section
until almost on to it; then he ap-
piled the brakes, but they would not work
He did not jump, but stood between the
engine and the cab where he was caught
and both legs were crushed 1t is not
known whether he will survive or not,
fears being entertained that he will die
from the shock
UTICA, N. Y, Sept %, 3a MA special
from Canajoharie says that between forty
and fifty persons We're killed at Palatine
Bridge railroad accident The railway peo-
pie here know very little about the acci-
dent At this hour, 3 a. m, wrecking trains
have left St louisville and Little Falls
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS.