St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-28
STORY OF An EVE WITNESS.
The Accident Due TO the Care
lessness of Brakeman.

NEW YORK, Sept. 28.-A correspond
ent of the Times was aboard the wrecked
train and in special dated Canajo-
harie. he writes thus: "a serious ac-
cident occurred on the New York Cen
tral road at 11:40 O'Clock tonight, two
miles east of Palatine Bridge. The first
section of the st. Louis express, which
left New York at o'clock. had
broken down, an accident having hap
pened to the steam chest, when the sec
Ond section, which was composed of
eight vestibule sleeping coaches, drawn
by the siXty-tOn engine No. 6S3, in
charge of William HOrth, and running
at the rate of thirty miles an hour,
dashed into it. The first section was
made up of engine ia, Engineer
Weeks and Conductor Abel. a baggage.
a mail and express car, three paSSen-
ger coaches. which were packed with
people, one Wagner sleeper and two
private coaches. The rear private coach,
the Kankakee, telescOped the Wagner
car of the first section to half its dis
tance. The only damage caused to
the day ears was in the smashing of
windows and lamps.
AFTER THE CRASH
the section withdrew from the first sec
tiOn. but left hole in the rear section
Of the Kankakee big enough to place a
boiler in. The first, third and fourth
tracks were Uttered with wreckage.
Just how the accident happened is at
this hour, l o'clock, not determined.
Conductor Abel says his rear brake
man was sent back, but Engineer HOrth.
who is very badly hurt. has said
that he did not see him. and the
first lie saw was the lights of the train.
HOrth is in bad way. He had pillow
under his head, and his face was
ghastly white. Some kind hands
had placed cushion under his
legs and back. He was suffer-
ing great agony and could only mutter:
This is bad business, bad business"
When the crash came the Times CORE
spOndent was asleep in the coach
next ahead the sleeper of the
first section. Every seat in the
car was taken. One-half of the
passengers were women. They made a
wild break for the door. but were de-
TERED from jumping out in the dark
ness by the cOOl-headed passenger. The
wreck could not have occurred in a
more unfaYOrable place. On the left, in
the pitchy darkness, and fifty feet be-
low was the roaring Mohawk. Not a
light could be seen except those in the
coaches. The lights in the SleeperS had
all been eXtinguished. One-half of the
passengers were awakened from a
sound sleep to find themselves wrapped
i'll gloom. For while the people were
TOO DAZED TO DO ANYTHING.
The train men were mute and re-
served, as usual under such circum-
stances. The second engine, No. GS3,
one of the latest and heaviest engines
Oh the road. was wrecked beyond
redemption. The roof of the express
car Immediately behind it had
sprung through the cab and thrown the
engineer to the ground. The fireman,
Henry Anderson, had jumped and es-
capped uninJured. Beyond this the sec
ond section was not damaged at all,
the heavy vestibule Sleepers pro-
tecting it from telescoping. 1t was the
three rear heavy Wagner sleeping and
private coaches that had sustained the
Shock and saved those three passenger
coaches filled with men, women
and children from destruction
There was not a surgeon or doctor on
the train, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that whisky and brandy were
procured for the wounded. 1t was not
till a large bonfire was built on the
north side of the track that realizing
SENSE OF THE DISASTER
WAS OUldiltu. AIItduy Six hOuUu6u
passengers, including one lady, had
been taken from the Wagner sleeping
car. Axes and saws were procured and
willing hands set to work to cut away
the sides of the telescOped cars. How
many bodies. if any. are left insthere
at this writing it is impossible to tell.
When the correspondent left the scene
at midnight they had not made much
progress. Engineer Weeks, of the first
section, said:
Ny engine had broken down. Something
had happened TO the steam chest and l was
out by the side of my engine when the crash
came. / Immediately sent my fireman back
10 see what was the matter, and Conductor
Abel dispatched a fiagman TO Palatine
Bridge. two miles away, for assistance.
The correspondent tried in vain be-
fore leaving to find the rear brakeman
of the first train. but could not find him,
the most important person just now,
for twas his duty, as prescribed by
the rules of the company, to run back
at least 600 yards the moment the train
stops. There is a discrepancy as to the
length of time that the first sec
ton was standing there. some
persons claiming that scarcely a
moment elapsed before the crash
and others that they were standing fully
five minutes. The first news to Pala-
tine Bridge was brought by the cOrre-
spOndent and T. Il. Coleman, of Hor-