Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-08-23

change Co, and others were also injured.
OF these Mrs. Duif. Of Lawrenccville,
Pittsburg was the only one not considered
out Of danger, yesterday, though others
were yet suffering.
On the Butler branch Of the West Penn
X. r., between the stations of Saxon and
Saryer the road crosses the Little Buffalo
three times.
The last crossing il in the edge OF Buffalo
Tp., about half mile above Saryer station
where the road winds between the hills
with long curve, crosses short, wooden
bridge, continues curving to the right for a
short distance, and then follows the run to
Sarver. The embankment on the other
side OF the bridge, though not more than
from ten to fifteen feet high il steep and
narrow; X is curved, but the curve is not a
sharp one, and has low, swampy, grass
coyered ground on either side.
This short, steep, narrow embankment
was, ON Friday afternoon Of last week, the
scene Of the first accident accompanied by
fatalities that has happened on the branch
road to passenger train.
The Butler accommodation left town
that afternoon at its usual time-2:35. IL
consisted Of the engine and tender, IN
charge Of Engineer John Cuthbcrt and fire
man Altman, two passenger coaches and
combination coach IN charge Of conductor
Joseph Gray, brakeman Chas. Karns, and
baggage master L. 4. Huff; the combina-
tion coach being at the rear end Of the
train. The passenger coach next the en-
gnc was filled almost entirely with Pitts
burg people who were returning from the
reunion, the only Butler people in il being
Mrs. Helen McJunkin, daughter Of John
Mitchell of this place who with her little
girl and her baby was returning 10 her
home near Pittsburg, Conductor Gray, who
at the time Of the accident was walking
near the centre Of the aisle and Chas. Karns.
The passengers Of the second coach, ALSO
were almost all strangers, the only Butler
people in IL being Mrs Farrell, widow Of
ihe late Michael Farrell, and her four chill
drcn, and they were sitting near the front
end Oi The ear on The Icil sac.
The train was one minute late. and
crossed the bridge at iill speed, travelling
perhaps at the rate Of 80 miles nh honr; the
engine kept the rails, the tender left them
and was dragged over the ties; the first
coach was hurled with tremendous fotce
over the steep embankment landing III IT.
top aud crushing the fragile wood work 10
splintcra. All in IL were hurled forward
and TO the left. VIM. John Powers, all
old soldier Of pttsbnrg. member of the
1921 aud returning from the reunion, was
instantly killed; Conductor Gray was
thrown against the side aud top Of the ear
aud badly injured. Everybody in the ear
was crushed cut and bruised. The strip
Of oak over the left side windows was coy
cred with blood. Seats, glass, people,
rplintcred wood and satchclg were piled in
one mass on the top Of the car with the
bottom Of IL hanging over them and hold
ing them down. How anybody got out OF
that mass alive IL incomprchcnsible 10 a
spectator-but the people Of the other two
ears Immediately went to work and got
them out. Ono man ran down 10 Saryer
station, got handcar and worked down to
freeport and had news Of the disaster tel
egraphcd to headquarters, aud In Il few
minutes relief trains with physicians Oh
board were hurrying To the scene from all
points Of the road. The wounded Of But
Ter were brought back here on the accom-
modaton, which arrived al about r. 81.
aud which was met at the depot by large
crowd Of people. Conductor Gray was sup
posed To be dying when taken from The car
ia cot, aud the deepest sympathy of the
crowd was with him aud bis family. The
Pittabnrg wounded were put on another
train aud taken TO the city, and the papers
there say that a crowd Of several thousand
surrounded the depot when the train mr.
rived.
Mrs. Farrell, her dead child, and her
other children were taken to Tarcntum,
aud her dead child was brought back to
Butler next evening and buried In the
Catholic cemetery here.
Mrs. Helen MeJunkin became Unconscious
when the car went over and was yet un-
conscious when taken out. Her baby was
bruised, but her little girl was unhurt. The
little girl unya she fell On top Of lot Of
people, which wns probably the case, aud
saved her from injury.
Charles karna, the brakeman, was IN the
rear cnd Of the aisle. Whom he saw that
the car was going over be stopped down
aud braecd himself, was crushed between
the seats, child fell upon him aud when
taken out be was helpless. II was sup
posed that his bnck was broken but II
proved 10 be- ouly spran and hc liz about
again. He lost u leg by an accident 10
l'ttnburg some years ago, and hc and his
brother now support their mother and -is.
ter, and live ON Elm street
The second coach would have followed
the first, perhaps fallen upon II aud crush.
ed tho life out Of everybody in 1t had II moi
been Tor "a most remarkable occurrence
the end of one of the rails on the left side
pulled 0at Of ita shoe, or angle iron. rose
aud pierced the floor Of the car at the front
trueke, and then The ear rushing forward,
sent that rail like q cannon ball through
the first half dozen seats on that side, Kill.
ing Mrs. Fairella little girl and injuring
everybody on the seats Tie next angle
iron held the rail and IL broke of short,
about five feet from It's end but the mo.
mehtun Of the ear was broken, the rni
had locked u, the ear did not go oyer. IL