New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-14
PRICE THREE CENTS.
A TRAIN RUNS ON THE TIES.
NARROW ESCAPE OF PEOPLE ON A PHILA-
DELPIIIA EXPRESS.
WHILE GOING AT THE RATE OF SIXTY MILEA
AN HOUR 1T JUMPS THE TRACKING
ONE SERIOUSLY INJURED.

ONE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Two hundred passengers had a marvellous ess
cape from fearful calamity at Railway, ~ j.,
yesterday, when the fast express Of the Pennsyl-
wanna Rallroad, known No. So while running
at the rate of sixty miles an hous leaped from
the track. The train, which leaves Philadelphia
at 9:4O a. m. daily was made up OF engine,
tender, drawing-room combination baggage and
smoker, drawingroom car and three passenger
coaches. When the train reached Railway 10
was few minutes late, and not stopping there wac
running at tremendous rate TO make up time.
AT the switch between the Main and Grand
street crossings a gang OF men, under the section
boss, To0mey, putting in a new rail, and
had just spiked it into place when the express
came in sight. The worzmen stepped aside to tho
fourth track waiting for the train rush past them
When the tender struck the rail, it shot from the
track, followed by the five cars. The engineer
instantly applied the steam-bral1es, but the mo-
mentum of the Tying train was so great that for
nearly 500 feet it tore along over the ties and
roadbed, tearing rails from their places and grind.
ing up the heavy sleepers if they were Pima
boards. The rock ballast was thrown up in
showers, being ploughed up by the wheels and
trucks and heaped in big piles. There were many
women and children the cars, but not sin
gle person was seriously hurt.
The fortunate escape was doubt due TO the
fact that the wheels of the foremost truck Of the
locomotive did not leave the track, although the
big driving-whees ran off when the cars behind
left the rails The first two cars remained fast
to the engine. but the third was wrenched loose
at both ends, and it, together with the last two
coaches was finally stopped by the wreckagc
which heaped up before the wheels. The
engine and other ran about a hundred feet
further before they came to a standstill. Had
the forward wheels of the locomotive been thrown
from the rails, it is likely that the train would
have gone down the embanlnent, or that il
would have come in collision with the big freight
house which stands close to the east of the track
Had this happened, many people must have been
seriously injured, and perhaps killed.
The accident occurred at III - a. m. and the
crashing timbers and ominous rattle of the wheels
and trucks over the switches and rails terrified
the occupants of the many houses ~ and the
many people awaiting at the station the arrival
of local train. Crowds hurried to the cenc, ex-
pecting 20 witness the usual terrible sights of a
railroad wreck. AS the hrst-cOmers reached the
spot, they met the passengers hurriedly
escaping from the wrecked cars, Many
women were in hysteric,l and faint
ing condition. 1t was finally discovered, how.
ever, That only woman mad been sngndy cut
by broken glass. 1t was difficult to realize at
first that such an accident could nave happened
without fatal results For Over 400 feet the rails
on one side were gone, and for 200 feet the
track was entirely torn up and scattered. IL is
said that the rail about an inch higher
than the old one. The engine, being so heavy,
pressed it down sufficiently to allow the wheels To
run on all right, but the tender, which is lighter,
ran off the switch frog, the iange of the
wheels mounted the rail, causing the rails TO
spread.
Wrecking trains were at cnce sent for, and
within an hour gangs of men were busy pulling
away the wrecked cars whose only damage was
to the trucks and to the platforms. new
switch was at once laid and the work of laying
new tracks began. The passengers OF the train
were taken to the Scott Avenue station and cared
for until a train was made up when they
were brought to this city. Among the passengers
was the well-known comedian De Wolf Hopper,
of the McCaull Opera Company. had decided
TO run over to New-YorI from Philadelphia, where
our company is, so as TO spend Sunday WIN my
wife," said Mr.. Hopper. The train had been
running along very smoothly, and as we ran
through Railway l thought how fast we were
travelling Just after crossed the bridge
over the Railway River | felt the jar of the
wheel as ID struck the ties, and knowing what
it meant and realizing the great danger dropped
TO the floor Of the car and with each hand grasped
a seat all the while expecting TO be crushed amidst
the wreclage Of the train. 1t was all over IN
a few minutes. Several times | tried TO get on
my feet, but either from fright or something
else | was unable to do so. When the train
stopped / looked around me, and seeing that
my companions were all safe, lost no time in
Qptfinp Outn