The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-27
Between Twenty-Five and Thirty Per-
sons Thought to Have Been Killed.
No Member of the Train Crew Left to Tell the
Number Of Lost-Ten Bodies Recovered
Serious Accident on Tennessee Road.
Portions Of Three Freight Trains Go Through

OF freight trains occurred near here,
on the Pennsylvania railway, about 2:50
o'clock this morning. Thirty cars were
wrecked aud many persons killed. The
POS west-bound freight had left here. and
just reached the bridge about thirty yards
west of town, when it collided with an ex-
ira freight train coming in the opposite
direction. Another east-bound freight was
standing on side track on the bridge, and
the wrecked trains crashed against 1T.
causing one locomotive and number of
cars to go over the embankment into the
creek. distance of fifty feet
The wreck was terrible in the extreme.
It is probable that twenty-five or thirty
lives are lost
Engineer Caldwell and his fireman were
buried under the wreck. Thirty-one cars
went down over the bridge and are piled
on top of each other in the water. The
conductor of the freight states that. in all
probability twenty five or thirty men were
carried down with the cars, as he put OF at
Derry station about forty-fve men, who
were coming from Johnstown, and were
trying to steal ride. He states that when
he moved out great many of them got on
again. and in that case it is more than
likely that the killed will reach the num-
ber stated. A carload of lime in the center
of the train was the last to 60 down, and
was scattered over the pile of shattered
cars. Then the debris took fire. and not
withstanding the efforts of the people to
put out the flames, it burned furiously.
Arms aud legs Of the victims can be seen
protruding from the debris. No member of
the crew remains to tell of those who went
down.
Up to o'clock tonight ten dead bodies
have been recovered Those of engineer
Caldwell and George Fralich, the fireman,
have not yet been found, but it is expected
they will be reached before long,. The
dead recovered up to this time are as fol-
lows:
GEO. CoRGAL. aged twenty-five of Jersey City.
On his person was found a receipt for dues 10
the I. o. o. F., signed Allen Snyder.
HuGH KELLY, philadelphia; his father Is n
puddler at the L0chiel iron-works, Harrisburg,
UsESows Man, sbogt twep9ty.fye years; .t, five
black mustache and black hair.
JOHN CoRTCHLow, of Homestead. Pa, aged
about thirty-fve years. leg and arm were
burned off,
UNKNowN MAN, dark hair. heavy mustache;
about forty years; five feet eight inches.
UNKNOWN MAN, dark brown hair, smooth face;
UNKNowN Man, head almost burned off.
CHAs. r. FURGUsON; on the inside OF MEM
orandum found in his pocket was the name of
Chas. f. Harden. Miller, Northumberland coun-
ty, Pennsylvania.
MYERS MKRHooD. aged thirty. five years.
BENZ. EMERICH, supposed to be the front
brakeman; aged about twenty five, had silver
watch and revolver.
The injured are as follows: f. A. Meiss
labOrer, from .JOhnstown. of Braddock;
tnEt IL I'll.
Cleary, laborer, of Pittsburg: crushed
across hips: will recover. Pat Flanagan.
cut and bruised; not serious. T. Fitzgib-
bons, of Mckeesport, bad scalp wound; not
town, whole side of skull crushed in; hurt
internally. John Mullen, of Philadelphia,
scalp wound, and bruised. Lewis Wibel.
of Indiana. Pa, flesh wound; also left eye
cut. James McCurdy, Canadian. about
but not seriously. John Miller, front brake
man on conductor Barnhart's train: hurt
on back and sprained wrist. Peter Cava-
naugh, of Homestead, steel-worker, was on
over; % not serious. John Howard, of Pitts
burg. bruised; not dangerous.
The dead are being taken to the under
taking establishment of +. j. Stader as they
are recovered. and prepared for burial. 1t
is almost certain that from twenty-five TO
thirty people were killed in the wreck.
The water in the creek at the point where
the accident occurred is about twelve feet
deep. and it is expected that ten or twelve
bodies are held in the creek by the wreck
age.
John Fl. Miller, fagman on the freight,
states that the proper signals were given
when the position of the shifter was dis
covered, and engineer Caldwell answered,
but the speed was too high. When the ill
fated train left Bolivar about forty work
men boarded her, but conductor Barnhart
put them off at Derry. When the train left
there great many of them boarded her
again. Four of the injured taken from one
car stated that eleven others were in the
car. and in another box car it is stated by
one of the rescued that there were fifteen
or twenty men. One or two of the bodies
taken from the wreck were terribly burned
by the lime which covered the wreck.
At o'clock tonight the work of clearing
the debris was stopped until tomorrow.
Another account says the accident oc-
CURED at Loyal Hanna bridge, just west of
Latrobe. The Derry shifting engine had
| left eighteen cars standing on the bridge,
| while the crew was drilling out loaded cars
| at the Latrobe coal-works. The f1agman,
David Heakox, had gone to the telegraph
tower. but as heavy rain was falling at
the time it is not known whether the en-
gineer on the fast freight going west saw
his signal or not. In any event the fiagman
was not back half far enough, and
| had his signal been observed the
/ engineer could not possibly have stopped
| his heavy train of forty-two cars on
| the down grade in time to avert the acci-
dent The train. going at speed of twen-
ty-iive miles an hour, crashed into the ears
| on the bridge, tearing up the rails and ties,
| plunged over the side of the stone bridge, a
sheer descent of forty feet in the bed of
Loyal Hanna creek. At the same moment
| an east-bound freight was passing on the
| other track. One of the wrecked cars
caught the car next To the cabOose on this
| train, wrecking it. the caboose and badly
battering the pushing engine. Eighteen
| loaded and thirteen empty cars, together
| with engine No. 1913, are a total wreck.
| The debris took fire at once. and, although
held in check by the local fire department.,
| is still burning.
Engineer Caldwell and fireman Fralch
went down with the locomotive and are
| still under the wreck. The loss of life can
not be accurately estimated. Aside from
the train men il is known that there were
| between forty and fifty men on the west
| b0und train who had been working nj