Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-03
THE DROWNED TRAIN.
Only Menger Details as Yet Concerning That
Day Express-It Was Washed Away
mt Conemaugh-NO Survivors at
All at EbensburR.


That the day express on the Pennsylvani;
Railroad, which left Pittsburg Friday morning
was partly engulfed in the food is now certain
1t was stopped not far from Conemaugh a.
was stated in THE DIsP ATCH yesterday, on &C
count of washouts on til e track. While there
the South Fork dam burst and portion of tht
train was washed away.
The railroad authorities at the Union station
last evening first admitted that one Pullman
coach was carried into the river, but said that
no one was in it.
Captain d. c. Herbst, of this city. had two
daughters on the train, and the stories that the
train was swept away entirely made him
exceedingly anxious. He went up to the rail.
road offices and there was told that all the pas
sengers were safe and were in Ebensburg. Mr..
Herbst telegraphed to Ebensburg, and at
O'Clock last night received an answer stating
that no passengers were at that place, and
none had been there.
Mr. Arnold, of the Anchor Bank, had a
brother on the same train, VIII o was going East,
and he also tried to find out what had become
of him, but without success.
After getting this information DISPATCH
reporter again visited the railroad offices last
light.
.ifWe haveftoId you all we know" said Mr..
CulpN tie Chief Train Dispatcher.
Then when the reporter told HIM of what had
already been learned, Mr.. Culp talked more
freely.
Their Only Admission.
I'VE know that several lives were lost off the
train" said he, but we don't know how many
and know nothing about their names. 1t is i'm
possible to get them. The passengers swho were
saved we know are in Ebensburg. L can't see
how anyone could get telegram from there.
We can't and if there was one wire working to
that point we certainly would know it. Just as
soon as we can get the names of the persons
lost we will give them to the newspapers. As
far as we know now there were not more than
Is or %, but we can't even get at the number
accurately, much less the names.'
joseph and Harry Lauffer and Louis Dal-
linger, all well-known Pittsburgers, were pas
sengers on the day express but ESCAPED by
leaving the train when the wall of water from
the burst reservoir came down, and succeeding
in climbing the mountain side above the line
of the flood. They arrived in the city yester-
day, and gave a graphic description of the
scene. They say there were three trains to-
gether, all of which were swept into the Cone
maugh. There were the day express. an &C.
commodation train and a freight train.
The railroad officials profess to know moth
ing of the loss of more than a portion of the
day express, but as has been indicated in the
foregoing, the lack of telegraphie communica-
ton with way points may prevent the news
from being received by them.
The Conductors Story.
Conductor Easton, who had charge of the
day express, got into town yesterday. He said
that he had three Pullman cars with him and
about 80 passengers. When he arrived between
Conemaugh and Johnstown the train stopped
and he told the people to get out and save their
lives, because he saw the big mountain Of
water, about 30 feet high rushing down the
hill, smashing everything before it. The peo-
pie all ran out and most of them
were saved. Two ladies and one
man refused to leave the train and
they stayed. One of these ladies was Mrs.
Baisley of Minneapolis. The water rushed
over the train, but these three people did not
get hurt. They were afterward rescued and
sent to Ebensburg. Conductor Easton contin-
ued to relate, that freight train with lime and
the mail train collided with express, and from
that account the cars caught f1re. He went
along the waters edge TO Cambria. where he
noticed the entire place TO be devastated He
saw no people at all. Later he succeeded in
getting on the mountains and from there he
came home. He was all the time with his
crew, and al were saved.
The List of Passengers.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Superintend-
ent at Altoona sends word that the Atlantic
express leaving Pittsburg at A. M. Friday,
the Chicago and New York limited (east
bound) which left Pittsburg at 7:10 Friday
morning, and the seashore express which
left Johnstown early Friday morning, ar
rived at Altoona Saturday afternoon. All
the passengers on these three trains are re-
ported to be well. Altoona sends the fol-
lowing list of passengers on the day ex-
press from Chicago, winch was caught in
the food at Conemaugh who are known to
be safe.
7wflfam Henry Smith, General Manager of the
Associated Press. New York: Edward Lyon, Bos-
ton: Mrs. J. W Latta and daughter Edith, Phila-
1eIpha; Elizabeth Houmer, Wrightsville. Pa;
YRS Mary l.. Cowne washington; H. O. Grooch'
ron, Mich, Mrs. a. h. Smith. Broadway,
Ork: Mrs. Wm. L. Sergeant, Massachusetts;
Jackson Philadelphia: EstellaJ. Kittering,
'vania; Daniel Humphrey, indianapolis:
Dewitt and child, Dennison Ind;
wife and three children, Colum-
aggie E. Mulaheny, Indiana:
"a. ILL.,; Mrs. A. Lippin-
Gussie Cook and
Fanny Murphy and
Stockbridge, Cur
child, Chicago;
Y; Mrs. Paris
'Ss Simpson. 9.
md daughter.
!, MIR. Leise
an Carroll,
JBerney,
on the
rowned