Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-06-27
TRIPLE COLLISION.
CARS GO DOWN
AN EM6ANkMeNT.
Thlrty-Five or Forty Lives Lost Som,
OF the Victims Burned by tho
Cars Taking Firearms and
Legs Only Visible.

PITTsBuRo, June 26.-A triple COLI.
sion of freight trains occurred near La
trobe. Pa, tory miles east of this city,
on the Pennsylvania Railroad, about
$50 O'Clock this morning. Thirty
cars were wrecked and n number of per-
sons killed, four of them unknown
tramps.
AT the hour named freight train 30s,
west-bound, left Latrobe, and had Just
reached the bridge about fifty yards
west, when 1t ctllided with extra freight
train No. 1913, coming In the opposite d.
rection. Another cast 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 20 over tie embankment into the
creek, distance of 80 fest.
The bodies of four tramps were taken
from the wreck. There was nothing
about their clothes to identify them.
They were stealing ride, and were com
ing West. The cause of the accident has
not yet been learned. The loss to the
railroad company will he very heavy.
james Flanagan aud companion,
whose name could not be learned, were
brought from tho wreck to this city this
afternoon. Flanagan was returning
Johnstown laborer. He says twelve per-
sons were on the car with him at the
time of the collision, but he could not
say whether they escaped or not Flan-
hagan was seriously bruised. His COM
panion was unconscious and 1t is thought
fatally hurt.
The following despatch has been re-
ceived from Greensburg, Pa: The wreck
at Lntrobe this morning about 3 o'clock
was terrible In the extreme. 1t is proba-
BILE that IS or 40 lives are lost. Only
four or five have yet been taken from the
wreck. They were unknown, and all
were dead. Engineer Caldwell and his
fireman are still under the wreck, and
the chances are that their bodies will not
be reached tonight.
Thirty-one cars went down over the
bridge and are piled upon the other In
the water. The conductor of the freight
states that In all probability 30 or 40 men
are still under the wreck, as he put off at
Derry Station about 45 men who were
coming from Johnstown. He states that
when be moved out great many of them
got on again, and In that case 1t is more
than likely that the killed will reach the
number stated.
carload OF line In the centre of the
uain was the last to go down, and 1t was
scattered over the pile of shattered care.
Then the debris took fire, and notwith-
standing the efforts OF the people to put
out the flames 1t is still burning. Arms
and legs of tine victims can be seen pro.
truding from the debris. No member of
the crew remains to tell of those who
went down.
The dead are being taken to the under
taking establishment OF f. ]. slader as
they are recovered, and prepared for
burial,
The water in the creek at the point
where the accident occurred is about IL
feet deep, and 1t is expected that 10 or 12
bodice arc in the bottom of the creek.
John Nj Her, flagman, states that the
proper signal was given when the posi-
tiou OF the shlfler was discovered, and
Engineer Caldwell answered, but the
speed was too high. When the ili.fated
train left Bolivar about 40 workmen
boarded her, but Conductor Burnhart
put them off at Derry.
-Four of the injured taken from one car
stated that II others were In the car, and
In another box car probably there were
10 or 20 men. One or two of the bodies
taken from the wreck were terribly burn
ed by the lime which covered the wreck.