New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-06
WORK OF TRAIN-WRECKERS.
THE ,,OyTREAI. EXPRESS ON THE CENTRAL.
THROWN FROM THE TRACKS.
v.yy LIVES PLACED IN PERIL BY UNKNOWN
scorNnRFus-oNLY THREE PERSONS
HuRr-MARvELLoUs ESCAPE FROM
A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
ALBANY; Sept. 5.-A fiendish work of reckless
devils in human form found vent at about mid
NIGHT last night in an attempt at tran-wreckiny
nn the SFw.York Central and Hudson River Road
.hout four miles south Of Greenbush. Luckily
o,lv half Of the attempted wrecking success
IN, and no loss of life serious injuries resulted
Ths second section of the Montreal sleeper ont Of
xew.york. due here at II 80, consisting of an
engine and eight slceping-cars filled with men.
.vo,r.n and children, was thrown from the track,
INIT. barring the shaking up Of the passengers nnd
On. bruisnQ of haGf-dozen or so, nothing more
s.rious than the wrecking Of the train resulted.
The news of the wreck was brought here by
Conductor McAuli1e and Max Irclcre. corrc-
spondent Of Paris journal, who walked all the
way. A relief train was at once dispatched to the
sc.ne carving Superintendent Bissell. Chief OF
Police Willard. three physicians. and represcn-
tatiye of the Associated Press. Upon arriving
At the scene of the wreck, the first thought
,vss Of cvin- propcr attention TO the injured pas
senacrs. The surprise manifested was only en-
ceeied by the delight of Superintendent Bss"il
when he learned that no one was killed
or even seriously injured The escape OF a
large number from death seemed miraculous.
The train. which was twenty-five minutes behind
rate of forty miles an hour. When the engine
struck the obstruction on the track IL was Hltc"
upward into the air and the whole train was
thrown from the track. The forward part of tho
engine was suspended in the air, and 1t looked
as though it might topple over into the dnch
nj any moment The engineer and fireman both
stuck to their posts
These three persons were the only ones injured
BY the accident
ATKINSON Miss twcnty.onc years DID, Of fremont.
y. y; suffer- from shock. not serious
ATKINSON Charles. eight years old. Miss Atk'nson's
brother leg cut, bones broken
These two are at present at the Albany Hosp'a' ou'
will resume their journey TO Canada
GERIKEN Mrs thirty years old Of No. Sola Ninth
st., Brooklyn: had cut. not seriously hurt She Is
at present at the DclcvaD House Albany.
The first slecpng-car contained twenty-five pas
sngers. 1t Slid down the embanlSment and came to
q standsill on its side. None Of the passengers In
this car was injured except by being bruised.
The second coach Jared worse than any of tho
Others turning complete somersault and land
ing in the ditch bottom side up. In this car
there was only one passenger. Mrs Geriken. of
BsookEn-thc conductor and porter. Mrs.
Gerkcn was at first thought Ia be seriously IN
jured, but it aftcrward found that she was
more frightened than hurt. The third car was
thrown directly across the ditch, at right angles
with the track, and was at first taken for n
bridge spanning the abyss. There were aboat
eight passengers in this coach. making in all
about thirty-one passengers who were so Tor
tunately saved from instant death. How TO
account for the fact that not one life was lost
was beyond the powc- Of those present as tley
stood and viewed the work Of the 1cnds. The
other Ave slecpers did not leave the rOadbed. but
were living obliquely across the northbound track,
while the fourth was suspended in t4t air
over the ditch, held in place by its coupling ana
the resistance offered by the weight OF the other
three cars.
Conductor Maurice McAulffe was the first to
appear ont of the first three cars lie thrust
his arm through n window Of the upturned car IN
which he was, and jumping out called 10 one
Of the trainmcn to take a red lantern back and
signal an express train. which was due shortly.
and then started for this city. Arrangements
were then made to signal the other trains winch
were due, and the attention of the passengers IN
the other five cars was then given to the res
cue of the passengers in the ditchcd cars.
As soon as heads appeared at the car windows
which had been shattered, willing hands
were at work bestOwing help where it
was needed When all tile passengers had been
taken out it was found that Mrs. Grrikcn was
the only one who appeared TO be at all in reed
of medical attendance. She had received 4 severe
blow on the head Mrs Atkinson, Of fremont.
n Y, aud her three children were the only pas
sengcrs in the second car. She was prostra'rd
by the shock and is in the hospital here sufcr-
ing from nervous pr0stratiOn. Several OF the
passengers were cut and bruised by the shattered
car windows in their cndeavOrs u eXtricatc them
selves from the wreck.
Superintendent Bisscll then made an inves'i-
cation as to the cause Of the wreck, and lic was
mad
into the cattle guard and it wcdccd with
Gmbcrs and securely held by fslpatcs. the
whole arrangement being placed i'll a slantins
position so as to lift the train clear oil tho track
The results showed that the Judgment of the mis-
creants who placcu the obstruction the track
was unerring, and their purpose success
fully accomplished. Continuing his invcsigL
tiun Mr. I,ssell found n similar obstruction
placed on the south-bonnd track, little
way above where the other obstruction was
found. This confirmed Mr.. Bisscll's opinion that
the wrccking was the result of deliberate plans,
laid BY whom he knows not. He added that
immediate efforts would he made and stone
would be left nnturncd TO discover the pcrpe-
traitors Of the dastardly outrage. The -7iief
train. which left here at 40 a. m, then started
back for the city, reaching here at 4 10 a. III.
All the passengers were brought back on this
train, and by actual count the Associated
Press reporter ascertaincd that just fifty
four passengers had occupied the eight coaches,
ope-half Of whom were on the brink Of death
The fifty -four passengers comprised number
from New-iork and Brooklyn. the others being
destined for points along the Delaware and IIud-
son and Western points the Vanderbilt sys-
tenn Nearly all OF the passengers had left the
CITY again at a. M Western train was i'm
n,cdiatcIy made up on their arrival, and those
going in that direction were sent on their way
The Delaware and Hudson passengers left here at
: o'clock.
When Superintendent Bssell arrived here he
immediately dispatched wreekiBg- crew from lIud-
son. and they worked I'll day at the scene Of the
disaster. Word was received that the north.
h.,rd .rac,, would not he in shane for travel