New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-18
a SWISS TRAIN WRECK.
roURTEEN PERSONS KILLED AND MANY IN
uTRED IN A COLLISION NEAR BERNE.
THE PARIS EXPRESS DASHEs INTO SPECIAL
EXCURSION TRAIN-GRosS NEGLIGENCE
ALLEGED-THE MoENCuENsTEIN
DISASTER RECALLED.


Berpe. Aug. 1.-THE people of this Republic
had hardly recovered frora the railroad scare
c,usted by the disaster at Moenchenstein in June,
bv which more than l3O persons on an excureion
rain lost their lives and about 800 were injured,
when they were again yesterday startled by
another wholesale loss of life from railroad acc
dent This last disaster occurred on the Jura-
rmplon Railroad lines near the village of Iolil-
kofen. not far from this city. and resulted in the
death of fOurteen persons and the serious INJURY
NJ twenty-four others. The victims were all Swiss
PEASANTS.
A special train, carrying large number of pleas
ureseekerS from the country was on It's way here'
the passengers intending to take part in the fetes
which are in progress here and elsewhere
throughout Switzerland. The train was stopped
at Zollkofen in order TO enable il 70 be shunted
into a siding so as to let the Paris express pass
it, BY some gross negligence. apparently, upon
the part of the railroad officials, the Paris tram,
loaded with foreign travellers. was not warned
10 look out for the excursion train While passing
Zollikofen, and the result was that the express
dashed into the special train. Luckily. the en-
pineer of the express had caught sight of the ex-
cursion train in time TO put down the brakes, so
the damage done and the loss of life were not so
great as they might have BEEN As it was, the
empty guards van at the rear Of the excursion
train. and then crashed into the rear passenger
car, wrecking it and causing considerable loss of
life.
The recent holiday traffic has thrown unusually
heavy burdens upon all the railroads centrlng In
this city. The excursion train was partly COM
posed Of baggage vans, temporarily converted into
passenger carriages The line was blocked by
other excursion trains in advance, and another
excursion was coupled 10 the Paris express A
curve in the line prevented the engineer of the
express from seeing the danger ahead but the pas
sengers of the excursion train heard the express
approaching, and many jumped out, all OF the
occupants of the open goods wagons escaping in
this way almost unhurt
A special train carrying wrecking appliances,
doctors and nurses from the hospitals together
with detachment of engineers, was sent to the
scene of the accident. Surgical operations result
ing in the loss of limbs will be necessary to save
the lives of most of the twenty-fOur persons seri
ously injured. Thirty other passengers received
more or less severe wounds or bruises. All the pas
sengers on the Paris express escaped with only
slight bruises
The bodies Of the dead were carried to the wait
ing-room of the railroad station Zollikofen and
were there laid in while awaiting Identified
ton. Many of the dead were so terribly mutt
lated as TO he practically beyond recognition.
The injured were attended to by the relief corps
sent TO the scene from this city. Those of the
injured who were in condition to be removed
have been taken TO the hospitals in this city;
others are being nursed near the scene of the
disaster.
As yet the railroad officials have not denied
that the accident was due 10 their neglect in not
informing the Paris express that there was on
tAodrslon train ON the lines between il ond Bernie,
and that the special TO be shunted at Zoli-
kOfen in order TO allow the express to pass It,
There are still pending suits TO the amount of
100000 francs against the railroad TcspOn-
sible for the MoenchenSten disaster which, it
was asserted, was mol actually due to the com
panys negligence, but to the wearing away of
the railroad bridge at Noenchenstcin. II is pre-
sumed that many similar suits will be brought
against the Jura-Simplon Railroad.
The historical procession was under way when
the news Of the disaster was received here but
was hastily stopped. The remaining fetes in this
city have been abandoned