Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-25
Seven Men Killed in a Collision on
the Pittsburg and Western
Railroad Yesterday.
TWELVE OTHERS BADLY INJURED.
A Heavy Freight Runs Into the Rear of
Work Train Containing Forty
Repair 1abOrerS.
THREE MEN INSTANTLY DECAPITATED.
Engineer John HOughton Leaps for Life and Meets
Sudden Death.


pened on the Pittsburg and Western Rail
road occurred at $40 o'clock yesterday
morning, near McKim station. AS result
six men were killed outright, one died a
few hours later and dozen were severely
wounded. Two more of the injured men,
the physicians say, will not survive. The
dead are:
JOHN HOUGHTON. engineer.
JOE HIBESISH, Hungarian, No. 81.
MATT GERTESCH, Hungarian, No. 13.
JOHN WINNER. Hungarian, No. l.
JOHN OSSICK. Fin, No. 3.
JOHN RURK. Italian, No. A.
JIM SALVOG, Italian boy, No. 90.
A DISPATCH reporter arrived at the scene
of the disaster few hours after it occurred,
and from the trainmen learned the full par
ticulars. The train on which the
men were killed was construc-
tion train. In addition to the
regular quota of trainmen it carried be-
tween 80 and 40 laborers, who were en-
ployed in ballasting up the track. In
leaving North Sewicklev, where the work
men are quartercd, it followed the first
section of freight No S. Behind them, only
q few minutes later, was the second section
of No. 36s heavily loaded with iron ore
from Lake Superior. There were 20 cars
in the second freight train and seven fats
in the work train.
HOW THE WRECK OCCURRED.
When near McKim station, on an up
grade, the first section of No sc broke
coupling and parted, the rear end dropping
slowly back until checked by the rear
brakemen. A hagman was sent back Just
in time to prevent the work train from
crashing into the first freight. Then man
was dispatched back to flag the second sec
tion of No. &c, which was approaching
probably at the rate of 20 miles an hour
1t was an intensely foggy morning, and
although long after daylight, it was impos-
sible to see plainly more than 100 feet
ahead The hagman met the approaching
train within 100 yards of where the wreck
occurred. Engineer F. H. Willard imme-
diately reversed his engine, applied the air.
brakes and sand, and leaped for his
life Charles Stewart, the fireman, also
jumped from the engine, and a second
later it plOwed into train of fats, reducing
it to kindling wood and slaughtering and
manning its occupants. Engineer Hough-
ton, of the work train. saw the impending
danger few seconds before the crash, and
jumped from his engine to the siding which
parallels the main track. He was instantly
killed and buried beneath a mass of trucks
and broken timbers as high as the telegraph
wires Had the unfortunate man remained
on his engine, or jumped off the opposite
side, he would not have been injured. His
fireman, Charles Beatty, jumped off to the
right, and did not receive a scratch.
THE VICTIMS CAUGHT BY THE CARS.
1t was an awful wreck. The fiat cars were
thrown together with such terrific force
that they were reared up on end, dumping
the poor victims between them. A number
of the flats were SO completely mashed up
that it would be almost impossible to recog-
nize the fragments as parts of cars. The
locomotive No. 81. attached to the last sec
tion, after plunging into the work train left
the track and went down a low embank-
ment into swampy ground, burying itself in
mud up to the aXleS. 1t remained upright
but was badly battered and broken.
The work of clearing up the wreck and re-
moving the dead ana wounded was soon
begun, but with much difficulty. The Huns
and Italians refused to touch the bodies of
their dead comrades and were so frightened
that it was with much difficulty they were
persuaded to assist in removing the
Messages were sent as soon as
possible for medical assistance and an I'M
dertaker, and the wreck train and crew were
to the scene. number of the
men were pinioned in between broken fTag-
ments in such a manner that il was impossi-
bic to remove them at once. The screams of
the wounded and dying men the survivors
describe as hearGrending.
Besides the dead a dozen men were seri-
izir1
struck terror into the hearts of their super
stitious and ignorant companions. General
Patton and Claim Agent Robinson
were notified OF the disaster soon after it oc-
Cured, and both took the early train for the
scene. The wreck train soon arrived Also
and in short time the bodies were all re-
covered.
TERRIBLE MANGLING OF BODIES.
The heads of three of the men were cut
off and their bodies were mangled beyond
Undertaken Buchanan, of
took charge of the dead, and for
two hours could not find the head of one of
them. Whether the remains were put to-
gether properly nobody will ever know.
The bodies were all laid out on mating of
straw on the floor of q box car,
and In this shape were taken to Ellwood. |
Neat cloth-covered collins were ordered |
from this city, at the direction of Manager |
Patton, and they arrived on the train ut 5 |
o'clock.
ne po!, % jim @ @naLNo oy, was not ueaa When |
Iakeh . out, anu Win thG oener woundeo was
started TOT Vnls CITY he dled on the way |
y iilu nie TeIIalhs were taken 70 tne General
Hospital Lots were purchased in the Slip |
perry Rock cemetery. near Ellwood, where |
i've OF the victims VIII be buried to-day.
Inc DouE OF Engineer John Hougnton was |
brought to Bennett station, where his widow !
ana three children reside. His funeral will |
Lake pace proDiDly on sunday, ana VIII De !
CONQUERED Dy the Brotherhood OF Locomo- |
tive Engineers, of which he was member
Coroner Mccain, of Beaver, was notified |
ot the accident and arrived az Ellwood in |
me me afternoon He found that Justice of |
the Peace had taken charge OF the inveSti- |