The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-26
THE BRAKEMAN HAS FLED
Neglected His Duty, and Eleven
Lives We're Sacrificed as
One Result.
Appalling Details OF the Awful
Wreck on the Hudson River
Road.
Human Ghouls Despoll the Victims oi
Thoir yaluables-L.ist OF the Killed
and Wounded.

NEW YoRK, Dec. 25.--The accident on the
| New York Central railroad last night at
Hastings, has proved much greater than in"
dicated by the reports received last night.
The official list Of the dead as given out to-
night numbers eleven people. The dead
are: Mrs. A.. N. Baldwin, New York; Thos.
w. Pillcy. New York. of tho frm of Geo.
Pilley a. Co., Boston; Abram knight, con-
duotor; Miss Van Arsdale New York; Miss
Slocum. Lockport, N. "; Miss Moore. Me-
dina; Lizzie Ford, Brooklyn; j. w, White.
Porter; Miss Lillian Baldwin, New York;
DR.. I. F. Best. dentist, New York; Z. s. Will
cox, New York. The burned and injured
are: Mrs. Homer II. Baldwin, New York;
Annie Ford, Brooklyn; d. B. Murphy. law
yer, New York; Harry A. jacobson, New
York; ]. r. Bagnslle, PouRhkeepsie. N. Y.
The terrible accident was due to the
carelessness of Brakeman Albert r. Her
rick, Of the Buffalo express, which was
lying still below Hastings. Herrick fed.
and has not been found He left his uni
form on the train and put on citizens
clothes. From the official report given out
to-day train No. 93 stopped at Dobbs' ferry
to make some slight repairs on the engine.
distance signal was thrown out, and the
following train, the Buffalo and Niagara
Falls special, leaving here at seven p. M,
stopped about three-quarters of mile
south of Dobbs' ferry station. The conduc-
tor Of No. As Immediately sent Brakem an
Herrick back to signal the coming train.
He proceeded as far as the station. At
Hastings he went inside and talked with
the station master, waiting for the Cincin-
xUhi irI, 1oft
the city at eight o'clock. While Herrick
WAS standing near the door the st. Louis
express whizzed past at the rate of forty
miles an hour. Engineer Donohue, of the
express. received no warning of the pres
ence of the Buffalo express on his track
until he was almost on the train. He re-
versed his engine, put on the air and
jumped.
Tho engine Of No. crashed into the rear
sleeper Gibraltar, of the Buffalo special
with terrific force. There were twenty-five
Of tho New York Central is Of stone. Here
blotches Of blood, dried and olotted, two
and three feet in diameter. The sight is
siokening. All else that remains today to
tell the story Of the frightful disaster is the
tin roof of the Wagner sleeping car Glib
raltar. This is still lying a smoldering
mass at the side of the track where the dis
aster occurred. The rest of the track was
burned up.
When the st. Louis express crashed into
the sleeping car the engine was completely
lost in the interior Of the car. The heavy
wood work and iron of the Gibraltar was
burned up. The hiss of escaping steam
and the cries and Rroans of wounded and
dying passengers could be heard long
distance. The appeals of the wounded
and cries OF the dying were heartrending.
A moment later the Gibraltar atook fire.
The crews Of both trains recovered from
their momentary shock aud rushed to aid
both trains followed and soon score of
persons had organized themselves into .
relief party. One after another the
wounded and diving were taken out, axes
were torn from the cars and by the light of
lamrs and torches the men began to chop
away the burning woodwork of the
Gibraltar.
70 add to the horrors of the occasion |
thieves got to work and began to rob in
jured passengers. How much they secured |
is not known. It was not known that
thieves were among the injured at the time
of the accident aud the fact was
not discovered until this morning.
A number of volunteers worked among
the injured passengers and it. is probable
that this was made cloak for stealing by
some. The coroner this morning took pos
session of the effects of the dead and will
hold them until they are claimed by rela-
tives of the deceased.
The scenes about the waiting room at
Dobbs' ferry we're pathetic. Little Homer
Baldwin, son of Mrs. Baldwin, was crying
for his mother. His arms were bruised but
the child seemed anxious to know how his
mother was. He did not know she was
killed. The child had been sleeping in the
same berth with his mother.