The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-25
SLEEPING CAR TELESC0PED
Frightful Collision Between Passenger
Trains on the Hudson River Road.
Seven Persons Crushed or Scalded to Death,
Several Fatally Injured and Many Others
Hurt-A Fatal Drink Of Whisky.

cidept occurred tonight, on the New York
Central, between the ST. Louis express and
the Niagara Falls special train. Seven per-
sons are reported killed, and q
number injured. Some place the
number of killed at eight. while
others claim that ten persons were either
crushed or boiled to death. This accident
was directly the outcome of q collision
which occurred earlier in the evening in the
tunnel at Sing Sing. The accident blocked
the road and trains were held at both sides
of the tunnel. The weather was very
thick. and this prevented the trainmen
on the ST. Louis express from seeing the
blockade in time to prevent the col
lision. The locomotive of this train
crashed into the rear coach of the
Niagara express and several cars.
mostly sleepers, were badly wrecked. To
add to the horror of the wreck the boiler of
the locomotive of the ST. Louis express ex-
ploded and the escaping steam did dee sdly
work among the unfortunate who were in
the wrecked cars.
The scene at the wreck was indescriba-
BILE. The trainmen lost their heads. and
ran out in a frantic manner, peering into
the wreck at those who lay within, moan
ing and dying, but doing very little work
toward rescuing tho victims. Finally q
number of physicians and citizens of this
place reached the scene and the work of
rescue began. The dead and injured were
placed on q special train and brought to
this place. Owing to the excitement it
was impossible to get anything like q cor
rect list of the killed and injured. 1t is
stated that number of the injured are
likely to die.
LATER.-Seven personstn all were killed,
three of whom have been identified. Their
names are:
A. NJ. KNIGHT, conductor Of the Wagner car
A. NJ. BALDWIN, of New York
THOMAS W. TOLLEY, of Boston.
The fatally injured are as follows:
t. V. MURPHY, of New York.
ID. b. FORD. OF New York.
MRS. Z. ID. FORD. Of New York.
G. W. HoYE. a porter Of the Wagner car.
The seriously injured are:
DR. BEST of New York.
MRS. III. X. BALDWIN, OF New York
MRS. LILLIAN BALDWIN. Of New York.
There were eighteen passengers in tht
rear coach of the Niagara and Buffalo ex
press. Only three of them escaped unin
jured. The accident occurred about one
mile north of Hastings, at s:45 p. NJ. The
engine of the st. Louis express ran into
the rear of the Buffalo and Niagara trai1
| and completely telescoped the last sleeper
which happened to be the Wagner palace
car Gibraltar. There were eighte per
, , sons in this car. and all but three wer'
either killed or injured. The crash cam,
without word of warning.
Train IS. the Buffalo and Niagara Fall
special, drawn by Engine 4O6. consisted
of composite coach, the Wag
ner sleeper Burnside for Buffal,
and the sleeper Gibraltar TO
Niagara Falls via Rochester. The trai,
left the Grand Central depot at 7:3O An,
proceeded as far as Hastings on. Hudson
when it was blocked by o local ahead
1t had been standing still abou
twenty minutes. when the st. Loui
train crashed into il. If the rear of tn
train was protected by the usual signals
the fog and storm doubtless preyente,
the engineer of the coiliding traiI
from seeing the wsrning In time to pre-
vent the disaster. The sleeper Gibraltar
was well filled. but the exact number o
persons on board is most difficult &
learn. as sleeping-car Conductor Knigh
was checking up" the ca- at the tim
the crash came.
The almost criminal delay in sending on
q wrecking party to clear the track afte
the first collision between the Croto
local and freight first conduce,
to the tragedy. For three hour
the main tracks were filled Wit