Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-08-06
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIspATcHE;
Fatal Railroad Accident.

Fatal Railroad AcclCenG.
SYRACUSE, N. Y, Aug. 6-This morning
freight train Oh the West Shore railroad
broke in two between Port Byron and Mon
tezame, and fast passenger train dashed
into the rear The brakeman went back to-
ward the passenger train, but the night was
80 foegy that be was not seen. The fireman
OF the passenger train was killed. Ten
Italians, en- route to Niagara Falls 10 the
amoking car were killed, and thirty or forty
others In the same Ger Injured. The sleep-
ing osrs were burned but all the passengers
we're rescued. The killed and Injured we're
brought to Syracuse. The passenger train
us!sted of locomotive, two express cars,
one baggage car, smoking car, day coach
aud four sleeping coaches. The train wss
going at the rate of about As miles an hour.
When three miles west of Port Byron the
passengers felt the application Of the air
brakes and In smother Instant came terri
bic crash. The passenger locomotive had
buried itself In the cabcose Of the freight
train, the day coach had teleacoped the
smoking car. and together with the three
baggage and cypress cars were piled in
heap on the double tracks, which at that
point we're elevated above the Montezuma
marshes on q ten foot embankment. The
extent OF the accident was at once real'z,d
by thoae unframed, 10 the wild cries OF the
injured and dy Ing In the forward part Of the
train. The station house at Monte yuma
WAS broke into aud the news Of the acct
deaf tslegraphed to the train dispatcher at
Syracuse and relief train was soon
hagIying 20 the scene with physicians,
coroner, and number Of railroad men. ln
the meantim fresh cause OF alarm was ore
ated by little conhagrations which eprang
no at several parts OF the wreck, the princi-
pa! 6,e starting from the locomotive which
had topped over the embankmeht and lay
on its side, against which the forward e1-
pres car pressed closely. The trainmen
and portere 8ere hurryiDg out the passen-
gers in the Gay coach and sleeper, and 1t
was found that no one in the rear end OF the
train had been seriously Toured. The at
PENDANTS of tho express and baggage cars
bad retired to the rear coaches to catch
little sleep. and the entire fatality was
shsrefore confined to the occupants OF the
smoking car and locomotive. In the for
81 was party oorssting OF twenty-one
Italian laborers In charge Of an Interpreter,
who was taking them from Tompkins Cove
to Niagara Falls, where they we're to be
worked on the new railroad tunnel. Only
QUE member OF this party escaped
death or serious iuiary. Tho flames
which started from the locomotive
increased 10 fuzzy with great rapidity
and before all of the victims In the smoking
car could be removed from the wreck the
express, baggage aud smoking csrs and day
coaches were burning. The forward end OF
q sleeper had also taken 6ro and 10 order to
save the three sleapers behind 1t, which had
not eft the rails, they were uuooupled and
pushed by haud to place of safety. Ten
freight cars and the caboose were also 10
fsmss. Tbs dsatb list began to be appel
ing as body after body was removed, until
ten were laid along the tracks In row. The
injured wera twlcs az many. and their
suppicstlons for aid were heartrending. |
The freight train which caused the accident |
consisted of forty cars and bound for the west
1t was to let the Flyer" pass it, by drawing over
on the Montezuma side track 1t had started to |
leave tho main track, and was half way upon the |
l. I'D IL
tho train Realizing that there was no time to
lose the conductor Of the freight train sent man
up the track with lantern to check the Flyer
but whether he did not get far enough up the |
road or his signal was not ssen is not known. A |
new coupling had been made and the freight was |
slowly starting In a minute more it would have
been cut of the way and the disaster would not |
have occurred.