Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-12
A WEDGE OF DEATH.
Frightful Work of the Heavy Loco
motive That Crashed Into
THE FITCHBURG EXPRESS TRAIN.
Engineer Goodman says He Saw Neither a
'Flagman Nor Signal.
PROBABLY Q DEAD AND 81 WOUNDED

BOSTON, Sept 1.-THE horror of the
great Quincy accident was recalled in last
nights collision on the Fitchburg Railroad
at West Cambridge Junction. The collision
telescoped the rear car, killing six persons
outright and injuring nearly 40 others, three
OF whom are reported to have since died.
BY 10 o'clock this morning all visible bodies
had been removed from the wreck.
When the engine struck the rear car it
entered it like wedge, splitting it in two
parts, each of which fell outward upon the
track, while the roof of the car lodged on
the locomotive The recoil from the col
lision drove the heavily loaded freight
cars backward, and, although the two cars
nearest the engine, which were a refrigera-
tor car and a Burton stock car. were not in
jured, the 10 or IL cars behind them were
smashed into kindling wood. Several of
these were loaded with lumber and this was
strewn all along the track. The cars were
piled upon one another in undesirable con-
fusion.
No Possible Escape in That Car.
The pilot and cylinder boxes of the
freight engine were poked underneath the
forward truck of the rear passenger car,
which made it almost impossible for any
human being to escape without injury who
occupied seats in that car. On the rear end
of the ill-fated car mans legs were dam
Cling, the trunk being found a quarter of
mile down the track.
The rear brakeman of the passenger train,
who shortly after the accident was sent
back about 600 feet to notify the engineer of
the freight train of danger ahead, states
that he went back as directed and
signalled the freight train and that
his signal was answered by two
whistles, which is the usual answer that all
signals have been seen and noted. The
reason for the collision, he feels sure, was
that the engineer of the freight train could
not control his train, which was of 80 cars,
all very heavy. Engineer Goodman, of the
freight train, saws he saw no signal nor
fagman on the track whatever
A Panic in the Other Coaches.
The passenger cars. other than the rear
one, were not very much injured, but the
shock to their occupants was only little
less severe than that sustained by those in
the last car. As soon as the crash came
there was at once a wild rush to get out of
the cars. Frantic men and women rushed
about in purposeless way, shrieking and
groaning.
But soon another source of danger devel-
oped Flames began to burst from the
wrecked freight cars. After the fire was
under control the work of rescuing the dead
and injured was begun. The windows of
the rear car had to be broken in and por-
tion- of the side cut through in order 70
reach them. The station was ,ttr,rTned into
an emergency hospital, to .hicb those
taken from tAe wreck were, moved and
cared for One by one tn, dead bodies
were brought in and placed mon the floor
1t will be difficult ma ter to IDENTITY
some of the dead Some are burned to a
crisp, others frightfully mangled and one
SO badly cut up that unless Identification
can oe made Dy the elDthing, he may finally
The - ps