The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-01-13
FRIGHTFUL COLLISION.
Fatal Results of a Railroad
Accident at Hastings, N. Y.
A Careless Signal Man to Blame
for the Horror.

Twelve human lives were sacrificed in the
wreck on the Hudson River Railroad near
Hastings N. Y. 1t was the most serious
disaster in the annals of that road during the
past twenty years, and one mans Ignorance
and carelessness was responsible for it all.
Summed up in a word it amounts to this,
th>1 Nv a carelessness almost beyond the
mind of man to understand, and for which
there is not the remotest shadow OF excuse
or palliation, seven men n women were
slaughtered outright, four more so horribly
scalded, burned and mangled that they died
a few hours later. and half a dozen others so
fearfully injured that il they survive they
traces OF the ordeal which they went
through. And all this because a employe
who was sent back to signals train preferred
to sit in a station and smoke a cigar instead
of standing at his post on the tracks and
attending to his duty. "
The Niagara Falls express, which left the
Grand Central Station, New York City, at
1880 o'clock in the evening, was stopped
~three-ouarters Of q mile south OF Dobbs
Ferry, because Of the temporary break down
Of the engine of a train ahead. Behind the
Niagara express was rushing onward the
heavy st. Louis express. As soon as the
Niagara Falls train stopped Conductor
George Wilkins sent his rear brakeman,
Herrick, back 1000 yards with a red lantern,
with orders to stop the express.
He took his red lantern, and walked back
toward Hastings. For some nknown reason
he utterly ignored his orders and went back
to Hastings, where he entered the
station and began to talk to Station
Agent De Lannoy. On rushed the
heavy express, while the safety Of the train
ahead, hidden by a curve, and OF its passen-
gers, was In the hands Of a man who CAV
no thought to his duty nor to the danger has
negligence involved. The express dashed
past the station, and Herrick realized the
tragedy that was inevitable. IL was 700
late.
With his red lantern in his hand he stag
eered out upon the platform and listened for
the crash. It came like a rumble OF distant
thunder, Engineer James Donohue, when
too late. had seen the train ahead as his own
iron monster, Engine No. S72. one OF the
most powerful on the line, swept o the
curve. He reversed his engine, applied the
air brakes and leaped just ID time to save
his life.
The engine struck the sleeping car Gibral-
far and tore it to pieces. Clear through the
car it went. while from its broken pipes
poured out volumes of scalding, sufocating
steam, that cooked human flesh. Twenty
two people were in that fatsd car. By as
miracle two escaped.
The scenes that followed were terrible.
PASSENGERS from the other csrs pssring INTO
the wreck saw human forms and ran LOT
the tools provided by the road for just such
cases in order to release them Three
axes broke to pieces when put to
use, and then the dead and dying
men and women had to be pulled out as
best they could. Many residents OF that
thickly Settled district had heard ths crash,
and came to the res.s1e. |omsn came,
bravely helped the surgeons in their
work. A corps Of doctors wsrssoon at WORK
from the near villages.
Not a wheel Of the Cincinnati express
left the track. It's sngine was demolished.
The train was backed to Hastings, and after
the track was cleared all uuinjured passsn.
gers were transferred to it and continued
their journey north.
The wounded were taken to nobSs station,
and the dead-twelvs in number--to larry
town, to Vanderbilt's undertaking sstaonsn
ment,