Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-07-02
A FATAL CRASH.
Two Sections OF a Train Collide at Hsr~'
risburg, Pa.--Thirteen Persons Killed
and Forty More Injured.


Two Sections of a Train Collide at Hsr~'
risburg, Pa.--Thirteen Persons Killed
and Forty More Injured.
HARRIsBURG, Pa, June 25.-The
most disastrous wreck that has ever oc-
Cured in Harrisburg took place this
morning at 1890 o'clock at Dock street.
The second section of the western
express which left Philadelphia at
9:20 last evening ran into the
first section, completely telescoping two
cars. Among the killed are: Richard
Adams and wife, a furniture man
of this city; an unknown man from AL
toona; a man from New York. A lady
on the train who was uninjured missed
her infant child and it has been found,
dead. Thirteen dead bodies have been
taken to the morgue at the Pennsyl-
vania railroad depot The number OF
injured is placed at forty, but at this
hour $3.50, it is impossible to authen-
ticate this report.
The first section of the train was
stopped at Dock street tower for orders,
and when it was about to start the
second section crushed into it, wreck
ing five cars and the locomotive of
the second section. One car fell on
it's side and the fire department
was called out, report being circu-
lated that the wreck was on fire.
This fortunately proved false. Ply
sicians and surgeons of the city were
aroused and all hurried to the hospital,
where the wounded and dying were
taken as fast as recovered. The pas
sengers were hemmed in the broken
cars, and many were assisted to places of
safety by those who first reached the
scene.
The operation at Steelton is alleged
to have been responsible for the acci-
dent in having given Engineer Kelly,
of Philadelphia, the wrong signal The
sharp curve at Dock street also made
the disaster more serious than it would
| otherwise have been. The baggage car
next to the engine was the only one in
the second section wrecked. None of the
trainmen were hurt. The private car
of George Westinghouse, of Pittsburgh,
was the last on the first train, and it's
weight crushed the day coaches ahead
of it into kindling wood. Nobody in
| the Westinghouse car was hurt except
the porter, and he was but slightly in
| jured.
The drenching rain made the work of
rescue exceedingly difficult, and owing
to the excitement it is almost impossi-
bic to obtain names of the dead and in
| jured. The city hospital is full of in
| jured and their means and cries can be
heard block away. 1t is said Ray
mond, one of three brothers, horse
dealers of this city, is among the
dead.
At the morgue nobody was admitted
and the names of the dead could not
be ascertained. Hughey Kelly and
Harry Neill, the engineer and fireman
of the second section, are both from
Philadelphia. They stuck to their
post, the fireman explaining after the
accident that they had not even time to
think or jump. 1t all came suddenly.
The mangled bodies were in several in
stances unrecognizable.
The railroad officials are seemingly
paralyzed by the extent of the disaster,
which is by far the worst the road has
known in many years. They decline
to make any statement whatever, but
are giving the wounded every
attention possible. 1t is under
on the trains were number
of delegates returning from Chicago.
As soon as the news of the disaster
reached Baltimore, Washington and
elsewhere, kilograms poured in from
friends of the politician who were ex-
pected home from the convention and
were thought to be on the trains. 1t is
known that several congressman from
| western states were aboard.