The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-10-27
A RAILROAD COLLISION.
Seven Persons Killed on the Read
ing Railroad-Twenty nine Men
and Women Hurt.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24.-The Shamo-
kin express on the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad, which is due in this
city at $50 IN, collided with train of
empty coal cars a short distance north
of the West Manayunk tunnel, about
eight miles north of this city, at few
minutes past o'clock this morning
HOW TT HAPPENED.
The Shamokin express is made up at
Pottsville, and left that city at Z O'Clock.
The train arrived at Ph9nixville on
time. At this place orders dated Read
ing were received to run on the north
bound track from West Conshohocken
to West Falls. distance of only a few
miles. regardless of all other trains.
From West Conshohocken, in pursuance
of these orders. the ill>fated train took
the north-bound track. 1t was compos>
ed of FIVE cars-the baggage car, a smok-
ing car, two passenger cars and the Har-
risburg Pullman parlor car, s'Crestline. Z"
The south bound track was blocked
with freight cars, and to this fact is due
the catastrophe.
Train No. 538 of empty coal cars start
ed mol tn from West Manayunk on the
northern track shortly before 8 O'Clock.
There is conflict of opinion as to the
OrucTS RltCu lu0 CIcW vi ILLS L HO
crew contend that they received no Or
ders to stop. while railroad officials say
positive instrrc ions had been given
that the coal train should lie up at West
Falls, south of where the collision occur
red, until the Shamokin train had pass
ed.
A TERRIBLE CRASH.
The two trains came together right on
A. curve at two minutes past 8 o'clock
with terrible crash. The express was
comfortably filed with passengers. The
engines literally plowed their way
through each other AMI rolled over on
their sides in one conglomerate mass of
shattered machinery.
The front of the baggage car was
crushed completely in, and baggage
master Eppler and John Stief, the news
boy. were buried in mass of broken
timbers, from which they were subse
quently taken out dead. The rear of
the baggage car and the forward end OF
the smoker crashed together.
The greatest force of the collision oc-
Cured with the smoking car and the
passenger coach next to it, and the
scene presented here gives some indica-
tion of the speed at which the train was
moving and the terrific shock of the col
lision. The smoker telescoped it's way
into the other coach fully one half its
length, and how any one who was in eli
ther car escaped death is a mystery.
The baggage car was literally smashed
to kindling wood and thrown ON the
northbound track in a heap with the
engines. 1t caught fire and was soon
burned up. The next two cars kept the
track, Notwithstanding they were tele.
scoped together and were almost com
pletely demolished.
The next passenger coach and the
Pullman car were badly damaged, but
not to such an extent as to prevent of
their being drawn away from the rest of
the train directly after the accident oc>
cured. Except for scratches and
bruises, the passengers in the last two
cars escaped unhurt.
1t saved his boys life. Mr. D. A. Curry,
Conductor G. & A. r. r., Slater. Mo-,
gives his convictions thus: Il highly
praise DIR. Bnll's Cough Syrup for saw
ing the life of my little boy, who is five
years old. He had severe case of the
Group which the Syrup relieved imme-
diately."
The ornithorhychus of Australia lays
eggs like a bird, suckles its young like
other animals, and in general appear
ance and habits resembles the beaver of
this country and Europe.