The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-17

Ok Nne
Put at ThirtY-Seven FrishtfuI
Wreck on the Northern Pacific
Coast Road in Which an Engine
Goes Through bridge, Drowning
Five Men.
HOBOKEN. y. j.. Jan. 15-On the
banks of the Hackensack river which
winds its narrow way through meadows
OF that name, there went up today the
souls Of a half score of human beings
as a monument To the insecurity, the
uncertainty of mans device. Another
horror is added to the already crowded
annals; something TO talk of and shud-
der at and then to pass into almost for
gotten history But voices will struggle
through sobs in years TO come. repeat
ing the unwritten history of today and
telling again Of the loss of some loved
one.
\ veil Of fog was drawn across the
face of the sun and it hung in clouds
over the meadows, enveloping all OBJ
jects in a shroud Of gray. Thick, al
most impenetrablc. it soaked into the
timbers of the narrow drawbridge that
spans the river al point a mile east
of Burgen tunnel The iron danger sig
nails at either-side- of the bridge dripped
and ran with moisture, their painted
si6es glistening over in the mist sur
rounding them. But. ten feet distant,
their glistening coIors We're swallowed
up in the for. All was gray, no warn
Ing could be seen.
1t is the rule of the road that all
trains shall slow up for bridges, and as
the Dover express approached this
bridge in the early morning the engineer
pushed back the throttle and strained
his eyes through the mist to catch a
glimpse Of that familiar mark which
would tell him to proceed or stop. 1t
was in vain. The fog was as wall be-
tween him and the object of his search.
lie continued to decrease the trains
speed, still straining his eyes for the
signal And then-a crash, that sicken-
ing crash-once heard never 10 be for
gotten.
rush of passengers from the unin-
Sured coaches TO the rear of the express
brought the horror 10 view. The South
Orange local. coming at an overspeed,
had crashed into the rear Of the express
and a tangled mass OF iron and wood,
Inutilated corpses and dying shrieks and
piteoUs means were left to mark the
conservatism Of one man and the reck-
Iessness of another
Two Cars TeIescOped.
The combination baggage car and
smoker of the express was telescoped by
abe engine Of the train behind. The
engine and baggage car had swung about
on the track twisted the two cars in
front Of the baggage car to one side,
ground one OF them into kindling wood
and smashed the rear end of the car
ahead
The engine of the South Orange train
TWas evidently trying to make up for lost
hime and was running at a speed said
80 be unwarranted. The engine had
eloughed its way through the crowded
seats Of the smoking compartment, con-
Saining at least forty persons. Not one
of these escaped uninjured.
After the accident big punches of flow
krs were seen strewn along the track and
khfs gave rise at first to the impression
ethat there were women among the dead
and injured, but they were all men, who
F1nsy have been carrying these flowers 10
sdeck happy homes now turned into the
Aabodes Of sorrow.
4 sickening sight.
When the wrecking car lifted the
asmoker from the track it parted and
divided into three pieces and then there
was cause for wonder that any Of its
occupants had escaped alive. The dead
had a most agOnizing expression, and as
the car was lifted from off the bodies it
was a sickening sight. One man had been
almost beheaded; another man was
doubled up and his face pictured the
horror Of the moment when death struck
him. Others had their heads crushed
and bespattered with blood. Flesh hung
upon the splinters of the wreck and iron
and piteous cries completed this heart
rending spectacle.
An hour after the accident a thousand
curious. or seekers after loved ones,
were on the ground. Willing hands lift
ed the dead and tenderly cared for the
injured and as the gloom of night was
added 10 the enveloping fog all that
was visible was the splintered cars. the
tangled iron and the crimson spots fast
melting away in the heavy mist.
The Dead and Injured.
The most authentic account shows nine
killed. while the injured number thirty
seven. The dead are as follows:
WILLIAM FERGESON. fifty-1ve
years OF age. Summit. ~. ].
lYILLIAd a ADAMS. age unkno8n.