The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-03-02
over A HUNDRED KILLED
And Nearly as Many Wounded in
| the Mexican Railway Horror.
PLUNGED DOWN AsTEEP PREoIPIoE

PLUNGED DOWN AsTEEP PRE0IPI0E
Three Cars of n Crowded Excursion Train
Followed the Engine Over the Brink, and
Few of the Passengers Escaped Death or
scrioss Injury.
CRY OF MEXICO, March 2.-One Of the
most frightful accidents in the history of
Mexican railroads, resulting in the killing
of 104 persons and the serious, II not fatal
injury of nearly q hundred others, oc-
Cured Thursday afternoon on the Inter
oceanic railroad at point about twenty
five miles from this city. A few days ago
q great number of persons left the capital
and the towns In the vicinity to go on a
pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine at Saore
Monte. Tickets for the pilgrimage were
sold Mt reduced rates over the Inter
oceanic line, and this road carried the
bulk Of the pilgrims.
On Thursday u long train, aboard of
which there were 300 passengers, was re
turning from the place of pilgrimage. All
went well until point on the line about
midway between Temantla and Tenango
was reached, On nthis part of the road there
ts a steep Incline, the line at one place on
to the edge Of "a high precipice. This is one
of the most dangerous places on the road,
and was rendered more so by the fact that
the track here was not In the best of con-
dition.
Near this dangerous place the speed of
the train began to increase, and it was
soon running at n frightful rate. The pas
sengers ceased thor laughing and joking
and looked at each other with u strange
fear depicted In their faces, Steadily the
momentum of the train, which was now
swaying and bounding fearfully, Increased,
and soon the Z igcrous high curve was
struck. As th rivers went on the curve
the engine aga. swayed heavily, and then
either jumped the track and turned u rail.
1t dashed across the scanty space between
che rails and the edge of the chasln, and
then plunged downwards. Three coaches
filled with passengers dashed after 1t, and
piled up in amnss of wrcckage at the foot
of the preclpice. Two other coaches also
jumped the track, but fortunately did not
go over the edge of the precipice.
/ When the engine and the three coaches
fell to the bottom of the rayine there was
n fearful crash, and mingled with it were
the shrieks of the affrighted passengers
which could easily be heard above the
gine, which was knocked topicccs by the
fall.
A number Of the passengers in tho Other
coaches devoted themselves to the rescue
of those imprisoned in the wreckage al
the foot Of the precipice. The sight her,
was most gruesome one The carriages
wero shattered, and majority of the oc
oupants were lying horribly mangled be
meath the wreckage. Very few escapct
uninjured. The shrleks and moans of tht
injured were heartrending, while many o
the unhurt women and children moanet
and walled in an agony of terror. Her
and there among the debris could be seer
pan upturned face. the eyes fixed in TIN
CLASSY stare of death the features dis
torted with unknown fear Again, wha
had been faoe could be seen crushed ou
lpf all semblance to humanity. Here WA
an arm and there was q leg that had beer
severed from trunk lying perhaps fit.
deet away, The sight was one that viii
never be forgotten by those who wit
messed Ii.
A relief train was soon at the scene, and
aided by some of the men who were in tn
noaches that did not go over, the railroa
employees and the relief corps soon cleare
away the wrecknge sufficiently to ALLOW
One hundred and four dead and eighty
Ave wounded were taken out of the wreck
The injured who could stand being move
were brought to the City of Mexico on tn
special train and taken to the military hos
pital which was thrown open to tho sui
ferers by order of President Diaz.
Many of the dead will never be identi
ned, some of them being so horribl
mangled that 1t is almost impossible /
recognize the remains rs those OF huma
beings.
so far as can be learned the accident wa
due TO the negligence Of the engineer.
is stated that when the train entered tn
Incline he made no attempt to check 1t
speed by the use of air brakes Had thes
brakes failed to work the momentum
could have been checked with the han
brakes, but persons on the train state tina
they heard no whistle for the applicatio
OF the hand brakes. The engineer an
fireman are believed to be under the wrec
Of the engine and tender, and why til
train was allowed to run practically will
ON one of the most dangerous sections
she road will probably never be known.
All the train hands who survived wi
he held to strict accountability under tn
Mexican law, although, ms matter
fact, they were in no way responsible fc
she disaster,
The most terrible Mexican railroad acc
dent was the one that occurred on I'll
night of June 24, 1881, when train on I'll
San Morelos railway was precipitatcd, h
the fall of bridge, into the river nea
Cuartla About 200 lives were lost in thi
disaster.