Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-03
DELIBERATELY WRECKED A Train on the Delaware, Lacka- wanna and Western. REWARD OF $5OOO OFFERED For the Detection and Conviction of the Train
 Wreckers. THE ENGINEER AND FIREMAN KILLED The Train Was Gong Down Hill at the Rate of Sixty Miles an Hour
 When It Ran Into an
 Open Switch.
REWARD OF $5OOO OFFERED
THE ENGINEER AND FIREMAN KlLLEI

Cortland, N. T., Dec. 2.-The wreck of the New York and Philadelphia night ex- press on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad at Preble station at 11:05 o'clock last night was the result of a most deliberate rlot on the part of per- sons. unknown. The train was due at Preble at 1101 D. m., but does not stop there. It was four minutes late in pass ing, and-had ten miles of straight track on down grade, where the train is usually run at the rate of sixty miles an hour.
 The train consisted of the engine, the San .Sloan," an express car and a car Of scenery for the show troupe, "A Bow cry Girl" a baggage car, smoker, a day coach and a Pullman sleeper.
 Ten rods north of Preble station there is a>switch which sidetracks cars behind the station. There is a water tank a few rods north of the switch, so that the switch cannot be seen from the north till the water tank has been passed. The switch is an automatic affair, and has to be held up to open it. The ball lever was propped up by an iron bar and a piece of fence board. Seven freight cars stood on the sN itch track. The passengers' first notification of anything wrong was the trembling of the train as the air brakes were set hard. Two car lengths further ahead the collision oc- cured. The engine was completely wrecked beyond all repairs, torn to pieces and turned on it's left side, and its nose ploughed hole in the ground feet deep.
 The freight cars were smashed to pieces and several others were driven down the track.
 The express car turned off to the left the, body resting on the engine tender; the baggage car turned to the right and was partly upset; the smoker and day coach were derailed, but not overturned The sleeper did not leave the rails. Fire man Webster Rofe, 40 years old, or Syra- cuse was found beside the engine under the wreckage badly scalded.. He was taken out alive after an hours work. but died on the way to Cortland at 4 o'clock this morning. Engineer Dick Young or Syracuse, B years old. unmarried, could not be found until 5:30 o'clock this morn ing, when he was discovered at the mouth of the fire box. His head, arms and one leg had been burned off. The flesh was still burning, so that water had to be poured on the body to extinguish the flames before 1t could be removed The engineers watch was found to have stopped at 11:05 o'clock. None of the passengers were hurt, but all were badly shaken up. They all got out of the train safely with their baggage. The baggage and mail was all saved from the bag gage car, and about half of the scenery of the theatrical troupe was saved. The wreck took fire from the lamps and the wood work of the engine and four cars was burned up. The sleeper was detached from the train and was backed from the burning wreck and saved. A reward of 5000 has been offered for the detection and conviction of the wreck