The record-union., 1895-03-02
Srecial to the RECoRD-UNIoN.


Srecial to the RECORD-UNIoN.
CITY OF MEXICo, March LIT is now
known that 200 people were killed and
injured in the terrible wreck on the Inter-
| oceanic Railway yesterday. 1t is impos-
sible as yet to say how many of this
number are dead, as the wreck has not
all been cleared away yet, and reports
are conflicting. II is feared, however,
that over 100 are dead.
The train was an excursion, carrying
nearly 1,200 passengers, returning from
! the pilgrimage annually made to Sacred
Monte Shrine. Near Pedri Blancha there
is sharp curve, and at this point, for
some reason as yet not definitely learned,
five coaches jumped the track and went
down the side of the mountain. Three of
them were smashed completely into
kindling-wo
AS soon as word was received in this
city, relief train was sent out with sur
geons and wrecking force, and the
work Of rescuing the wounded and TAX
ing out the dead was begun, and has been
progressing since. AS fast as possible
the wounded were brought to this city,
President DiaZ having ordered the mill
tary and hospital with its staff to care for
all survivors.
A gendarme, who returned on one of
the relief trains, says he saw fourteen
dead bodies taken out from one coach.
The bodies were mangled in the most
shocking manner. Some of them were
in fragments, and linn bs, heads and bodies
were mixed in such manner as to make
identification almost impossib BILE.
The Sraua abOut the wrapL< rnoct
sickening, as well as sorrowful. Rela-
tives were searching for missing mem
bers of their families, and women and
children who had lost husbands and
fathers were crying and moaning in
| heartrending manner.
Further details from the scene are ex-
pected later this evening, but the tele-
graph service is unsatisfactory.
This is the most serious wreck in Mex
leo since 1891, when train load of soldiers
went through bridge, 400 OF them being
killed.
The most careful inquiry in this section
OF the railroad people indicate that there
were no Americans on the, train, the
passengers, so tar as learned, being ma
tives.
The train crew are not Americans, and,
in accordance with the Mexican custom,
all who were not killed Will be arrested.
the Mexican law placing the response
81
very stringent
LATER ACCOUNT.
CITY OF MEXICO, March I.-One of the
most frighttul accidents in the history of
tue Mexican railroads, resulting in the
killing OF lU4 persons and the serious. il
not fatal, injury of nearly 100 others, oc-
Cured on the lnteroceanic Railroad at a
point about twenty-five miles from this
city.
tnNH- HaT QCFn l,o,.
sons left the Capitol and the grounds in
the vicinity to go on pilgrimage to the
Catholic shrine at Sacramento. Yester-
day long train, aboard of which there
were 100 passengers, was returning
from the place of pilgrimage. 1t went
well until point on the line about mid
way between Ilmantla and Tenango was
reached. on this part of the road there
Is steep incline, the line at one place
having sharp curve where it runs close
10 the edge Of a high precipice. This is
one of the most dangerous places on the
road, and was rendered more so by the
tact that the track here was not in the
best OF condition.
AS the train began to run down the in
cline many Of the passengers were laugh
ing and joking, while others were looking
out OF the windows at the rapidly passing
scenery. The speed of the train began to
increase, and it was soon running at a
their joking and looked at each other
with a strange fear depicted on their
faces. Steadily the momentum OF the
train, which was now swaying and
bounding feariully, increased and soon
the dangerous high curve was struck. AS
the pilot wheels OF the engine took the
curve the locomotive swayed outward
and then back.
As the drivers went on the curve the
engine again swayed heavily and then
either Jumped the track or turned a rail-
1t dashed across the space between the
rails and the edge of the chasm and then
plunged downward. Several coaches
nlled with passengers piled after it. and
We're thrown in heap to the bottom. AS
the fifth coach left the track it twisted and
broke the coupling connecting it with
the coaches behind it. The coaches fol-
lowing kept the track safely. After run
ming a considerable distance they were
stopped by the hand brakes.
When the engine aud three coaches fell
to the bottom of the ravine there was a
fearful crash, and mingled with it were
the shrieks of the affrighted passengers,
which could be heard above the shriek-
ings Of the escaping steam from the en-
gine, which was knocked to pieces by The
TALL.
The sight was most gruesome one.
| The carriages were shattered, and ma
jority of The occupants were lying be-
meath the debris.
one hundred and four dead and eighty
five wounded were taken out OF the
wreck. The injured who could stand TO
be moved were brought to the City OF
Mexico on the special train and tax en- to
the military hospital, which was thrown
open to the sufferers by the order of
President DiaZ.
Many of the dead will never be ldenti-
fed. some Of them being SO horribly
mangled shat il is almost Impossible to
recognize the remains as those of human
beings.
So far as can be learned, the accident
was due TO the negligence of the engineer.
1t IS stated that when the train en-
tered the incline he made no attempt
TO check its speed by the use of air.
/ brakes. Had the brakes failed to work,
the momentum could have been checked
| by the hand-brakes, but persons on
the train state that they heard no
whistle Tor the application OF the
handbrakes. The engineer and fremen
are believed to be under the wreck OF the
engine, and why the train was allowed to
run practically wild on one of the most
dangerous sections of the road will prob
a v lN,I l.