The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-02
MEXICAN HORROR.
Over 100 People Killed nEd Sd In
jured In IA Railway Wreck.

MEXICAN HORROR.
over 100 People Killed AID So In
jured I'm a Railway Wreck.
CITY OF MEXICO. March 1.--One of the
most frightful accidents in the history of
the Mexican railroads, resulting in the kill
ing OF 1o4 people and the serious If not fatal
injury of nearly hundred others occurred
yesterday afternoon the Interoceanic
railroad at a. point about twenty-five miles
from this city.
A few days ago a great number of per-
sons left the capital and the towns in the
vicinity to go on a pilgrimage to the
Catholic shrine at Sacre Monte. Tickets
were sold at reduced rates over the Inter-
oceanic line, and this road carried the bulk
of. the pilgrims. Yesterday a long train,
aboard of which there were 1900 passengers,
was returning from the place of pilgrimage.
All went well until point on the line mid :
way between TemamtIa and Tenano was
reached. On this part of the road there is
a steep incline, the line at one place on it
having sharp curve, where it runs close
to the edge of high precipice. This Is one
of the most dangerous places on the road.
and was rendered more by the fact that
the track was not in the best of condition.
AS the train began to run down the incline
many of the passengers were laughing and
the window at the rapidly-passing scenery,
which at this point is grand. The speed of
the train began to increase, and it was
soon running at fearful rate. The pas
sengers ceased their laughing and joking
and looked at each other with strange
fear depicted in their faces. Steadily the
momentum OF the train, which was now
swaying and bounding fearfully. increased
and soon the dangerous high curve was
AS the pilot wheels of the engine took the
curve the locomotive syayed outward and
curve the engine again swayed heavily, and
then either jumped the track or turned
tween the rails and the edge of the chasm
and plunged downward. One after another
after it and piled up in mass of wreck
age At the foot of the precpice. The next
two coaches also jumped the track, but most
precipice. AS the fifth coach left the rails
ii twisted and broke the coupling connecting
es kept the rails and passed safely around
the curve. After running considerable dis
1ance they were stopped by the hand
When the engine and the three coaches
fell to the bottom of the ravine there was
fearful crash, and mingled with it were the
shrieks of the affrighted passengers, which
could easily be heard above the shrieking
was wrecked by the fall. NThe passengers
in the two derailed coaches at the edge of
she preepica got out a. quickly .hsr as possible
offered thanks for their escape from a
most awful death. In the meantime NUM-
Der of passengers in the other coaches had
returned TO the scene of the wreck and de-
voted themselves to the work of rescuing
those imprisoned in the wreck. The sight
here was a most gruesome one. The car
riages were shattered and a majority of the
occupants were lying beneath the wreckage.
The shrieks and means of the injured were
heart-rending, while many of the unhurt
children and women moaned and walled in
an of lcra m ffrnfa ar rny1cr
the debris could be seea an upturned face,
the eyes fixed in the CLASSY stare of death,
Again, what had been a face could be seen
crushed out Of all semblance to humanity
Here was an arm, there was a leg that had
been severed from a trunk lying, perhaps
fifty feet away.
The train hands were Americans and some
news Of the disaster TO the city. The intel
ligence quickly. spread and caused the great
many of whom had relatives or friends on
the train. The railroad officials diplayed
commendable activity, and special relief
train with surgeons, an ambulance, medi-
cines, bandages. etc, was promptly dis
patched to the scene. Arriving there every
thing possible was done to alleviate the
suffering of the injured. some of whom
we're in such agony that they prayed for
death to relieve them from their tortures.
Aided by some of the men who were in
the coaches that did not go over, the -ail-
road employees and the relief corps soon
cleared away the wreckage sufficiently to
allow the extrication of the dead and in
Jured. One hundred Nnd 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 taken to the military
hospital. which was thrown open to the
The whole staff of the hospital busted them
selves in attending to the injured. who were
made as comfortable as the circumstances
would permit. Many Of the dead will never
be identified. some of them being SO hor-
ribly mangled that 1t is almost impossible
,fvo he ainc fl.roo Of y,t,-
man beings
So far as can be learned the accident
was due to the negligence of the engineer.
II Is stated that when the train reached the
incline he made no attempt to check its
speed by the use of airbrakes. Had the
have been checked with hand brakes but
persons on the train say they heard no
whistle for the application of the hand
brakes. The engineer and fireman are be-
1ieved to be under the wreck of the engine.
and why the train was allowed to run
practically wild one of the most dam
gerous sections OF the road will probably
never be known. AS Is the case in Mexico
whenever railroad accident occurs the
feeling Is very bitter against the railroad
ter who survived VIII be held to strict ac-
countability under the Mexican law al
though, as matter of fact. they we're
i'm no way responsible for the disaster.
The most terrible Mexican railroad acct
dent was the one that occurred the night
Moreles railway was precipitated by the
fall of bride into the river near Cuartla
About two hundred lives were lost in the
accident.
ELEVATED CAR SMASHED.