The herald., 1895-03-02
TWO HUNDRED WERE killed
Mangled Beyond Recognition in
a Train Wreck
A TRAIN GOES OVER A BLUFF
Story of a Mexican Soldier Who Returned
From the Scene
There Were 1900 Passengers in the Cars
When They Leaped the Track-sad
and Slckenlng Scenes

City of Mexico. via Galveston, March
Lit is now known that 200 people we're
killed and injured in the terrible wreck
on the Interoceanic railway yesterday.
1t is impossible as yet to say how many
OF the injured will die, as reports are
conflicting.
The train was carrying nearly 1900 ex-
cursionists returning from the pilgrimage
annually made to the Sacred Monte
shrine. Near Pedra Blancha there is
sharp curve and at this point, from 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
wood.
AS soon as word was received in this
city relief train was sent out with a
wrecking force aboard and the work of res
cuing the wounded and taking out the
dead was begun. AS fast as possible the
wounded were brought to this city,
President Diaz having ordered the mill
tary and hospital wards to care for all the
inju red. A gen d'arme who returned
from the scene says he saw fourteen dead
bodies taken from one car. The bodies were
mangled in most shocking manner;
some OF them were in fragments, and
limbs, heads and bodies were mixed up
in such manner as to make identified
ton almost impossible. The scene about
the wreck was most sickening as well as
sorrowful. Relatives were searching for
missing members of their families, and
women and children who had lost hus-
bands and fathers, were crying and moan
ing in heartrending manner. ~
This is the most serious wreck in Mex
leo since 1891, when tranload of soldiers
went through bridge, 400 of them being
killed. The most careful inquiry in this
section of the railroad people indicates
there were no Americans OH the ira n,
the passengers. SO far as learned, being
natives. The train crews were not Ameri-
cans, and in accordance with the Mexican
custom all who were not killed will be
arrested, the Mexican law placing the
responsibility on trainmen for such affairs
and are stringent.
st. Louis, March LA dispatch from
the City of Mexico says the first news of
received by DR.. Alfred Bray, an American
physician of Mexico, asking him to come
to Ayotta to care for the wounded. The
train was special Of ten passenger
coaches, flied With religious pilgrims,
which left the city yesterday morning for
the Shrine of Sacramento in Amecameca.
On the return trip it was derailed near
Ayotta. The engineer, an American, was
killed.
Later details show that 1O4 people were
killed and 100 more seriously, ii not fatally
injured. The story of the wreck is as fol-
loMs:
few days ago there was pilgrimage
to the Catholic shrine at Sacre Monte.
Yesterday long train was returning from
the place of pilgrimage 1t went well
until it reached point on the line about
midway between Timantia and Tenango.
On this part of the road there is a steep
incline, the line at one place having a
edge of 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 con-
dition.
AS the train began to round the incline,
the passengers We're laughing and joking
and looking out of the windows at the
rapidly passing scenery.
Soon the speed of the train began to
increase, and it was soon running at a
frightful rate The passengers ceased
their joking and looked at each other
with strange fear depicted on their
faces. Steadily the momentum Of the
train, which was now swaying and bound
ing fearfully, increased and soon the
dangerous high curve was struck AS the
pilot wheels of the engine took the curve,
the locomotive swayed outward 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 scanty space between
the rails and the edge OF the chasm, and
then plunged downward. One after an
other of the coaches filled with passen-
gers, dashed after it and piled up in
mass of wreckage at the bottom OF the
precipice. The next two coaches also
jumped the track, but fortunately did not
90 over the edge of the precipice. AS the
fifth coach lett the track it twisted and
broke the coupling connection with the
coaches behind it. These coaches kept
the rails and passed safely around the
curve. After running considerable dis
lance they were stopped by the hand
brakes. When the engine and 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 be heard above the shrieKing
of the escaping steam from the engine.
The sight was a most gruesome one. The
carriages were shattered and majority of
the occupants were lying beneath the
debris.
One hundred and four d ad and eighty
five wounded were taken out of the de-
bris. The injured who could 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
sufferers by order of President Diaz.
Many OF the dead will never be identi-
fed, some of them being SO horribly man
gled that it is almost impossible to recog-
nize 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 entered
upon the incline he made no attempt to
check speed. The train could have been
whistle for them. The engineer and fire
man were both killed.
Comedians Trouble