New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-03
WORK OF UNKNOWN FIENDS.
HOW THE WRECK ON THE LACKAwANNA
OCCURRED.
A REWARD OF 81. s.oo0 OFFERED FOR INFORMATION
THAT WILL LEAD TO ARREST AND CoN-
VICTION or THE MIsCREANTS-
MAIL MATTER DESTROYED.

MAI. MATTER DESTROYED
Cortland y. Y. Dec. The wreck OF the New
York and Philadelphia night express Oh '"e
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Raiiroa"
at Preble at II 05 o'clock last night WAS '"0
result of deliberate plot on the part oi pei
sons unknown. The train was due at Preoie at
il :0l, but does not stop thrc It was four i"'i'-
utes late in passing and mad ten miles oi
straight track on a down grade. where the Tram
is usually run at the rate Of sixty miles al
hour. The train consisted of the engine. the sam
Sloan. the largess passenger locomotive oh
the division; an express car and car OF scenery
for the show troupe, The Bowery Girl bag
gage-car. a smoker. day coach ana Fu''-
man sleeper.
Ten rods north Of Prebe station there is a
switch which sidetracks cars behind the s'auo'''
There is a water tank a few rods north of the
switch SO that the switch cannot he seen HUN
the north til the water tank has been passed.
The switch is an automatic ball AFFAIR ana inus'
be held up 10 open It, The ball lever was
propped up by an iron bar. and piece ot renee
board Seven freight cars stood on the switch
tracks. The passengers frs; not ficaton OF any
thing wrong was the trembling of the train as
the air-brakes were set hard. Two-car lengths
further ahead the collision occurred. The en-
gine was wrecked beyond all possibility oi
repair. torn al 10 pieces and turned on its left
side and its nose ploughed hole in the ground
five feet deep Two freiPht cars were smashed
to pieces and several others were driven down
the track The express car turned off 10 ule
left the body resting on the engine tender ue
baggage car turned to the right and was parlV
upset The smoker and day coach were thrown
from the track. but were not overturned. Inc
sleeper did not lecve .ho rails. The fireman
Webster Rose, forty years old, Of Syracuse "A
married man with four children. was found be-
side the engine under the wreckage badly scald-
ed He was taken out alive after an hours work,
hut he died on the way to Cortland at o'clock
this morning The engineer. "Dickey' Young, Of
Syracuse thirty-ive years old, unmarried. could
not be found until So o'clock this morning,
when he was discovered at the mouth Of The
nrebox.. His head. arms and one leg had been
burned off. The flesh was still burning so ttat
water had 70 be poured on the body TO extn-
gush the fire before ii could be removed. The
engineers watch WAS found to have stopped at
1905 o'clock None Of the passengers We're hurt.
hut all We're badly shaken up They all got mt
Of the train safely and secured their hand bag
gage.
All the baggage and mail were saved from tie
baggage car and about half Of the scenery #
the theatrical troupe was saved.
The wreck took fire from the lamps and ever,
bit Of the woodwork of the engine and four cars
was entirely burned The sleeper had been o.
tached from the rest of the train and was backed
| from the burning wreck and saved.
There were about forty passengers on tht
| train at the time the wreck occurred. store
house containing about four hundred barrels o
| apples which stood beside the track. caugh
fire from the cars and was also burned. Wreck
! Ing trains were sent from Syracuse and Cort
land \ train was made up a. Syracuse to TAX
| the passengers to Binghamton. and they lef
| Preble south bound. at ga, o'clock this morning
Postal authorities her say that all mail In tn
wrecked car destroyed.
Superintendent Schwartz Of the Delaware
| Lackawanna and Western Railroad, has posteC
| the following notice:
THE syracuse, Binghamton and New-Yorl
| Railroad Company hereby offers reward o
! s. 900 10 whOmsOever sh~ll secure the arrest anC
conviction Il the pc: son or persons who causeC
| the wreck Of the express train at Preble on tn
! night of December |. 1895"
The police and detectives at work have ar
| rested three persons on suspicion.
i short distance from the Picble station run!
a creek which is one # the tributaries Of tn
! Ti0ughniOga River. On the banks If this creek
| about a quarter IF mile from the station. f.
n settlement OF Italians who are employed as sec
tion hands on the road. These Italians. wheI
lights were all out ir the camp and everybOd,
was asleep when the wreck occurred. They de
| cared that they were only awakened by tn
! crash on hearing which they were aware tina
! the wreck had taken place, and that they thel
! hurried TO the scene. Villagers who were abou
/ the station and at other points from which the
! settlement is visible. say that this Is not true
! and that just before and at the time OF The
/ wreck lights were plainly seen at the settlement
! as well as forms Of men moving about among the
shanties in which the Italians lodge. The Ital
! ians are not known to have any grievance
against the road.