Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-08-27
Terrible Railroad Accident.


y.le1cia, this county, was on Tuesdsy,
the scene OF perhaps as remarkable raI-
road disaster IS has ever hsppeued IN this
or any other caRntry-a disaster caused by
heavy grades ard tremendous freight
traius-And clearly showing the dangers Of
both
towards noon Of that dsy the local
f.ei.ht from Allegheny TO Butler running
on the East track. stood longer tnan usual
At the station 81 Yslencis, discharglng
freight.
IL was followed on the same track by
a through freight train consisting oi thirty
loaded coal cars. and twenty more cars
filled Sith othes freight. This tremendous
train reached fhe summit of the Bakers
toeu bill. with the aid of '.pushel ana
then started down grade for Valencia AS
ths = g:uear approached the latter place
ne saw tue f4gman, applied the all brakes
o.. the firs. ten cars. they did not WORK,
then b. locked his engine, gave the dan
ger signal; be and his fireman jumped lor
their lires: aud the vast train Flowed
through the local train as though 1t was
nIowfng through a snowbaIk. The cars
Of the local freight we're scattered rlght
and left, car load OF oil well casing was
pushed diagonally acr5-s the trach; the
Chicago Express, bound for Plttsourg'
came laundering along just then; the ends
of the casing caught on the end oi the hrst
passenger coach and tore the whole eide
ard part of the top Of the coach of, upset
fhe passenger car and scattered the cas-
ing over the passengers, and upset the
ears following. Ia few moments there
was created such a chaos of wreckage as
Il seldom seen at q railroad disaster.
Then followed the cries OF the wounded
passengers, pinned down under that awful
load of ca sing. tie efforts OF all the unhurt
passeng gers and people of the town aud
vicinity to rescue aud relieve the wounded,
the arrival of the relief train from Pitts
burg. and taking of the wounded to the
hospital in Allegheny.
All the wounded were taken to the hos
pital excepting Mrs. Hyle Of Evans CITY
whose husband reached the scene, with MS
buggy. before the relief train started on
its return trip, and took her home.
The wounded from this county are:
Mrs. C. F. Hyle, Evans City, daughter
of Henry Youngl badly cut about mead
aud body and injured internally
d. b. Schontz, Harmony, aged 4o years;
spinal cord badly inir-ed, scalp wounds
and badly cut about face aud head.
Evans City; left side OF fac BADLY cut and
bruised all over body.
These and twenty five others were injur
ed. They were all On the passenger coach
whose side was torn out, and upset, and
il is wonderful tina. none were killed out
right.
From under pile OF twisted casing
taken from one .rner OF the car with his
head pinned against 6 car back, and ms
face cnt from the nose far down on the
throat was found John NJ. Curry, of Pleas
| ant Hin. Lawrence county. He was black
IN the face when found. and was taken out
for dead. and laid out under the balcony
of a nearby bnilding. To the surprise oi
everyone, in few minutes curry opehed
| his eyes sat up, and as he leaned 10 one
| side 10 rise, one side of he lower part OF
| his face tapped out ald stood at nearly
right angle with his face. 30 stunned was
he a. not to feel the awful pain, and with
assistance he got to his feet and went 10
| a box nearby, where he sat down, taxing
| ont, penrii and paper and writing out his
name and address, after several horrlole
| attempts to talk He attempted TO swal-
| low some water Lat the fluid poured out
| Of great hole IN his throat. Wlth one
| hand holding his jaw back into place ne
wrote many questions regarding hlp con
| dition. with the other. When the rellei
| train came he refused to be carried, WIZ
1 ing that others needed attention more
| than he. His pluck seemed contaki'a~
| and many old time railroaders VT" nave
| been in all maner OF wrecks, sold ihrj h ID
| never seen women and injured n"h aet
| more brayely than the sufferers RI aten-
| cia.
| The relief train for its run infO Pitt,bGrf
| was made mp OF the engine ci u" - gfe"r
| the Injured mail car, bageagt c-'- lA1
| two coaches. All in the hrst car H'Ic
| faces that plainly told OF the o"inI ahIsi
| ence they had just passed through "a q
many a silent prayer of thaLkiallrss toI
| their safety. and of sympathy ;ar tht
| wounded. went up. NeTvy John AIRY
| walked between two men to H.. fr'it.
| The train sped along. and ma1y ano am
a iime did the poor fellows s'r' tched on }.
| the rear car have to grit taa!r is-t4 10 h :
| from crying from the 40 ctH-7t D. u'
| iolts encountered while sarPl1g 4r"" g
| curves Every man Of thein trIed - ~ -
| light of his Injuries, and cherr bic ir,''"
| sufferers, and the brightest ot ihrm al ~
GgETy y, who ,l kesE Tsss th1I opriF2 AFa2 a2e
| Wrecking crews were sent From y"
I'll eny and New Castle and sever j hundtef
ed men pnt to work clearing tht tfl,..r
aided by half dozen locomotive u
| the coal from six cars had To be tossed i
10 one side, also the big tangle Of ca'in
| tubes. Work was pushed at every po! II
but not until about II O'Clock P. IN. va
| ono Of the tracks cleared. The work o
| clearing the wreckage was witnefsed by
| hundreds of farmers VINO had come in iron
| miles around. At supper time the inhabi'
tsuts prepared a bounteous meal for tht
| working men.
| Wedeesday's dailies reported ali the hos
| pital patients doing well, with chances II
| favor of all recovering.