Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-29
NINETEEN WERE KILLED,
Horrible Railroad Wreck on the
New York Central.

Express Train Plunged or an Emba Al,
ment into the Hudson RIver---Msn,
Injured---Passengers Rescued by
Tug.
A night passenger train from Buffalo t,
New York on the New York Central rail
road, carrying over 100 persons, was de
rallied and the larger part of it plunged
into the Hudson river shortly before
O'Clock Sunday morning at an isolated SPOT
just at the entrance of Kings cut. three
miles south of Garrison and Eve miles north
OF Peekskill. At least 10 lives were lost.
and many persons injured. The train con,
sisted OF an American express car, one
composite baggage and smoking car, one
day coach and six sleepers. When the
train plunged into the river the coupling
that held the last three Of the sIeepers
broke and thus these cars kept to the track
ana some 6O lives were saved from proba
bic death. The cause of the disaster is
SAID to have been the collapse of the en-
oankment or retaining wall at that point
as the train passed over it, and the recent
high water in the Hudson is thought to
have weakened the roadbed, which for
long distances winds along the very edge
of the great river
The dead are; Thomas Reilly, st. Louis;
eight Cinnamon; +. A. Green, Chicago:
w. II. G. Myers, Passaic, N. j.; two WON
en-, unidentified; Giuseppe Paduano, New
York; w. S. Becker, Newark, N. ia.
G. Mckay, private secretary to General
Superintendent Van Etten; John Foyle,
the engineer, East Albany, body not re-
covered; John Q. Tompkins, the fireman,
OF East Albany, body not recovered; Sam
uel Williams, Buffalo, N. Y.
The crew of tug that was hauling a
barge in the river were the only spectators.
1t was little foggy, but they could see
some OF the cars floating in the water,
while the ponderous engine was already on
the river bottom with the engineer and
fireman. The whistle of the tug imme.
diately sounded the alarm, and the cap
tain, casting off the big hawser that held
the barge behind, started to the rescue,
One of the porters of a sleeping car ran to
the neighboring houses and alarmed the
neighborhood. The residents, together
with the passengers of the three cars left
upon the bank, set to work at once to res
cue those in the wreck. The dav coach
had turned completely over and was in
deep water, with one end toward the sur
face.
In the smoker, in addition to the bag.
gaRe-master, Herman Acker of Peekskill
who was in his compartment, there were
eight Cinnamon on their way from the
Canadian border to New York, and Thorn
as Reilly of st. Louis. All of these, except
the baggage-master, persisted. The day
coach contained 20 passengers, many of
whom were women and children, and it is
thought ~ or IA were killed. Behind this
car were SIX sleeping cars with about Is
passengers each. Most of the passengers
were asleep.
One OF the trainmen who survived the
disaster ran to the nearest signal tower to
telegraph for help. Two other trains were
following close behind the ill-fated express,
and the engine of one of them was sent to
Garrison's for General Manager Toucey,
while the other engine hurried to Peeks-
kill for medical aid. Physicians soon ar
rived and were soon at work among the
injured, who were taken to New York as
soon as possible, where everything posi-
BILE was done to help them. A river der
rick and several floats were sent up the
river from New York, and Sunday after
noon diver was at work going through
the submerged cars and bringing to the
surface the imprisoned victims of the dis
aster.
Roadmaster Otis, one of the expert track
builders of this country, says that the acct
dent was due primarily to some almost
unaccountable action of the water upon
the embankment.
James j. Corbett, who was on the train
which followed the Inflated express, did
good service in rescuiug the injured pas
sengers from the wrecked cars, and as
sisted in removing the dead.
The Hero OF the Wreck.
-Four passengers on the train owe their
lives to the bravery and daring courage of
W. S. Langford of Bayonne, N. ]. He
was passenger in the first sleeping car di-
rectly behind the day coach He awoke
with start when the car began to sink,
and, leaping from his berth, he grabbed
one of the train axes, and smashing the
window, crawled out. Directly before him
lay the day coach, nearly submerged, it
having careened further than the sleeping
cars. The engine was almost under wat ar
Langford, still holding the axe, swan
out to the day coach. AS he neared it he
saw hand grabbing the ventilator open
ing near the top of the car. Langford
climbed on the roof of the car, and with a
few vigorous blows of the ak, cut a hole
through the car. He yelled to some per-
sons on a canal boat to send a rowboat to
him quick, and then he went to work to
rescue the imprisoned persons.
Chester Clock of Sayville, aged ~, was
the first to be pulled out, and his father,
Dow Clock, came next. A man in boat
had reached the car by this time, and the
two rescued passengers were taken ashore.
Crawling into the car Langford saw at
one end two women, who evidently had
given up all hope of escape. His courage
nerved them, and, although almost faint-
ing, they staggered or were carried by
Langford to the opening which he had
made. They were taken ashore in the
boat. The car by this time was almost
completely under water and Langford was
forced to leave it.