Evening journal., 1897-10-25
AWFUL AWAKENING.
Terrible Accident on the New
York Central Railroad.
MANY PEOPLE DROWNED LIKE RATS.
Long Train with a Hundred Persons on
Board Pinness over an EmbaniNnent
and Several Passenger Conches
Sink In FIfty Feet OF Nater.

CARRISONS, n. Y, oct 25.--From
the sleep that means refreshment and
rest 70 eternal sleep that knows no
waking plunged ia the twinkllng of an
eye yesterday morning % souls, men,
women ard children. Into the Shiny
bed Of the Hudson river a train laden
with sluinbering humanity plunged
dragging through The waters the help
less passengers.
There was nothing to presage the ter
rible accident whicn 30 Suddenly de-
prived these unfortunates of life. The
New York Central train left Buffalo !
and had progressed FOR nearly nine
tenths Of the distance toward IT'S des-
tination Tho engineer and his fireman
he'd just noted the gray dawn breaking |
in the east ard the light streak OF red |
betokcnng the suns appearance when,
with the great engine, a servant ON the /
rails. "a devil Off, they plunged into the |
depths oi tho river. Neither engineer |
nor fireman VIII ever tell the story Of
that terrible moment. for with his hand |
upon the throttle the engineer plunged |
with his engine to the river bottom and
the fireman too. was at mis- pest. Be
hind them came the express car, the
combination car and the sleepers. and
these piled on top OF the engine.
Then there happened what on the
railroad at any other time would have
caused the disaster. but now proved
very blessing AS the train plunged
over the enDankment the coupling that
held the last three of the six sloepcrs
broke ard they miroculously remained
{ ON the broken track. IN that way some
! GO lives were saved.
OF eve witnesses there were none eI-
/ ccpt the crew of q tugboat passing WAN
tow.
rhcy saw Tho train with its lights as
it came flashing about the curves ana
/ then saw the greater part &C Z so mo
the river. Some of the cars with closed
windows floated. ard the tue whistling
fer help, cast Off its hawser and started
TO the rescue. a porter jumped from
one of the cars that remained on the
track and ram INTO the yard Of Auguet-
us kahs house near where the acci-
dent occurred. and stood screaming for
help and moaning. "rho train lF I'm the
riyeri All our passengers are drowned
Isl I'd few minutes Kah had dressed him.
self and. getting a boat. rowed with the
porter to the scene. AS they turned
point in the bank they came uDan tine
express car and the combination car
floating about 90 feet from the shore,
aut sinking every minute. one man
was taken from the top Of the car, and
efforts were made 20 rescue those inside
who might be alive. A few were got
out. the passengers left upon the track
b making a human bridge TO the shore
, 70 lake the wounded over on. The day
coach and smoker had gone down In the
deeper water. and rescue was impossi-
BILE. The car turned completely over
H. IA
, deep water. whllo the Daggage enc
: stood up toward the surface. The mer
e in The lower END must have fought likc
I ! nords FOR q brief period. for the bodies
p when taken ont were mass Of wounds
The train was hauled by engine 50.
b. and cons sted of one American Expres.
ear aac composite baggage and smok-
(. inc car Cne day coach and six sleepers
i This was the makeup of the train wher
r &c left Poughkcepsie the last stopping
g place before the disaster.
/. At this time there were in the smok
- ar in addition to the baggageman
6 Herman AclIer of Peekslxill, who wa!
a in his compartment; eight Chinamei
=, on route from the Canadian border e
=, New York and a middle aged maj
l. supposed to be Thomas Reilly of 2S3
e wisconsin avenue, st. Louis. All o
3 these excepting the bagg age master per
" ished TIE day coach contained rs o.
d 20 passengers. many of whom were wo
men and children
How many OF these escaped is no
known. but at least - We're drowned o
Is killed In this COR behind the coacl
e were the six aieepers-the Clenalpinf
% with 15 passengers The Hermes. Wit
,- 10 PASSENGERS the Niobe. with IL; th
F., Diana. with about Is: Anita. nearly full
and tho Rat ket River. with no pas
sengers. The total cargo of huma
. freight consisted of something over 10
- people
II Conductor Parish. whG was In charg
l- Of the tla.n and who was making u
is his report in one Of the cars when th
r: crash came. was rendered unconsclou
re by blow on the head When he re
/, covered ne was three seats ahead q
the one in which he had been sitting.
u One of The few occupants Of the coae
- who oscapcd with his life was Fran
III J. Degan. wood hnisher of 26s We
r. Thirty-fourth street New York. n
IN left eve was cut with broken glass, an
r his body was slightly bruised. AIR. ID
I'd gan makes this statement:
a with my friend ". H. G.. Myers
49, po4-aic. n. j.. who was killed in Il
car from which 7 escaped J had be'
to poughkeepsie. We boarded the ira
~ mt that place and took seat in 81
iu coach Three other pcoplel sot on
'g Poughkeersio. ono was woman af
It The two others were men. one Of who
it locked like a railroad employee. z
III roar as T can judge. there We're is pc
plc IN the coach. most ~ them Dci'
women and children. and nearly
were asleep. Myers and ] sat IN
middle ~ the car. When the era
ne came. tho car gave great luroh al
mi rolled over ON ITS side. The wat
,s rushed in. and almost instantly &
~, liehts went out. J knew we were in {
river ara the car seemed TO pl'
g. through the watar for some time art
~ it was submerged
ia "The car was tilted over on ono si'
lGn ara 1 managed TO reach the ianlia
D overhead and cling TO IL until help can
..h "I heard people in the back part
be- fhe car groaning as If they were pinn
fast. 1t was so dark that I could s
no one. and think the passengers mi
nd | have been drowned Ike rats. After