The herald., 1897-10-25
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
GARRISON'S, N. Y, Oct. 24-From
the sleep that means refreshment and
rest to the eternal sleep that knows NO
Weakening were plunged in the twinkling
of an eye this morning twenty-eight
souls, men, women and children. Into
the Shiny bed of the Hudson river train
laden with slumbering humanity plough
ed, dragging the passengers through the
waters. There was nothing to presage
the terrible accident which so suddenly
deprived these unfortunates OF life
The New York Central train left Buffalo
last night and had progressed for nearly
nine-tenths of the distance toward its
destination. The engineer and fire
man had just noted the gray dawn in the
east and the light streak of red denot-
ing the suns appearance, when, with
the great engine, a servant on the rails,
a devil off, plunged into the depths OF
the river. Neither engineer nor fireman
will 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 fire.
man, too, was at his post. Behind them
came the express car, the combination
car and the sleepers, and these piled on
top of the engine.
1t Is known II was a trifie foggy
and the track was not visible, but If there
was any break in the lines of steel IT
must have been Of very recent happen
ing, for only an hour before there had
passed over it heavy passenger train,
laden with human freight. Neither is
any explanation ready All is con-
lecture.
The section of road was supposed to
be the very best on the entire division
There was a great, heavy retaining wall
along the bank, and while the tide was
high yesterday it was not unprece-
dented.
What seems to have happened was that
underneath the tracks and ties the
heavy wall had given away, and when
the great weight of the engine struck
the unsupported tracks it went crashing
through the rest of the wall and toppled
over into the river.
Then there happened what on the rail-
road at any other time would have
caused disaster, but now proved very
blessing. AS the train plunged over the
embankment the coupling that held the
last three Of the six sleepers broke. and
they almost miraculously remained on
the Broken track. In that way some
sixty lives were saved.
OF eye witnesses there were none ex-
cept the crew of tug boat passing with
n fro in, with tic
light as it came flashing about the
curves and then saw the greater part of
it go into the river. Some of the cars
with closed windows floated, and the
tug, whistling for help. cast off its haw
ser and started to the rescue. A porter
jumped from one of the cars that re-
manned on the track and ran into the
yard of Augustus Carts house, near
which the accident occurred. and stood
screaming for help, and moaning: "The
train Is in the river. All our passengers
are drowned"
In few minutes Carr bad dressed
himself and, getting boat rowed with
the porter to the scene. AS they turrled
point in the bank they came upon the
express car and the combinat ton car
floating about twenty feet from shore,
sinking every minute. One man was
taken from the top Of the car and efforts
were made to rescue those inside. A
few We're gotten out, the passengers left
upon the track making human bridge
to the shore to take the wounded out.
The day coach and smoker had, gone
down in deeper water and rescue was
impossible. In the latter coach the
10 Tor r, I,or
car turned completely over and the
passenger end Of it was deep irs the
water. while the baggage end stood up
toward the surface. The men in that
lower end must have fought like fiends
for brief period. for the bodies when
taken out were a mass Of wounds.
The closing scene of the first day of
this Tragedy is drawn around a COM
bination car that stands near the scene of
the accident, where nearly a score of
badly mutilated bodies, none of them yet
claimed by friends, are lying in a long
row, grewsome, evidences of the disas-
ter, the greatest that has ever occurred
on this railroad.
TIE wrecked train was known as the
State Express. 1t left Buffalo at 7
o'clock last night ae1d was due in New
York at o'clock this morning. The
train was hauled by engine S72 and con-
sisted of one American express car, one
combination baggage and smoking car,
one Gay coach ard six sleepers Pough-
keepsie was the last stopping place of
the train before the disaster at $50
a. m.
At this time there were in the smoker,
ln addition to the haggagaman. Herman