The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-10-29
HURLED TO DEATH.
Terrible Accident on the New
York Central Railroad.
NINETEEN DROWNED LIKE RATS.
Tong Train With Hundred Persons on
Board Plunges Over an Embankment
and Several Passenger Coaches
Sink In Fifty Feet of Water.

GARRISONS, N. Y, Oct. 25.-From
the sleep that means refreshment and
rest to eternal sleep that knows no
waking plunged in the twinkling of an
eye early yesterday morning men, wo-
men and children. Into the Shiny bed of
the Hudson river train laden with
slumbering humanity dashed. dragging
through the waters the helpless pas
sengers.
There was nothing to presage the ter
rible accident which so 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 its des-
tination. The engineer and his fireman
had just noted the gray dawn breaking
n the east and the light streak of red
betokening the suns appearance when,
with the great engine, a servant on the
rails, devil off, they 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 fireman, too, was at his post. 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 a
very blessing. AS the train plunged
over the enbankment the coupling that
held the last three of the six sleepers
broke, and they miraculously remained
on the broken track. In that way some
60 lives were saved.
The train was hauled by engine S72
and consisted of one American Express
car, one composite baggage and smok-
ing car, one day coach and six sleepers.
This was the makeup of the train when
it left Poughkeepsie, the last stopping
place before the disaster.
At this time there were in the smok-
er, in addition to the baggageman,
Herman Acker of Peekskill, who was
in his compartment; eight Cinnamon
en- route from the Canadian border to
New York and a middle aged man
identified as Thomas Reilly of 1850
Wisconsin avenue, st. Louis. All of
these excepting the baggagemaster per-
ished. The day coach contained Is or
20 passengers. many Of whom were wo-
men and children.
How many of these escaped is not
known, but at least IL were drowned or
killed in this car. Behind the coach
were the six sleepers-the Glenalpine,
with Is passengers; the Hermes, with
IL passengers; the Niobe, with IL; the
Diana, with about Is; Anita, nearly full
and the Racket River, with no pas
sengers. The total cargo of human
freight consisted of something over 100
people.
Conductor Parish who was in charge
of the train and who was making up
his report in one of the cars when the
crash came, was rendered unconscious
by blow on the head. When he re-
covered he was three seats ahead Of
the one in which he had been sitting.
Two other express trains were fol-
lowing close behind the i'll fated State
express, and the engine of one of them
was sent to Garrisons for General Man
ager ]. NJ. Toucey, who lives there,
while the other engine hurried to
Peekskill for medical aid. Mr.. Toucey
was the first official of the railroad at
the scene The engine which brought
him there steamed to Cold Spring and
returned with Drs. Winslow, File
brown and Murdoch. In the meantime
Drs. Charles and Perley Mason, ]. n.
Tilden. P. C. Sowden and E. d. Lynn
/ had arrived. and all the doctors were
soon at work among the injured.
James j. Corbett and the members
/ of "The Naval Cadet" company were
/ on the first south bound train to ar
rive at the scene after the accident.
! Gentleman Jim and his sparring part
/ ner. John McVey, did good service in
] rescuing the injured passengers from
/ the wrecked cars and assisted in re-
moving the dead.
General Manager Toucey gave the fol-
! lowing statement as to the cause OF the