The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-09-06
DEATHS
CROSSING.
Awful Accident or the Rail
at Cohoes, n. Y.
TROLLEY CAR CUT IN TWO.
Passengers Hurled to Death With
out Moments Warning,
EIGHTEEN DEAD AND TEN DYING.

The Trolley Car, Crowded to Overlooking,
Was Crashed Into by Train on the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad - The
Passengers Were a Merry Party Return
ing From a Labor Day Picnic Bodies
Terribly Mangled and Dismembered-A
Scene of Horror.
Cohoes, N. Y, Sept. 6.-An appalling
disaster occurred in this city last night.
Shortly before o'clock trolley car
of the Troy City Railroad company
was struck by the night boat special
of the Delaware and Hudson railroad,
at crossing at the west end of the
Hudson river bridge, which connects
this city with Lansingburg, and it's load
of human freight was hurled Into the
air. Eighteen of the 35 passengers are
dead, and at least ten of the remainder
will die.
The cars entering the city from Ian
singburg were crowded with passen-
gers returning from Labor Day picnic
at Rensselaer, Park. a pleasure resort
near Troy. Car No. 1872, of the Troy
City railroad, was the victim of the
disaster. 1t came over the bridge about
1885 o'clock, laden with a merry party
of people. fresh from the enjoyment of
the day.
The crossing where the accident oc-
CURED is at grade. Four tracks OF the
Delaware and Hudson road, which
runs north and south at this point,
cross the two tracks of the trolley road
The tracks of the street line run at q
grade from the bridge to the point
where the disaster took place.
In consequence of this fact and of the
frequent passage of trains 1t has been
the rule for each motor car conductor
to stop his car and go forward to OBJ
serve the railroad tracks and signal his
car to proceed If no trains were in
sight 1t cannot be ascertained whether
that rule was complied with on this oc-
casion, for all events prior to the crash
are forgotten by those who were in
Volved.
The motor car was struck directly in
the center by the engine Of the train,
which was going at a high rate of
speed. The accident came without the
slightest warning. The car was upon
the tracks before the train loomeu in
sight. and no power on earth could have
saved it. The motorman evidently saw
the train approaching as he reached the
track and opened his throttle, but in
vain. With a crash that was heard for
blocks the engine crashed into the
lighter vehicle. This effect was hor-
rible. The motor car parted in two
both sections being hurled into the air
in splinters. The mass Of humanity
for the car was crowded to overflow
Ing, was torn and mangled. Those In
the front of the car met with the
worst fate. The force of the collision
was there experienced to the greatest
degree, and every human being in that
section of the car was killed
The scene was horrible. Bodies had
been hurled into the air and their head
less ana limbless trunks were found In
some cases so feet from the crossing,
The pilot of the engine was smashed,
and amid its wreckage were the MAIN
ed corpses OF two women, The passen-
gers of the train suffered no injury in
addition to a violent shock. The ma
jority of the passengers of the trolley
car were young people. They included
many women.
After the accident the bloody corpses
were placed in boxes and taken to a
neighborlng mill shed. Many Of them
were unrecognizable. The crash was
frightful In its results. Headless wo-
men with gay summer dresses bathed
in their own and the blood of others
limbs without trunks or any means Of
Identifying to whom they belonged;
women's and mems heads with crushed
and distorted features; bodies crushed
and fiattened; these sights constituted
a spectacle most horrible to behold.
The train of the Delaware and Hud-
son road Immediately after the acci-
dent proceeded to Troy. The engineer
stated that he did not see the car until
he was upon it. He tried to prevent
his train from striking the car, hut his
efforts were fruitless. His train was
going at a very high rate of speed at
the time. In consequence of the eau
tion taken by the trolley road to as
certain If the tracks were clear at this
| crossing the engineers Of trains have
always felt safe in running at high
rate of speed. The engineer thinks that
the motorman, when he saw the train
was upon him, tried to get beyond the
| danger line. the grade or TINS cross
ing and the speed at which his car
was going also made it impossible for
him TO stop before he reached the Del
aware and Hudson tracks. II was the
front end of his car that caught the
crash, and the motOrman was killed
outright
The following dead bodies have been
Identified thus far: Arches Campeaux,
of Cohoes. James Temple, Lansing
burg; Edward Barney Cohoes; Mrs.
John Craven, Cohoes Miss Klttie era
ven, Cohoes; Joseph SEM, Cohoes; Mel
lie Sweet, 10 years, Cohoes; Mrs. Eliza
| McElroy Cohoes; Mrs. John w. SUIT
cliffe, Cohoes.
Among the injured are: Isaac Shaw
Cohoes, skull fractured; George Ankers
| Cohoes injured internally; John w.
Suteliffe, Cohoes, head cut and ribs
broken; Mrs. Lizenesse, Cohoes, col
lar bone fractured and several ribs
broken; she had a baby in her arms
which was crushed and viii die; Emma
Devashire, Cohoes, skull fractured;
Mrs James Temple, Lansingburg, Jaw
| fractured and iuiurad Internally, Mrs