Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-09-10
EIGHTEEN DEAD.
Picnickers are Slaughtered at a
Grade Crossing.
A Delaware s. Hudson Train Crashes Into
and Demolishes a Trolley Car Mt CO.
hoes, N. VA Frlghtful Scene of
Horror-Ten Fatally Injured.

Cohoes, n. Y, Sept. 6.-An appalling
disaster occurred in this city last
night. Shortly before o'clock troll
ley of the Troy City Railroad Co. was
struck by an express train on the
Delaware & Hudson railroad at a
crossing at the west end of the Hud-
son river bridge which connects this
city with Lansingburg, and its load of
human freight was hurled into the air.
Eighteen of the 35 passengers are dead
and 10 of the remainder will die. The
cars entering the city from Lansing
burg were crowded with passengers
returning from Labor day picnic at
Rensselaer, park, pleasure resort
near Troy. Car No. 1872 of the Troy
City railroad was the victim of the
disaster. 1t came over the bridge with
a merry party of people fresh from the
enjoyment of the day.
Four tracks of the Delaware & Hud-
son road, which runs north and south
at this point, cross the two tracks OF
the trolley road.
1t was the hour when the night
boat special, train which runs south
and connects with the New York City
boat at Albany, was due to pass that
point.
The tracks of the street line run
at a grade from the bridge to the point
where the disaster took place.
The motor car was struck in the
center by the engine of the train
which was going at high rate OF
speed. The accident came without the
slightest warning. The car was upoT
the tracks before the train loomed
in sight and no power on earth could
have saved it. The motorman evident
ly saw the train approaching as he
reached the track, and opened his con
troller, but in vain. With a crash thai
was heard for blocks the engine strucl
into the lighter vehicle. The effect was
horrible. The motor car parted in two
both sections being hurled into the all
in splinters. The mass of humanity
on the car was torn and mangled
Those in the front of the car met will
the worst fate. Every man in thai
section of the car was killed.
The scene was horrible. Bodies were
hurled into the air and their headles:
and limbless trunks were found il
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 on the train suffered no injury il
addition to violent shock.
The injured were taken to the Cit!
hospital and to the Continental knit
ting mill, the former not having suffi
cient ambulance service to care for all
The corpses were placed in boXe
and taken to a neighboring mill shed
Many of them were unrecognizable
The crash was frightfui in its results
Headless women with gay summe
dresses bathed in their own and tn
blood of others; limbs without trunk
or any means of identifying to whom
they belonged; women's and mem
heads with crushed and distorted fea
lures; bodies crushed and fattened-
these sights constituted a spectacl
most horrible to behold.
The train on the Delaware & Hud
son road Immediately after the accl
dent went to Troy. The enginee
stated that he did not see the car unit
he was upon it. He tried to proven
his train from striking the car, bu
his efforts were fruitless.