The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-06
A SLAUGHTER
PASSENGER TRAIN STRIKES A LOAD
ED CoHOEs TROLLEY CAR,
And Thirty-Five Labor-Day Excur-
sionists, Mostly Women, Shock
ingIy MangIed.
EIGHTEEN PEOPLE KILLED
MANY OF THE OTHERS SO BADLY N
JURED THEY WILL DIE.
Motorman Among the Dead. and No
One Able to Explain the Failure to
Look out for the Train.
HEADS AND LEGS MASHED OFF
ONLY A PART OF THE VICTIMS
COULD Be IDENTIFIED.
Accident Occurred at Notoriously
Dangerous Crossing on Delaware
& Hudson Canal Road.
Motorman Among the Dead, and No
Ono Able to Explain the Failure to
Look Out for the Train.
HEADS AND LEGS MASHED OFF
ONLY A PART OF. THE VICTIMS
COULD Be IDENTIFIED.
Accident Occurred at a Notoriously
dangerous Crossing on Delaware
& Hudson Canal Road.

COHOES, N Y, Sept 5.-A shocking ac-
cident occurred III this city shortly before
o'clock tonight when loaded trolley car of
Troy City Railroad Company was struck
by the night boat special of the Delaware
e. Hudson Railroad at a crossing at the
west end of the Hudson river bridge, which
connects this city with Lansingburg. and
its load of human freight hurled into the
air. Eighteen of the thirty-five passengers
are dead and at least ten of the remainder
will die. The followig bodies were identified
up to / o'clock:
ARCHIE CAMPEAUx, of Cohoes.
JAMES TEMPLE. of Lansingburg.
EDWARD BARNEY, of Cohoes.
MRS. JOHN CRAVEN. of Cohoes.
MISS KITTIE CRAVEN. of Cohoes.
JOSEPH SEM, of Cohoes.
NELLIE SWEET. fifteen years old. OF
Cohoes.
MRS. ELIZA McELROY, of Cohoes.
MRS. JOHN w. sUTCLIFFE. Cohoes
MRS. JAMES TAYLOR, Cohoes.
MISS WINNIE CRAvIN. Cohoes.
JAMES LlNEZ, Cohoes.
MRS. ELLEN SHAW, Colioes.
JOHN TIMMINs. Cohoes.
The injured are:
ISAAC SHAW. of cohoes, skull frac-
tured.
GEORGE ANKERs. of Cohoes. injured
internally.
JOHN w. sUHcLIFF. of Cohoes, head
cut and ribs broken.
MISS LIZZIE MELRoY. of Cohoes. leg
broken.
MRS. LIzENNESSE. of Cohoes, collar
bone fractured and several ribs broken.
she had baby in her arms. 1t was crushed
and will die.
EMMA DEvAsHIsE, of cohoes, skull
crushed.
MRS. JAMES TEMPLE. of Lansingburg.
jaw fractured and injured internally.
MRS. IRA DEWEY. of Cohoes, head
crushed
The cars entering the city from Lansing
burg were crowded with passengers re-
turning from a Labor-day picnic at Rens-
selaer Park, 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 merry
party of people fresh from the enjoyment
of the day.
The crossing where the accident occurred
is at grade. Four tracks of the Delaware
& Hudson 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 spe-
cial, 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 grade from the
bridge to point where the disaster took
place. p..N
In consequence of this fact, and of the
frequent passage of trains, it has been the
rule for each motor car conductor to stop
his car and go forward to observe the rail-
road tracks and signal his car to proceed
If no trains were in sight. 1t cannot be
sscertained whether that rule was complied
with on this occasion. for all events prior
to the crash are forgotten by those who
were involved.
The motor car was struck directly in the
center by the engine of the train. which
was going at high rate of speed. The
accident came without the slightest warn
ing. The car was on the tracks before the
train loomed 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 con-
troller, but in vain. With a crash that was
heard for blocks the engine crashed into
the carload of passengers. The effect was
horrible. The motor car parted in two,
10th sections being hurled into the air in
splinters. The mass of humanity, for the
car was crowded to overfiowing. 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 great
est degree, and every human being in that
section of the car was killed. Bodies were
hurled into the air and their headIess and
iimbless trunks were found in some cases
fifty feet from the crossing.
The pilot Of the engine was smashed and
amid It's wreckage were the MANNED corpses
OF two women. The passengers of the train
suffered no injury in addition to violent
shock. The majority Of the passengers Of