The Meeker herald., 1898-09-10
STREET CAR CRUSHED
EIGHTEEN PERSONS KILLED.
hsss, New Yerk, Rssslas n . Terrible
Colikssoa-Tsa Of ths IaJarsd Nay Dss.


Coiiisaoa-rea Of the Iajarsd Nay Dss.
Cohoes, n. Y, Sept 5.-An appalling
disaster occurred In this city tonight.
Shortly before O'Clock trolley car
Of the Troy City Railway Company
was struck by the night boat special
of the Delaware Il Hudson at q cross
ing at the west end Of the Hudson
river bridge, which connects the city
with Lansingburg, and Its load Of hu-
man freight was hurled into the air.
Eighteen of the thirty-tive passen-
gers are dead, and Mt least ten of the
remaining will die.
The cars entering the city from I4an-
singburg were crowded with passen-
gers returning from Labor Day pic
nic at Renssaeler park, a pleasure re-
sort near Troy. 1t was car No. 1872 of
the Troy City Hallway that met with
disaster. 1t came over the bridge about
7:3O 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 Della ware & Hud-
son railroad. 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 Al
bany, was due to pass That point.
Tracks of the street lines run at
grade from the bridge to the point
where the disaster took place. In con-
sequence of this fact and frequent
passing Of trains, 1t has been the rule
for each motor car conductor to stop
n Un I'd n "a
railroad tracks and signal his car to
proceed, II no trains were in sight. 1t
cannot be ascertained whether that
rule was complied with on this occa-
sion, for all events prior to the crash
are forgotten by those who We're in
volved.
The motor car was struck directly
In the center by the engine of the
train, which was going ut high rate
of speed. The accident came without
the slightest warming. The car was
upon 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 controller. but In vain.
With a crash that was heard for
blocks the engine struck the lighter
vehicle. The effect was horrible. 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 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
greatest degree and every human being
in that section was killed.
The scene was horrible. Bodies had
been hurled into the air and their head
less and limb'ess trunks were found,
in some cases, fifty feet from the Cross
Ing.
The pilot of the engine WAS smashed
and amid its wreckage were the
corpses of two women. The passeu-
gers of the train suffered no injury ex-
cept a shock.
The majority of the passengers on
the trolley were young people. They
included many women.
Within ten minutes after the collis-
ion fully one-hnlf of the population of
the city were surging about in the
vicinity in an endeavor to ascertain II
relatives were among the unfortunates.
The injured were taken to the city
hospital end to the Centennial Knit
ting mill. the former not having suf-
ficient ambulance service to care for
them NIL