The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-01

their perilous position, a subdued cheer
went up from the spectators.
Shortly after the men, whose names
were afterwards found 10 be Charles
Platt and G. G. Remsen, Cornell stu
dents were rescued, the rescuers reached
the dead bodies of the women and
passed them out of the car windows
As the limp and lifeless forms were
being handed from the rescuers In the
coach to those on the outside, many
turned away from the appalling spec
tacle.
During all the time consumed in the
work of rescue the mangled faces OF
the women were plainly visible from
the outside. The ladies were lying on
top of each other.
From the mass Of wreckage, beneath
the bodies of the women alluded to,
protruded the arms of a man in one OF
whose hands was clasped a book
AS the rescuers worked away, chop
ping on the outside of the car, the book
fell from the hand and dropped to the
side of the tracks. It's title was Bar
riers Burned Away" It's reader had
been Walter ]. Wellbrook, the Cornell
student, whose life was crushed out by
his being jammed between two of the
overturned seats of the coach.
On the east side of the track another
narrowing spectacle presented itself.
Jammed between a heater and the side
of the coach was the BODY of man.
His face was pressed against a win
dow and the heavy iron heater, around
which were piles of wreckage, held him
securely in that position.
The mans tongue protruded from his
mouth and blood which had flowed
from the wounds on his face, stained
the outside of the coach. The mans
face was completely discolored, and
many were under the impression that
he was a negro. However, he was later
identified as Alexander Craig, of the
Scranton Tribune.
Blaze Narrowly Averted.
The incineration of everybody in the
cars was narrowly averted, and but for
the act of one of the trainmen the
wreck would have caught fire AMI
many other lives would have been lost.
During the first stages of the work
of rescue an oil lamp dropped from
the hands of one of the trainmen and
the wreckage quickly became ignited.
The flame was smothered by the
train hand and the lamp was thrown
from one of the windows, and upon
falling to the ground it exploded.
If the flame had not been checked
as promptly as it was, the two tele-
scoped cars would have been burned
before the dead bodies could be extri-
Gated, and the injured men would have
been burned alive before the rescuers
! could have reached them.
The wrecking crew of the railroad
! arrived on the scene at 945 o'clock
and immediately began clearing away
| the wreckage. BY this time all the
killed and wounded had been removed
from the wreckage and all that was
left for them to do was to clear away
the debris. The broken cars were split
up and removed. This took several
hours of hard work and it was not un-
til o'clock this morning that the
tracks were cleared and the blocked
trains allowed to proceed.
The broken cars We're taken dowr
| the road to a siding where they will
remain until they can be taken to the
wrecking shops.
Word of the accident was received
at st. Joseph's hospital a few moments
after the crash occurred and one OF
the first to leave the institution wa:
Rev. Father Julin, the resident pries
at the hospital.
Father Julin devoted his time upor
arrival to the work of rescue. He Sc
cured an axe, and, like the others, en-
gagged in similar task, he chopped a
the woodwork which securely fastene;
the injured and dead.
Work of Priests.
The priest was later Joined by Rev
Father Corrigan, of st. Agnes church
and Rev. Father Dolan, of st. George
church. The priests rendered able as
sistance in rescuing the injured, an,
Father Corrigan annointed the dea,
bodies taken from the wreck.
There was another clergyman VIII
took an active part in the rescue work
Rev. Mr.. Bullock. whose experienc
was related yesterday.
Twenty nurses from st. Joseph
hospital were early on the scene an
cared for the wounded until the arri
val of the ambulance and patrC
wagon.
ST. Joseph's hospital is a large an
well governed institution with both la
and religious nurses. The whole fore
worked all night and yesterday with
, out thought of rest.
AT daybreak the only things at tn
scene of the wreck to tell of the fright
full calamity was smouldering bed o
ashes where the wreckage had bee
burned and the blood on the cobblef
with which the road at that point |
ballasted. Boys were turning thes
stones over with sticks and pointin
, out the blood to the late comers.
Engineer Riordan, according to a
\ Associated Press dispatch is at hi
home in Harrison, ~ j., in a state {
, complete collapse. No one is allowe
| to see him except the physician an
nurse. The doctor in attendance sal
tonight he would not be surprised
, the accident and the strain which 70
, lowed 1t left Riordan insane. Riorda
has been railroading for over thirt
= years and claims never before to hay
had an accident.
Finest wines and cigars at Lane
S20 Spruce street. %