The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-01-12

NJ . Shasp cnrvs-Ah Eyewitness Yer
sIoa Of shs Accident.
New York. Jan. i0.---Ry q head-cnd |
collision between two passenger trains |
on the Lehigh Valley railroad at West
Dunellen, n. j.. at i2;t7 p. ~. yestrr-
day, IS persons were killed and over
90 were k,jared.
West Duncllen Is three miles from
bound Brook aud about thirty miles
from New York city. AZ the spot
where the disaster occurred ther" is u
ahaTn curve In the I.@high Valley
tracks and steep cutting, but the &c
eidcnt was due in the first place 90
nome terrible mistake In train orders
and In the second place TO another nc
cident that occurred NJ Bound Brool,
earlier In the day.
Oas Of she wersi Coliisiona In nscsnt
Toau-
The scenes which accompanied the
collision, the suffering OF the injured
and the panic that reigned among the
900 passengers were wellnigh indie
scrIhahle. The bloodStained wreck OF
tangled and twisted iron and wood that
was stIll ON the railroad tracks last
night bore witness 90 the truth Of the
general verdict Of the railroad men
that iiiis war one OF ihr worst cOiii-
siuns IN recent years.
way tns Aecta~at was Possible
A head-on collision on double
track road was mHde possible only by
a freight wreck which occurred at
Bound Brook at ak o'clock yesterday
morning. when the axle OF freight
car broke. and nine cars were piled on
I ton of each other. This completely
I blocked the east.bound track, and all
through the morning Lehigh Valley
/ trains bound for New York switched
I from their own track 20 the west
[ bound track. going over these rails
/ from Bound Brook 60 New Market. n
distance Of six miles, and changing at
! the latter place back 90 their right
/ side of the road.
/ Two Sections OF the Traia Passed In safely.
To permit this mode Of traffic all
west bound trains were held NJ South
| Plainiield until their own line was
clear Of trains going in the opposite
/ direction. Train 20, which left sham
okin, Pa, az a. m, was 50 heavy
with human freight that IL had 60 be
| broken into three sections. The hrHt
two sections arrived st Bound brook,
switched over TO the other track
! switched back at New Market and
reached New York in safety,
Tfsssss ahe Aasparss Of the Eusiasss aen's
/ fxaursIoa.
The third section Of this train was
almost an hour late. It's seven cars
were crowded with 400 cxcursionists,
most OF them from Mount Carmel and
shamokiu. Mnhanoy City, Hazleton,
Ashland and PottByille, Pa. The party
was travelling under the auspices of
the Businessmcn's excursion, an an
nuai event which many patroniEe for
three days visit 10 New York.
OoinE to witness the MoCoY- -sharhsy
Fight.
Not a few Of the cXcursionisis were
going 10 witness the McCoy-ShaTkcy
fight. Their train switched over nt
Bound Brook and proceeded, Ike the
preceding sections, on the wcst-bound
track. Meanwhile there had been wait
ing at New Market a local train that
plies regularly between New York and
Bound Brook Its number on tho
schedule ~ n, and Il Is due at Bound
Brook at 1850 u. m. Owing TO the
traffic all going on one track Il was al
most an hour late. At last the train
diSpatchcrs at South Piaiufield gave Il
permission TO 60.
Pa. on steam aad Headed Around th'
EuTs-
LuAt before reaching West nnnall~n
Engineer Rick slowed his train down
because he stops for passengers u
there are any. Martin Brennan, th'
signal man, threw up his arms nn'
waved them, as n TO say there wcr,
no passenger. 20 the local put oI
steam and headed round the curve
going NJ about Is miles On hour. Their
were only four passengers on the 10
cal.
ghrtsklnE whistle and Brakes OrindiRi
sparks frsu the whssis
, In the cab of the excursion train wa
! James Prendergast. the engineer
with his fireman, George Cheshire
They saw the local as IL started ON th
. curve. with shrieking whistle an
4 brakes grinding sparks from th
: wheels, the excursion train bore dow
!, 10 what seemed certain destruction.
4 The passengers, alarmed at the cor
: tinued whistle, opened the Windows
I mothers Enatched their children I
: their arms. men started from tbei
. seats, but before they had time 10 fin
. out what was the matter they wer
I, hurled hcadlong, knocked senselrs
I and many killed outright. The Nv
e engines, from which both crews ha
4 Jumped. came together with an awfI
: crash. The excursion train WAS prol
4 ably going at about IS miles an hou
y Turned q Complete ssmsrsaaIs.
= {, The local engine, aS II tripped In u
i faster flight. turned a complete some
y y saul; and came crashing down besic
z its career was not ended before IL ha
iamued tha tender of the cxcurEio
train almost from one end to the oths
Of the iirst car from shamokln. m
!, tender Storped a few Heatn from Il
rear door. The car, or what was ie
of Il. rolled over, carrying with IL u
imhrdded tender, the fragments of
y doxrn bodies and the imprisons
ic wounded. ,vhe had been carried vii
Z Z. .... ,,-sav.: ssvu on i'm RELENTLESS cuur'
n through the coach.
A. ssss Of the Gxsuaissss seearssA e u
!. FIRST Car.
l. IL was In the first car Of the exru
I. :. sion train that all the deaths and mo
= of the casualties occurred. The 9th
4. cara, though their occupants we
- - badly shaken. stayed on the track, Of
= wrrc In condition 20 be hauled o
y y The baggage car In the front of q
= =. local train was rather badly suiash'
y up.
M A few minutes before tie trail
"a crashed. George wssdmzs. of Dun'
u len, hna tethersd his coal wagsn 70
a. past II the crosAing . few xarda fyo
whsrs tina ensinss met