Morris tribune., 1903-12-26
LONG. DEATH LIST DUE TO Dis
AsrERs ON BALTIMORE AND
OHIO RAILROAD.
PASSENGERS MEET HORRIBLE FATE
PINNED DOWN IN WREcKAGE
AND scALDED TO DEATH BY
ESCAPING STEAM.

daylight broke there was known to b'
sixty dead as the result of the
wreck of the Duquesne limited on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad near Daw
son. These bodies filed the tenn
porary morgues in this city and it is
believed nearly score more will be
added to the death list before the day
is over
OF the bodies recovered forty-nine
have been identified and eleven
are designated as unknown" Most
of the latter were foreigners, prin.
cipally italians. There was also one
Chinaman. In the hospitals three OF
the injured were expected to die at
any moment and five others were in a
critical condition.
The wreck was caused by the
breaking of the casting on a carload
of bridge timbers on a westbound
freight train which had passed Laurel
Run not more than fifteen minutes be-
fore the i'll fated passenger train. The
wreck occurred on curve and it was
impossible for the engineer to see far
enough ahead to detect the obstruc-
tion on the tracks. The big Atlantic
type engine plunged into the timbers
at velocity of sixty miles an hour.
The engine plowed into the embank-
ment and the baggage and express
cars were thrown into the Youghio-
sheny river.
Every Soul in Smoker Perished.
The smoker followed the engine and
landed squarely on top of it. This al
lowed the escaping steam from the en-
gine to fill the car. The smoker was.
packed to it's utmost capacity and all
the passengers were cooked alive. Not
q single passenger in this car escaped
with his life and it is estimated that
atsleast forty of the dead were IN the
smoker.
The scene at the wreck is awful
Cars are piled one upon the other, ly-
ing sideWise and at angles where only
the earth supports them, while trucks
are piled high upon banks, among the
bushes, as though thrown there by q
giant hand.
A full 200 yards from the seat of
the first trouble lies the engine-a
wreck-with battered sides and dis
mantled trucks, where her great speed
carried her after she struck the
wreck. Almost 100 yards beyond
where the engine toppled over is the
forward baggage coach, lying on the
slope of a bank, where it rests at an
angle.
This great train, plunging as it was
through the darkness at sixty miles
an hour, dashed round curve head
long into pile Of great timbers and
was wrecked. The speed of the train
sent it plunging ahead as wheels left
the rails and bumped over the ties
until the rails were ripped up and out
and the great engine fell over.
It's two baggage cars dashed ON
ahead past the dismantled engine,
leaving the right Of way and plunging
down over bank The first passen-
ger car, smoker, pushed past the en-
gine and tilted over toward it at. the
same time. This car was filled with
passengers and all were killed.
Few Killed by the Crash.
Singularly in such an awful crash |
the dead, with few exceptions. were |
hem were mangled.
, AS fast as recovered from the wreck |
The dead and injured were placed on
trains and brought here. The dead |
were taken to the morgues and the
injured were at once removed to the
5onnellsville Cottage State hospital.
In addition to the eleven who have
lied since being taken from the wreck
many others are certain to be added
20 the number of victims. Ali have
inhaled the steam and are suffering
Intensely.
Following the wreck thieves were
detected robbing the dead and in
ured. Two white men and two col
,red men are now in the Dawson DO
ice station charged with this crime.
The foreigners who were killed and
Who remain unidentified were bound
or their homes in Europe. The Du-
Iuesne limited connects with the boats
t Baltimore and New York and every
vening for month past hundreds of
hese people have been taking this
rain on their way home for the win
er. AT the Baltimore and Ohio offices
was stated that sometimes there
re as many as 500 or 500 of these
eople to so and then a special train
5 made up for them. At other times
special car or two is added to the
mited. On this occasion one special
ay coach was added to the train ana
was in this car that the foreigners
rho were killed were riding. The car
Tas Immediately behind the smoker.
Result of Spider Bite.