The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-08
Passenger Train Crashes Into
Rear End of a Freight
On the MOnongahela Division of
the Pennsylvania.
HAD A CLEAR TRACK.
That's What the Signal Said to
Engineer of Express.
Fire Followed as Usual and
Roasted Some to Death.

Pittsburg. Pa, Jan. s.-As a result
of a collision between a passenger train
and the rear end of a freight train on
the AIonongahela division of the Penn-
sylvania railroad at Cochrane station,
just above Duquesne, seven men are
dead, one is dying and five others in
jured.
The dead:
c. E. STROUD. baggagemaster
c. NJ. BOEHNER. brakeman, of ac-
eommodation.
JOHN STEWART. passenger, resi-
dence unknown.
JOHN POLLOK, Wilson Station.
UNKNOWN FOREIGNER, killed
outright.
TWO UNKNOWN FOREIGNERS.
died on way to hospital.
The injured:
ton
Sam sunanisky. shoulder blade frac.
tured
Peter Kimoskf, burned
John Smith, seriously injured.
Mike ChOnic.
Mike Gentil.
The passenger in the wreck was the
! West Eliza beth accommodation train
from Pittsburg It was on time and
had clear track. according to the
signals displayed At the siding at
1 Cochrane it ran into the rear car of an
extra freight which had taken the
switch. but had failed to clear the main
line The officials OF the road attributed
I the disaster to the failure of Patrick
/ Quinn, the rear brakeman of the
freight to see that his train had fully
/ cleared In the collision the tender of
( the passenger engine was forced back
upon the combination baggage ana
/ smoking car with terrible force. The
thirteen passengers were jammed
against the rear end of the ear into al
most a solid mass.s Three of the VIC
tins were apparently killed outright,
two of the other four We're literally
roasted to death and the two who dieo
on the way to the hospital were SO bad
/ ly burned that recognition is impossible.
Almost Immediately after the impact.
fire from the stove IN the er7 nl-es- cfrar,f4-
/ nicated to the VIZ eckage, and the impris-
oned victims were tortured beyond descrip-
Conductor Cook was found Unconscious
under the charred body of Baggageaster
Stroud He is so badly hurt that he can
hardly live the day through
Strange to say. not truck except those
/ of the tender left the track and the only
passengers injured were those in the
/ smoker
When the wrecked car began to burn
one mans body extended half way out Of
the car window. His feet were piniOned
by a .iece of wood in the car He was
alive and thoroughly conscious of his po-
siti0n- He was foreigner. and in broken
English. yelled for some one. to release
I him. "Chop herel" he would shout point
ing back into the car at something which
! held him Heroic efforts were made to re-
lease him. but finally the poor fellow had
to be deserted, and he was slowly burned
to death.
One Of the most horrible things outside
of the death of the foreigner hanging out
of the window. was the body of a man
standing up right against the window
which opens on the rear platform Of the
car. The body was that of Baggagemastsr
Stroud He was in erect position his
head was above the top of the window
so that his features could not be seen,
but he was identified by ling he wore on
one hand which protruded through the
window and by his badge.
FREIGHT CREW IS BLAMED
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan 8.-Six victims OF
last nights railroad collision near Du-
quesne, on the Monongahela division Of
the Pennsylvania railroad, are still at
the McKeesport hospital. where they
were taken Immediately after the acct
dent There was no change in their
condition today
Thomas 3. Cook. the conductor of the
accommodation. who was expected to
die during the night is still living. but
the hospital authorities do not think
that he viii survive the day
It is thought the other victims will all
get we'll The wreck was one of the
most singular in the history Of the road
considering the comparatively slight
damage wrought. superintendent Mitch
ell is making d through investigation
and says that so far as he has been able
to determine the responsibility for the
wreck rests with the crew of the freight
in not having hagman out to stop the
passenger train until it had crossed the
main track and closed the switches.