The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1903-12-31
ISIXTY-f0UR DIE
IN AWFUL Wreck
Train on the Baltimore & Ohio Road
Derailed While Running at
High Rate of Speed.

Accident Occurs at Laurel Run, PA,
and Is Caused by Tinlbcrs Dropped
from n Freight Train-Scores of
PERSON.. Injurel-Passengers Roast
to Death in Smoker.
Pittsburg, Pa, Dec. 24.-Sixty-th
persons were killed and scores injured
by the wrecking of the Duquesne limited
on the Baltimore and Ohio main line at
Laurel Run, mile from Dawson, Pa,
last evening. Twenty-Five of the in
jured are seriously hurt and many of
them, it is feared, will die.
The special, which was bound for New
York, left here at $3.50 o'clock and was
making up lost time. BY the time it
reached Laurel Run it was going at GO
miles an hour.
Cause of Disaster.
The wreck was caused by the breaking
of the castings on a carload of bridge
timbers on westbound freight train
which had passed Laurel Run not more
than Is minutes before the passenger
train. The wreck occurred on a curve,
and it was impossible for Engineer
Thornley, to see far enough ahead to de-
tect the obstruction on the tracks.
Thrown Into the River.
The big Atlantic type engine plunged
into the timbers at velocity of GO miles
an hour. The engine plowed into the
embankment, and the baggage and ex-
press cars were thrown into the Yough-
iogheny river The smoker followed the
engine and landed squarely on top of it.
This allowed the escaping steam from
the engine to fill the car. The smoker
was packed to it's utmost capacity, and
all the passengers were cooked alive.
Roast to Death in Smoker.
Most of the killed we're foreigners who
were literally roasted to death, the bag
gage and smoker tclescoping the engine
and Immediately catching fire. The bod
les of many of them are lying burned to
a crisp in the baggage room Of the Balti-
more and Ohio depot, to be removed later
to the different undertaking shops in
the city.
Not a single passenger in this car
escaped with his life, and it is estimated
that at least 40 of the dead were in the
smoker.
Relief Train Sent.
AS soon as the wreck was reported in
Connellsville all the available physi-
clans were summoned and a special train
was made up and run at full speed and
the scene of the wreck was reached
about nine o'clock. The injured were
looked after Immediately and everyone
was made as comfortable as possible. All
We're loaded on the relief train a and
brought to the Cottage State hospital
here. +.
Scene of Destruction.
Never were more terrible scenes to be
witnessed than those about the wreck;
the steam from the cars filled the air;
many OF the stricken people climbing
out Of the windows, running with
bowls and screams of delirium into the
bushes, and it is thought that many have
not yet been found. Others were caught
in their wanderings and cared for. One
man, after rushing into the woods, came
back again, went into the baggage car
of the relief train and sitting down,
said, "My God!" The next instant he
dropped over dead without another
word. There was not scar on him. He
had inhaled the steam.
Nine Killed I'm Kansas.
Fort Scott, Kan, Dec. 22.-Nine per-
sons were killed and 20 injured by
wreck on the st. Louis & San Francisco
railway yesterday morning. The acct
dent happened at Godfrey, Is miles south
of this city. The st. Louis bound train
ran into an open switch and engine and
cars, excepting the last sleeper, were
overturned. 1t was not daylight when
the train was derailed, and there was de-
lay in getting relief crews to the slime.
The dead and injured were brought here
about II o'clock. OF the injured five
probably will die and Is are seriously
hurt.
Cause of the Wreck.
The responsibility for the wreck is
laid at the door of brakeman Of the
freight train who failed to flag the
passenger train. lie has disappeared.
The engine on the freight had be-
come dead" and the crew was
ordered to remain on the main track
and turn the switch for the passenger
then about due, the brakeman being
ordered to flag the Meteor. This he neg
lected to do.
Piled In Mass.
In the crash the baggage car tele-
scoped the engine and landed in corn
field, while the smoker and the two chair
cars were piled in mass on top of the
engine. Most of the injured were in the
chair cars, which took fire soon after the
wreck occurred.
The wrecked train was one of the
finest and fastest in the service. 1t was
made up of two baggage and one mail
car, smoker, two chair cars and a
sleeper.
Alderman Sentenced.
Chicago, Dec. 22.-Alderman John ].
Brennan, of the Eighteenth ward. has