Evening times-Republican., 1903-12-24

/, bridge tilnbers. on west bound freight
train which had passed Laurel Hun nos
more than fifteen minutes before tn@
| ill-fated passenger train. The wreck
occurred on Il curve and 1t was imposst-
BILE for Engineer Thornley, to see FAR
] enough ahead to detect the obstruction
on the tracks. The big engine plunged
| into the tirIbers at velocity of sixty
miles an hour. The engine ploughed
| into the embankment and the baggage
and express cars We're thrown into the
river. The smoker followed the engine
and landed squarely on top of 1t. This
allowed the escaping steam from the
engine to fill the car. The smoker Was
packed to its utmost capacity and all
the passengers We're cooked alive. Not
single passenger in this car escaped
with his life and 1t is estimated 1T
least forty OF the dead were in tn.
smoker. Baggagemaster Haum of
Hazelwood, with his head and body
frightfully cut crawled from the
wreckage and cropping his way along
in the darkness tagged a westbounl
passenger train. He stopped the
and setting fire to 1t. He stopped the
train, by taking his coat and setting
fire to 1t just in time to prevent the
swiftly running train plunging into
the wreck and adding further horror 20
the already indescribable disaster.
Baum collapsed when he saw he hal
succeeded in stopping the train and
when the engine stopped he was lying
within a few feet of it.
Scenes at the Wreck.
As fast as recovered from the wreck
the dead and injured were placed on
trains and brought here. The dead
were taken TO morgues and the injurei 4
at once removed to the state hospital.
When General Manager Sims arrived at
tae scene OF the accident. he WAS so
overcome that he cried. Men and wom-
en- who crowded to the scene were COM
PEELED to turn away from the affecting
sights. When the relief train reached
here thousands of people were at the
station. A large number of Conneis-
vile people had gone to Pittsburg for
Christmas shopping and were expected
home on the limited.
Brave Conductor.
Louis Hilgot, conductor of the train,
was in the second day coach when
the crash came and no one knew just
what happened 10 him until afterwards.
sleepers, said as soon as he could get
off his car he went forward and heard
Hilgot shouting from the top of the
bunk, while in terrible agony: For
Gods sake, l am scalded to death, but
some one of you get red lamp and
flag 40 or she will be on u.s." Even in
the mental suffering of everyone about
the scene the bravery and thoughtful-
ness of the dying conductor was suf-
ficient to bring words of praise and
commendation.
Eye Witness Talks.
Porter Hill telling of his experience
said: Il went to the smoking car
and began getting the injured out The
car was the most awful scene l ever
witnessed. Men were jammed into all
sorts of shapes. They were on top OF
each other and buried under heaps Of
dirt and seat cushions. When tried
to lift one man found others SO tight
ly wedged into the same place that
several had to be aided at one time. I
got seven men out before I stopped
there. The dead were badly bruised and
some of the scalded We're In such a
condition that they would better be
dead. Some of those had lost their eyes
entirely. The baggage and clothing of
the passengers were scattered all over
the ground. Some of 1t was soaked
with blood while In piles of 1t could be
seen toys, telling pathetic tale of
Ccristmas shopping that came to such
pitiful end"
In describing the wreck one trainman
said: Half way around the curve the
locomotive struck the big timbers IN
its path and began with lightning like
rapidity to careen, then roll. and with
the ponderous train crowdIng 1t. fell
over on its side. The instant it did SO
the momentum of the train behind 1t,
sent the tender clear over the PROSTATE
locomotive like a football and before
1t could stop 1t was lying on the water
level twenty feet below. Next came
the baggage car which went over the
locomotive top and lodged with one end
near the water. The smoker of the
train was smashed like kindling. The
sleepers still crowding. but not break
ing. swept along, literally tearing upI
the steel rails as though they were
made of paper. The first sleeper, when
1t finally stopped, rested directly over
the locomotive. The dining car remain |
ed safely on the track and the steward
and crew We're not harmed. When the
grinding and crushing of steel and
wood ceased. there was for a moment
dead silence. Then came the means
and cries of anguish from the poor
wretches who We're being scalded or
burned to DEATH
When asked if there would be any
investigation on the part of the rail-
road officials Superintendent Duer said: |
II don't think an investigation is neces-
sary to explain this affair. 1t is all
too apparent. Pointing to half dozen
heavy timbers under the dining coach
he said: There is the cause of it. An
extra freight, west bound, had dropped
those timbers on the track and proceed
ed. unconscious Of the trouble It had
left behind"