The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-12-29
AWFUL WRECK
ON B. & 0. ROAD
Duquesne Limited Thrown From
Track by Pile of Lumber.
63 KILLED AND 80 INJURED

Stunned sor a Moment.
Connellsville. Pa. Dec. 24.-With
terrible crash and a grinding noise.
the Duquesne limited. the fastest
through passenger train from Pitts
burg to New York on the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad. ploughed into
pile Of lumber at Laurel Run. two miles
west Of Dawson. and SO lives we're lost
and 80 persons were Injured.
The train left Pittsburg. running
few minutes late. in charge OF Engi-
noar William Thornley, Of Connells.
vile When approaching Laurel Run.
which is particularly fine piece Of
rosdbed. the train was running at
high rate Of speed Suddenly the pas
sengers were thrown from their seats
by tho lightning like application OF the
air brakes. and moment later there
was a terrific crash The train was
made up Of two baggage. two day
coaches one sleeper and one dining
car and wes carrying at the time, at
the lowest estimate, $50 passengers.
The train ploughed along for con
siderable distance, and the cars were
torn to pieces, passengers jumping,
screaming. falling from the wreck as
it tore along Suddenly the engine
swerved to the left and the coaches
plunged down over the embankment
to the edge Of the Youghiegheny river.
The mluute the cars stopped rolling
there was a Wild scene. Many were
plnioned beneath the wreckage and
the screams and cries that rent the air
were beyond description. Many were
injured in their mad excitement and
plunged into the river Others, pin
toned beneath the heavy timbers,
pleaded in agonized tones for release
so terrific was the force OF the wreck
that every passenger suffered a mo
ments unconsciousncss, and many Of
the able-bodied men were unable TO
assist In helping the injured from the
wreck on account OF having tainted.
The dead are: Engineer William
Thornley, Division Engineer S. G.
Heater and Fireman Thomas Cook, all
of HIazolwood, Pa; Herbert Holmes.
Emmelton. Pa: Jesse Hines. Tarboro,
N. c., the Union News company's
agent; Charles Linford, Confluence,
Pa; - Edwards, Pittsburg; J. w.
Martin, Hancock, Md; Richard
Duckett, Baltimore; Edison Goldsmith,
Connellsyllle. Pa.
The other SO dead are mostly for.
eigners and negroes. who were-riding
In the smoking car. The work Of their
Identification has not yet begun.
The injured are: w. H. Hancock,
Pittsburg. John W. Bromley. North
Braddock, Pa; Annie Reese, Green
wood. Pa; Thomas J. Dom, Hazel
wood, Pa. Conductor Louis Helgth,
Of the limited, HaZelwood. Pa; J. w.
Martin. Hancock. Md; J. A. Allfurter,
Bealton. w Va; Henry DAWN. Rock
wood, Pa. badly injured, will die; c.
II. Llneford, East McKeesport, Pa. will
die; William Edwards, Cumberland,
Md; Thomas Tlppler, Philadelphia;
Harry Devlln, COnnellsyille, Pa, seri-
GUS: W. H. Stoddard. COnnellsyilfe,
Pa; e. P. Keifer, Somerset. Pa; John
x. Powers. South Cumberland, Nd;
J. W. Altman. Connellsville. Pa; Aaron
Verg, East Pittsburg.
The majority Of those killed
were literally roasted to death, the
baggage car and smoker telescoping
the engine aud Immediately catching
fire. Their bodies were laying. many
of them burned to a crisp. In the bag
gage car. 10 be moved later to the
different undertaking shops in the city
The entire population turned out and
assisted in caring for the living and
looking after the dead A peculiar
fact is that not woman was injured
excepting slightly. The wreck was
caused by the breaking Of the castings
on car load OF bridge timber on .
westbound freight train, which had
passed Laurel Run not more than II
minutes before the illfateG passenger
train.
The wreck occurred on a curve and
Il was impossible for Engineer Thorn
> ley TO see far enough ahead 20 detee
. the obstruction on the tracks. The BIZ
Atlantic type engine plunged into th'
timbers at a velocity OF 90 miles NJ
hour. The engine ploughed into tn
. embankment and the baggage and eS
press car we're thrown into the river
The smoker followed the engine an
I landed squarely on top Of H. This a
lowed the escaping steam and hot wa
ter from the engine to fill the car. Tn
= smoker was packed 70 its utmost cs
paclty, and all the passengers wer
cooked alive. Not a single passenge
! in this car escaped with his Me- an
e Il Is estimated that at least 10 OF IN
= dead we're in the smoker.
I Bsggagemaster Thomas j. Baum,
Hazelwood, who was on the wrecke
.rain, proved himself a hero. W.T.
his head and body frightfully cut !
managed to crawl from the wreckag
J. and. gropIng hi5 way along In the dar
y ness. Jagged the westbound passeng
train. No 40. He had nothing vi
which to lag the train except matche
4 and these he made use OF In his de
q peration by taking of his coat aI
/. setting fire TO II. He stopped the ira
If tust in time to prevent II from plum
% ing into the wreck and adding furth
Ie horror 10 an already indescribable a
= aster.
- Baum collapsed when he saw ne "a
s succeeded in stopping the train ar
10 when the engine stopped he was iyli
le within few feet OF II. An operao'
v at "vrs tower on the PittsburE az
Lake Erie railway was the nrst TO SCI