The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-12-29
II Wreck Occurred at Laurel Rum
and Was Caused by the Train Rum
ming Into Some Switch Timbers
and Being DeraiIed-Au the Cars
were Badly Damaged - Nearly
Every Person Oh the Train Was
Knocked Unconscious. :

ConnellsviIle, Pa, December
a terrible crash and a grinding the
Duquene Limited, the fast through
| passenger train from Pittsburg to New
York on the Baltimore and Ohio rail.
road pqoughed into a pile Of lumber
at Laurel Run two miles west OF Daw-
son at 1:45 o'clock this evening and
sixty three lives were lost and thirtv
persons were injured. The train left
rlIlsourg this evening, running q few
MINUTES late, in charge of Hneineer
William Thornley,, of ConnelIsyfua
When approaching Laurel Run. which
- d particularly fine piece of roadbed.
uhe Train was running at a high rate
OF speed. Suddenly the passengers
were thrown from their seats bx .1e
llghtning-like application of the air
brakes n a M later there was
terrific crash.
Inc train was made up of two bag
gage, two day coaches, one sleenar on5
one dining car and vas carrying at the
time, at the lowest estimate 15e mas
sengers. The train ploughed along for
a considerable distance and the cars
were torn to pieces, passengers jump
ing, screaming, falling from the wreck
as 1t tore along. Suddenly the engine
sWerVed to the left and the coaches
plunged 6Our, nNnn +hn
TO the edge of the Youghiogheny river.
Ihe minute the cars stopped rolling
there was a wild scene. Many persons
were pinioned beneath the wrecked and
the screams and cries that rent the air
We're beyond description. Many were
injured in their mad excitement and
plunged into the river. Others caught
beneath the heavy timbers, pleaded in
agonizing tones for relief.
So terrific was the force of the
wreck that nearly every PASSENGER suf-
fered a moments Inconsistencies, and
many Of the able bodied men we're un-
able to assist in helping the injured
from the wreck on account Of having
tainted.
The official statement of Superinten-
dent W. c.. Loree follows:
No. II was derailed by running into
some switch timbers or timbers OF
ABOUT that size, derailing the engine
and all cars. All the cars are badly
damaged. Do not think any of the
equipment will be able to go away
from the accident on their own wheels.
except possibly the Pullman cars and
the diner. The engine lies across both
tracks. The baggage car is over the
bank. The first coach is partly over
the bank. The balance OF the train
is badly twisted. 1 Judge IS people
killed. All the people killed were il
the smoker. Escaping steam from the
engine went into the first coach, scald-
ing the people. Very few 81 the other
| passengers were injured. Injured have
been taken from the wreck and are
lying on the bank. Engineer and fire
man cannot be found"
The first report of the wreck said the
Duquene flyer was involved, but this
train does not leave Pittsburg until
after the wreck occurred.
The dead are:
LISIIICSI NIILldIl lIlOEIlHSy On f1dZC.-
wood, Pa.
Hardwood, Pa.
Fireman Thomas Cook, of Hazelwood,
Pa.
Herbert Holmes. of Emmelton, Pa.
Jessie Hines, Tarboro, N. C., the
| Union l-sTs Company Agent on the
train.
Charles LindfOrd, of Confluence, Pa
Edwards, Pittsburg, wife IN
Cumberland.
J. w. Martin. Hancock, Nd.
Richard Duckett, Baltimore, Md.
Edison Goldsmith, Come sville, Pa.
The other f~ifty-three dead are mostly
foreigners and negroes who were riding
in the smoking car. The work of their
identification has not yet begun.
The killed, most of them. were for
eigners who were in the smoker, just
back Of the baggage car. They were
literally roasted to death, the baggage
and smoker telescoping the engine and
Immediately catching fire Their bod
les are lying many of them burned 70
a crisp in the baggage room Of the
| Baltimore and Ohio depot, to be remov-
ed later to the different undertaking
| shops in the city. The entire popufa-
| ton has turned out en- masse to assist
in caring for the living and IN dispos-
ing of the dead. A peculiar feature
of the accident is the fact that not a
woman was injured, except slightly.
The wreck was caused by the break
ing of the castings on q car load of
bridge timbers on a w~estbound freight
train which had passed Laurel Run.
not more han Is minutes, before the