Evening journal., 1905-05-11
SEVENTY KILLED, TWO HUNDRED
HURT IN A HARRISBURG WRECK
DUE TO DYNAMITE EXPLOSION

train dashed along and plunged into the !
wrecked freight cars. The boiler OF the
passenger locomotive blew up and the
conclusion caused the immediate explo- !
sion OF two cars Of dynamite nearby In
thief rcight train.
Tho force Of tho collision smashed all
OF the passenger cars which piled up in
a huge mass with those Of the freight.
Instantly the two trains we're raging
masses OF flames. With the crash the pas
sengers. all Of whom were asleep In their
berths. were hurled in all directions.
Many we're tossed free of the wreckage,
some down the railroad embankments,
and some into the Susquehanna river.
SCENE OF HORROR.
Immediately after the wreck all the pas
sengers who could, ran from the scenes OF
horror to safety from the incessant small
explosions. Women and children, awak-
ened from their sleep in the berths to
find themselves in a perfect hail Of hor-
ror. With practically no clothing they
were, for a time, compelled to wander
about the fields as there are few houses
in the immediate vicinity Of the wreck.
All who were not pinned in the ruins,
or totally incapaeltated, ran away from
the perfect volcano, intermingled with
small explosions. Strong men with nerves
of steel, who would have given their
lives to save any one, governed by COM
mon sense, knew that It was impossible
to reach the Imprisoned passengers whose
cries rent the air.
As soon as some Of the dead and in
iured were reached they were laid in long,
CHASTITY rows along the tracks. Many
were carried into the Offices and even into
the working rooms of the Paxtang cleo
trio light plant and other manufacturing
establishments.
The Paxtang plant was transformed
into an emergency hospital, where every
thing was done for the mangled and dy-
ing, while they waited for .conveyances
to the Harrisburg Hospital. The police
patrol was among the first oonveyances
to arrive on the scene. Into Il We're pack
ed rs many wounded as possible.
Uncn long after daylight horses were
driven at breakneck speed 10 and from
the hospital. Special trains were imme-
diately made up by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company and conveyed the IN
iured to Union station. whence they were
!
Mrs. Albert ]. Barr and two daughters.
family OF the editor OF the Pitstburg
Post were among those slightly injured
and were taken to the Harrisburg Hos
pital Their conditions are not serious.
Early this morning persons who es-
capped from the wreck began iocking to
the newspaper Offices to ask that il be
published that they escaped injury 50
that their friends might be relieved OF
anxiety. Among these was Charles w
Stanglen, Supreme Chief of the Brother
hood of Car Inspectors. Car Builders and
Railway Mechanics of America. His
home is in Baltimore.
SAM sHUBERTs CLOSE CALL.
Samuel shubert. Of New York, manager
of the Lyric Theatre. jumped out of his
berth and ran out of the train just ir
time to escape being burned 10 death. He
was taken TO the Commonwealth Hotel.
At 43O o'clock this morning the first
two bodies of those that were pinned II
the wreckage were recovered. They wer,
so badly charred that they could not b,
recognized, but it is believed that they
were women.
While the fire was still raging fierce
lly, the bodies of the dead could be seer
still lying in their berths. In several casei
the flesh had been entirely burned ava,
so that the bone, red hot, shone like will
e o-the-wisps in the dark.
At 4.45 O'clock this morning It was au
t thOritatively ascertained that the entir,
1 passenger train of nine cars and the en-
t gine were destroyed. Nine freight car
i were also destroyed and three others, de
( rallied and wrecked.
4 The passenger train, OF which not a val
2 liable square foot was left, had consiste,
i of one locomotive-torn to pieces whel
the explosion occurred-six Pullman sleep
p ing coaches. two baggage cars. one mai
coach and one engine tneder.
d TWO AWFUL EXPLOSIONS.
The first explosion heard was that o
the boiler Of the passenger locomotive
= This was followed by a most terrific nois
when the dynamite car went up The ca
was No. 7l,3SS of the Erie Railroad, am
had a cargo of 5000 pounds of dyna
mite.
Despite the narrowing occurrence ther
u were early on the scene, before dayligh
undetected, many tramps and foreigner
searching for loot. The heat was so in
r tense and the crowd of reputable pec2I
IS so great that it is believed that they Sc
: cured but little value.
Z The Harrisburg police force. almost I
Ie man, was at the scene of horror, an
II they were largely responsible for the pre-
vention OF the work of ghouls. Even tn
IS day officers turned out in uniform an