Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-12
SCENES 6EGGAR DESCRIPTION.
Continued from Page One.)

express. leaving PHILADELPHIA at 11.O5
last night. 1t consisted of a combina-
ton baggage and smoking car, one day
| coach, and six sleepers. There are va
| lious stories of how the wreck oc-
Cured, but the official version is as
follows:
About LAO o'clock. the engine on an
east-bound freight train was tagged
by the crew of a shifting engine ahead
on the same track. The engineer quick
ly put on lis air brakes and the train.
hn unusually long one. came to sud-
den halt. The strain on the air valves
was severe one and d connecting air
| hose in the middle of the train blew
out. This caused the middle of the
train to buckle and the damaged
| cars fell over on the passenger tracks.
Just us this happened the Cleveland
express came laundering up and "sidc-
| wiped the wreck. The express was
stopped within it's own length and the
third sleeper was opposite the wrecked
| ears. Before any one could leave the
passenger train, which was not very
badly damaged. a few slight explo-
tsions occurred. and then there was one
| great flash and roar that shook the
| earth. The whole affair occurred within
| the period of Il few seconds.
| A scene Of horror followed the eXpiO-
sion. The passenger cars and some of
| the freight cars instantly took fire. AS
the reverboration of the explosion died
away in the hills across the Susque-
| hanna river. the cries of the injured
| could be heard. Men and women came
| tumbling and climbing from the car
| windows. or craWIed from under the
| wreckagc.
| No one for the moment seemed to
known what to do and many of the
passt myers, momentariy seized with
TERROR. ran wildly about the fields Oh
| the north side of the railroad or wada1
Into the shallow waters of the river.
(which parallels the railroad on the
south Realizing their safety and dam
ger still threatening others the frighten-
| ed passengers began .he rescue of the
living. This as they approached the
wreck another explosion occurred which
sent them scurryinS away. Fearing
that the entire freight train might be
,oadcd with dynamic. no one dared go
near the wreck. Finally the railroad
men who kn"N the contents of the
$1,000
the uninjurrd passengers followed.
| The woIl: Of rescue was at first SLOW
and it seemed as though the flames
would envelope the "ntirH express train
before those who wore pinned beneath
the heavy wrcckag" could be- fr""I.
Every where there ca,ne cries for help
and the frantic rescucrs worked with
| vikings bands scores Of those whD
were trapped in their sleeping ber;hs
or pinioncd under wreckaSc were taken
out badl. hurt.
| The advancing fire drove the reScu"rs
back a they were about To take others
from the wreck ana n" unfortunateS.
men and women. Were soon "nvel"DeG
in the lIIrlcs Til" cries of the dying
we're hcartrending in the extreme but
nothing could be done for them. Al
lalar;n. of tirc was seat in but when the
frcmcn reached the scene. the flames
had done. thor work so far as the vic
tins of the wreck were concerned. The
lcr,ire train was consumed by fire.
| After the victims in the wreck We're
lbcvond human aid. more attention was
paid to the injured. who presented a
lpitiabIe sight as they la in the field
or on the banks of The river. With the
lGremcn came IA corps of physicians from
TN, cIty and the Work of attending the
Injured began in earnest. AS quick as
lthcy were temporarily relieved of pain
Ithry we're placed on special trains and
Trolley cars and rushed to the hospital
HERE.
| Several hundred railroad labOrers
Iwcre on the spot within an hour and oy
Ida ybrcak their number had been in
lcreascd to thousand. 1t was a grue-
some task for the railroad men. Not
lone whole body was found in the wreck.
Either an arm or leg or all four INNS
We're burned off the trunk and nm sever
Ial cases ONLY portions of the trunks
lwere found. Ten charred bodies were
found under one Pullman car. 1t is the
belief of the railroad officials that II
1.-The explosion had not occurred, there
probably would have Teen no loss OF
life.
The dead were taken to Boyd's under
taking rooms here. which were trans
formed into Il temporary morgue. Coro-
ner Krouse empanell ID jury which
viewed the bodies this afternoon. He
will begin taking testimony. tomorrow
The physicians and nurses at the Har-
risbutg hospital. assist I'd by the trus-
tees and members OF the board OF wom-
en- managers have bean working inces-
sanity since the first of the injured were
taken there. this morning. The hospital
is crowded to the doors and row after
row of cots now occupy the wards.
The sidewalks around the building
were crowded all day with persons
lanxious to see the injured. The crush
flor adn,ittance was so great that 1t was
necessary to place policeman at each
entrance.
The wreck occurred IN the southern