Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-12
WITNESSES TELL
OF AWFUL SCENE
HOSPITAL FILLED WITH THE
WRECK VICTIMS
20 PERSONS DEAD; 100 HURT
II Is Considered Remarkable That No
More Lives Were Lost, as Car
Full of Dynamite Was
Exploded

BY Associated Press.
HARRISBURG, Pa, May 11.-Nine-
teen persons are known to be dead and
more than 100 were injured in the
wreck and dynamite explosion which
occurred early today on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad in the southern part of
this city. That not more persons were
killed is considered remarkable by the
Pennsylvania officials, as a full box
car Of dynamite exploded directly at
the middle Of the heavy express train.
The Dead
The list of dead follows:
P. l.. ,CRABBE, Pittsburg.
GEORGE ZEIGLER, Pittsburg.
JAMES r. PHILLIPS, Pittsburg.
PAUL BRIGHT, Pittsburg.
MRS. SHAW, Pittsburg.
]. L. SILVERMAN, Philadelphia.
MRS. ROBERT C. DOUGHERTY,
Philadelphia.
H. X. THOMAS, Parkersburg; en-
gineer of the express thain.
C. KULMAN, Altoona, Pa.
NORMAN MARTINA, Pittsburg.
ALFRED CROSBY.
Nine unidentified bodies.
The Pennsylvania railroad officials
tonight gave out a list containing the
names of ninety-eight persons who
were injured and treated at hospitals
or elsewhere. The company also gave
out a list containing the names of
thirty-six persons who were in the
wreck and whose injuries are not
given. Among the injured is F.
Hatcheson of Denver, who suffered a
compound fracture of the left cheek
bone.
Many Prominent Persons
The train carried number of promi-
nent persons and most of them es-
capped with only slight injuries. The
wrecked train was the second section
of the Cleveland and Cincinnati ex-
PRESS leaving Philadelphia at HOS
last night. 1t consisted of a COM
bination baggage and smoking car, one
day coach and six sleepers.
There are various stories of how the
wreck occurred, but the official ver-
sion Is as follows:
About 40 o'clock the engine on an
eastbound freight train was tagged
by the crew of shifting engine ahead
on the same track. The engineer quick
ly put on his air brakes and the train,
an unusually long one, came to sud
den stop. The strain on the air valves
was a severe one, and a 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 as this happened the Cleveland
express came laundering up and "side
swiped" the wreck. The express was
stopped within its own length and the
third sleeper was opposite the wrecked
car. Before any one could leave the
passenger train, which was not very
badly damaged, few slight explo-
sions occurred, and then there was one
great flash and roar that shook the
earth. The whole affair occurred with
in period or rev seconds.
A scene of horror followed the ex-
plosion of the dynamite. The passen-
ger cars and some of the freight cars
instantly took fire. AS the reVerbera-
tion of the terrific explosion died away
across the Susquehanna river, the
agonizing cries of the injured could be
heard. Men and women came tum-
bling and climbing from the car win
dows and 0rawled from under the
wreckage. Shortly afterward another
explosion occurred. Fearing that the
entire freight train might be loaded
with dynamite. no one dared go near
the wreck.
Finally the railroad men who knew
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