Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04
Fatal Accident on the New
York Central,
TWO TRAINMEN KILLED
SCORE OR MORE OF PASSENGERS
CUT AND BRUISED.
Miraculous Escapes From Death-En
gine of One Train Exploded-Car
Hurled Fifty Feet.

UTICA, n. Y, February 1.-Two train
men lost their lives and score or more
of passengers were injured in a wreck on
the New York Central railroad at Whites
boro', three miles west of here, at an early
hour today. None of the injured was dam
gerously hurt, their wounds being mainly
cuts and bruises.
The dead are John Allen, engineer, and
John Brennan, fireman of the locomotive
on the western express. As this train was
passing the Buffalo special eastbound the
boiler of the locomotive of the westbound
train exploded. The force of the explosion
and the upheaval of the engine threw the
entire train of thirteen cars composing the
special from the rails as if it had been a
string of toy coaches.
The rear Puflmans toppled into a ditch
on the side of the track, but the forward
cars were hurled into an adjoining field at
distances varying from ten to forty feet.
Several flew from the supporting trucks and
wheels and ploughed deep into snow banks,
their ends being demolished by the i'm
pact. The westbound train did not leave
the track.
First knowledge to Passengers.
The knowledge that an accident had hap
pened came to the sleeping passengers on
this train when the cars stopped with sud
denness and shock which threw the occu-
pants of the berths backward with great
force in some cases tossing them out onto
the floor. When the extent of the disaster
to the eastbound train became apparent to
the rescuers they expected to find many
dead and injured.
An hour or more was devoted to eXtri-
eating passengers from the interior of the
sleeping cars, but while many were found
to be cut and bruised. no one was dead.
The work of reaching the passengers was
carried on in freezing atmosphere which
1Nnr Nod hn w n6S 1Fl1 ynrl,i toll,
caused great distress to such of the res
uers as had responded only partially
clothed.
The roar of the explosion awakened near
by residents who assisted in relieving the
imprisoned passengers. Sleighs We're pro-
cured and several of the injured We're taken
to the Whitesboro Santarium.
Among the injured was State Supreme
Court Justice Warren B. Hooker of Free
donia. He was severely bruised. He said
that he had been thrown with great force
from his berth. and found himself lying
across the woodwork of the opposite COM
rartment. Not until assistance came was
the judge able to leave the car, which was
resting on its right side with its rear end
ST lintered.
The Injured.
D. D. Lusk of Randolph, N. Y, who was
in day coach, was scalded by escaping
steam and cut on the head by broken
glass. Others injured included the follow
ing:
Walter l.. Brown and William J. Robin
son of Buffalo, and Robert Well and Sid
ney ]. West of New York. All were bruised
and cut, not serious; DIR. Walsh of New
York, scalp wounds. and suffering severely
from shock; Mrs. Bell of Buffalo, wife of
superintendent of Pullman Car Company,
arm broken and other injuries. not danger
Gus.
F. H. Drumming, Pittsburg, Pa, sprains
and contusions.
Mrs. F. w. Everest, Buffalo. badly
sprained back
w. A. Eindrick, Rutland, VT, editor of
the Rutland Evening News, bruised.
The arrival Of a relief train from Utica
FASTENED the complete examination of the
overturned cars. Some of the injured
were taken back to Utica at once.
Soon afterward q special train was
made up and the westbound passengers
were carried on to Buffalo.
Cause May Never Be Known.
From the fact that Fireman Brennan
was instantly killed and that Engineer
Allen lived but few minutes the cause
of the explosion probably will never be
known. Both men lived at Albany.
The strangest feature of the accident as
it appeared to an onlooker was that the
boiler Of the westbound locomotive was
resting midway between the rails Of the
eastbound track at a point where the
eastern train had passed. This suggested