The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-02-08
STRANGE TRAIN WRECK
ENGINEER AND FIREMAN KILLED.
All the Passengers Injured We're 10 the East.
bound Trsln--csrs Bio~s Prom the
Track Among Those Who We're Injured
Was Justice Hooker. q the ssprem, Court
sf New York.

Utica, ~ Y. (Spe,iaD.-Two train.
men lost their lives and score or more
of passengers we're injured in a wreck
on the New York Central Railroad at
Whitesboro, three miles west Of here
None Of the injured was dangerously
burt, their wounds being mainly cuts
and bruises
The dead arc John Alien. engineer,
and John Bremen, fireman, OF the loco
motive ori the Western express.
AS this train was passing the Buffalo
special eastbound the boiler OF the loco
motivY Of The wes;bound train exploded.
4he horce OF the explosion and the up
heayel Of the engine threw the entire
iraph Of I3 cars composing the Special
IRON the rails as II it had been a string
of toy coaches The rear Pullmans TOP.
fpei into a ditch on the side Of the track.
but the forward cars were hurled into an
adjoining field at distances varying from
10 to 20 feet. Several flew from the
supporting trucks and wheels and plowed
deep into snow banks, their ends being
demolished by the impact.
The wostbound train did not leave tie
track. The knowledge that an accident
had happened came to the sleeping pas
sengers on this train when the cars
stopped with suddenness and a shock
which threw the occupants Of the berths
backward with great force. in some cases
tossing them out on the floor When
ehe extent Of the disaster TO the east
bound train became known 10 the res
sf,a.r r,--.as.I 4 .f..- 4
and injured.
An hour or more was devoted 10 e%-
Treating passengers from the interior of
she sleeping cars, but while many were
tound 10 be cut and bruised, no one was
dead. The work of reaching the passen-
gers was carried on in freezing atmos-
phere which benumbed the feet and
hands, and which caused great distress
90 such Of the rescuers as had respond
ed only partially clothed. The roar OF
the explosion awakened nearby residents,
who assisted in relieving the imprisoned
passengers. Sleighs were procured. and
Ieveral OF the injured were taken TO the
Whitesboro Sanitarium.
Among the injured was State Supreme
Court Justice Warren b. Hooker. OF
Fredonia He was severely bruised. He
said that nc had been thrown with great
force from his berth, and found himself
lying across the woodwork of the oppo-
site compartment Not until assistance
came was the Judge able TO leave the car
which was resting on its right side, with
It's rear end splintered.
Justice Hooker was taken TO Buffalo
and subjected to thorough examination
al the railroad station by DR.. lanes NJ.
Putnam. Afterward Dr. Putnam said
that, while he believed that Judge Hook
eT's recovery was certain, the Judge was
seriously hurt and was suffering much
pain. His injuries, which were excu-
sively internal, the Doctor said, would
eonfne the patient TO his bed for several
weeks, and he may suffer considerably
longer from the effect of his injuries.
From the fact that Fireman Brennan
was instantly killed and Engineer Allen
lived but few minutes the cause OF the
explosion probably never will 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 easibound track at 4 point where !
the Eastern train had passed. This sug-
gested the theory TO trainmen that the /
boiler had struck the second car Of the !
eastbound train as it rushed by at the !
rate OF so miles an hour, the blow caus-
sng all the following cars 10 be hurled |
from the track
Most Of the people who were injured |
were in the sleeping car on the east
bound train that was opposite the en-
gine OF the westbound train at the in
stant OF the explosion. This car was
lifted from the track and hurled about 50
feet away, and is said to have turned
over several times in the fight 1t was
40 badly wrecked that It's occupants
could no, be gotten out ior for an hour
after the accident.
The total damage arising from the /.
wreck in property loss is estimated at
asbout 100000.