The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-11

HARRISBURG, May 4l.-1Wenly persons
are believed to have been killed and
approximately one hundred injured by
the wreck of the Cleveland and Cincin-
natl express westbound on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad which ran into wreck
ed eastbound freight train, exploding a
car filled with $4,000 pounds of blasting
powder. The wreck occurred on the
southern part Of Harrisburg at 1:4O
o. clock this morning. It was one of the
most horrible disasters ever experienced
by the Pennsylvania railroad onitsmain
line Several hours will elapse before
the exact number of dead and injured
will be known.
Twelve of the dead are at the morgue
and other bodies are being brought to
the dead house as quickly as they are
located.
There are about 70 injured persons in
the Harrisburg hospitals, hotels and
private residences, while others are un-
der care of physicians in houses near
the scene of the wreck.
The Dead.
JACK L. SILVERAIAN. Philadelphia.
MRS. ROBERT G. DOUGHERTY,
Philadelphia.
c. KUHLMAN, Altoona, Pa.
H. K. THOMAS, Parksburg, Pa, en-
gineer of the passenger train.
VICTOR L. GRABBE, of Pittsburg,
son-in-law of Robert Pitcairn, Pitts
burg, assistant to President Cassatt of
the Pennsylvania railroad, died at noon.
Others who died during the day were;
H. s. WATSON of ClearfeId, Pa.
J. B. PHILLIPS, Pittsburg.
Passengers and trainmen were
burned to a coal, while others were
pinned helplessly in the debris. So
completely incinerated were the bodies
that only four could be identified up to
II o'clock.
The women in the wreck suffered
greatly and many of them who es
capped were found almost naked.
Among those who got out without in
jury were Mrs. Albert J. Barr, wife of
the proprietor of the Pittsburg Post,
and her two daughters who were on
their way to Pittsburg. They were
taken to the hospital. where one of
the attending physicians gave them at
tention and sent them to his home.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tindell of Pittsburg, the
latter the daughter of United States
Senator P. c. Knox, We're slightly in
jured by falling glass. They walked
from the scene of the wreck to Steel
ton, where they called up Governor
Pennypacker by telephone and ex-
planned their condition. They were
brought to the executive mansion,
where they were furnished with cloth
ing and medicine.
Cause of the Wreck.
The primary cause of the wreck
was a shifting engine. It was going
west slowly when the engineer of the
eastbound freight train saw it COM
ing on his track. He applied the
brakes suddenly, which caused the
middle of the train to buckle, showing
several of the cars on to the westbound
passenger track. A moment later the
express. one of the fastest night trains
on the road, came along and dashed
into the wrecked cars. The next in
slant the boiler of the passenger loco
motive exploded. The wreck took fire
and those who escaped began the
work of rescue. Six minutes after the
express struck the freight wreck, the
railroad men say the flames reached
the car filed with powder. There was
fash and a deafening roar The
earth trembled, as though some ter
ribIe seismic disturbance had occurred
All who were not killed and injured
by the explosion fed from the awful
scene.
The entire wreckage became a mass
Of flames and small boxes of powder
that had not exploded s1et go'' con-
tinuously. While these explosions con-
tinued men who had braveIy- gone to
the rescue before the first. explosion
did not dare to approach the burning
wreckage though they could hear the
agonized shrieks of the dying.
Flames began their cruel work of
burning human bodies that were help
Iessly pinned in the wreckage. An
alarm of fire was turned in and when