The news & observer., 1905-05-12
NINETEEN DEAD
At HARRISBURG
And More Than a Hun
dred Injured.
CAUSE OF THE WRECK
Bursting of Air Hose On Freight,
"BuckIing' Of Cars and Their
Fall On the Passenger Track
in Front of The Approaching
Train.
Train.
(By the Associated Press.) }

(By the Associated IfeSS.
Harrisburg. Pa, May 11.-Nmeteen
persons are known to be dead and
more than one hundred others were
injured i'm the railroad wreck and
dynamite explosion which occurred
early today on the Pennsylvania Rail
road i'm the southern part of this city.
That not more persons were killed is
considered remarkable by the Penn
sylvania Railroad officials as a full
box car of dynamite exploded directly
at the middle of the heavy express
train. The list of the dead and in
jured is as follows:
The train carried a number of
prominent persons and most of them
escaped with only slight injuries.
Among those on the train were Mr..
and Mrs James r. Tindell of Pitts
burg. the latter the daughter of Uni
ted States Senator Knox; Mrs. A. j.
Barr wife of the proprietor of the
Pittsburg Post, and her two daugh-
ters; Victor l.. Crabbe. son-in-law of
Robert Pitcairn, of Pittsburg, assist
ant TO President A. j. Cassatt of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and Sam 5.
Shubert, one of the prominent theatri-
cal managers of New York. Mr..
Crabbe died in the Harrisburg Hos
pitaF at noon, few minutes before
his father-in-law reached his bedside.
Mr.. Shubert was reported to be badly
injured, but the others We're only
slightly hurt
The wrecked train was the second
section of the Cleevland-Cincinnati
DT,sl xI.i,N L,
O'Clock last night 1t consisted of a
combination baggage and smoking
car one day coach and six sleepers.
Official Version of Wreck.
There are various stories of how
the wreck occurred, but the official
version is as follows:
About 1:40 O'Clock the engine on
an eastbound freight train was flag
ged by the crew of a shifting engine
ahead on the same track. Tile en-
gineer quickly put on his air brakes
and the train, an unusually long one,
came to a sudden halt. The strain
on the air valves was severe one.
and a connecting air hose in the mid
die of the train blew out This 1dLsed
the middle of the train to buckle"
and the damaged cars fell over on the
passenger tracnS
SLUG FOUR
Just as this happened the CleVe-
land Express came numbering UP and
'side-sWiped the wreck" The express
was stopped within its own length
and the third sleeper was opposite
the wrecked cars. Before anyone
could leave the passenger train, which
was not very badly damaged, few
slight explosions occurred, and then
there was one great flash and roar
that shook the earth. The whole af-
fair occurred within the period of a
few seconds.
Explosion and Fire
4 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 i'm the hills across the Susque-
hanna river, the Ggonizng cries of
the injured could be heard. Men and
women came tumbling and climbing
from the car windows or cIawled
from under the Wreckage. No one
for the moment seemed to know what
to do, and many of the passengers.
momentarily seized with terror, ran
into the shallow waters of the river
which parallels the railroad on the
south. Realizing their safety and the
danger still threatening others, the
frightened passengers turned in and
began the rescue of the living. As
they approached the wreck another
explosion occurred, which sent them
scurrying away. Fearing that the ell
tire freight train might be loaded with
dynamite. no one dared so near the
wreck Finally the railroad men who
knew the contents of the burning
freight train, led the way and the un-
injured passengers followed.
The advancing fire drove the res
cuers back as they were about to take
others from the wreck and the unfor-
tunates, men and women. were soon
enveloped in the flames. The cries of
the dying We're heart-rending in the
extreme, but nothing could be done
for them. An alarm of fire was Seht
in, but when the firemen reached the
scene the flames had done their work
so far as the victims in the wreck
were concerned. The entire train was
consumed by fire.
Attention tG The Injured.
After the victims in the wreck were
beyond human aid, more attention
was paid TO the injured who present.
eG pitiable sight as they lay in the
field or on the banks of the river
With the firemen came corps of
physicians from the city and the work
of attending the injured began in
earnest As quickly as they We're
temporarily relieved of pain from
burns or other injuries they were
placed on special trains and trolley
cars and rushed to the hospitals here.