Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-02-10
STRANGE TRAIN WRECK
The Locomotive Oh Other Track
Blew Up.
ENGINEER And FIREMAN KILLED.
All the Passengers Injured Were on the East
bound Traiu-Cars Blown From the
Track-Among Those Who Were Injured
Was Justice Hooker, Of the Supreme Court
Of New York.

Utica, N. \. (Special).-l Wo Train
men lost their lives and score or more
of passengers were injured i'll wreck
OH the New York Central Railroad at
Whitesboro, three miles west Of here.
None of the injured was dangerously
hurt, their wounds being mainly cuts
and bruises.
The dead are John Allen, engineer,
and John Bremen, fireman, of the loco
motive on the Western express.
AS this train was passing the Buffalo
special eastbound the boiler of the loco
motive OF the weStbound train exploded.
The force of the explosion and the up
heavel of the engine threw the entire
train of I3 cars composing the "Speciaf
from the rails as if it had been string
of toy coaches. The rear PullmanS top
pei 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 40 feet. Several flew from the
supporting trucks and wheels and plowed
deep into snow banks, their ends being
demolished by the impact.
The westbound train did not leave the
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
The extent of the disaster TO the east
bound train became known to the res
cuers they expected 10 find many dead
and injured.
An hour or more was devoted to cx-
Treating passengers from the interior OF
the sleeping cars, but while many were
found 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
to 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
several of the injured were taken to the
Whitesboro Sanitarium
Among the injured was State Supreme
Court Justice Warren B. Hooker, OF
Fredona He was severely bruised. he
said that he had been thrown with great
force from his berth, and found himself
living 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
its rear end splntered.
Justice Hooker was taken TO Buffalo
and subjected to a thorough examination
at the railroad station by DR.. James Nj
Putnam. Afterward DR.. Putnam sale
that, while he believed that Judge Hook
er's recovery was certain, the Judge wa:
seriously hurt and was suffering muct
pain. His injuries, which were exclu
sively internal the Doctor said woult
con6ne the patient to his bed for severa
weeks, and he may suffer considerable,
longer from the effect of his injuries.
From the fact that Fireman Brennan
was instantly killed and Engineer Aller
lived but few minutes the cause of thu
explosion probably never will be known
Both men lived at Albany.
The Strangest feature of the acciden
as it appeared TO an onlooker was tina
the boiler of the westbound locomotive
was resting midway between the rail
Of the eastbound track at point where
the Eastern train had passed. This sug
gested the theory to trainmen that tn
boiler had struck the second car of tn
eastbound train as it rushed by at tn
rate of 50 miles an hour, the blow caus
ing all the following cars to be hurried
from the track.
Most of the people who were injured
were in the sleeping car on the east
bound train that was opposite the ell
CINE OF the westbound train at the in
slant of the explosion. This car wa
lifted from the track and hurled about s.
feet away, ard is said to have turne'
over several times in the flight 1t wa
so badly wrecked that its occupant
could not be gotten out for for an hou
after the accident.
The total damage arising from tn
wreck in property loss is estimated a
about 10000.