Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-05-13
FIFTY KILLED
in WRECK
Pennsy Express Hits Train Loaded
With Dynamite at Harrisburg.
ONE HUNDRED ARE INJURED

Three Explosions Followed, Both the
Trains Were Completely Wrecked
and Took Fire, Many Persons Being
Pinned IN Debris.
Harrisburg. Pa, May 11.-An ex-
press train of the Pennsylvania rail-
road ran into freight train in which
there were two cars loaded with dyna-
mite, at 1.1O o'clock this morning. In
South Harrisburg, near the plant of
the Paxtang Light. Heat and Power
company.
Three terrific explosions that broke
windows all over the city followed,
and the two trains were completely
wrecked and took fire. 1t was estimat-
ed that SO persons were killed and 100
injured. though these figures may be
too small
1t is impossible to ascertain the ex-
act number OF fatalities. because the
wreckage is still burning and an un-
approachable mass. in which many of
the passengers and many of the train
crews are pinned. 1t was impossible
to go within 300 yards of the fire. many
small explosions taking place contin-
ually.
Where the first explosions occurred
human bodies were thrown clear out
of the berths in the sleeping cars.
many landing down the railroad en-
bankment and some even having been
hurled into the Susquehanna river.
All the physicians OF the city pro-
durable were summoned to work with
the injured.
A fire alarm was sounded and the
flremen arrived to find themselves
practically helpless In the work of res
cue. The police patrol was commits
stoned as an ambulance, as many If
the injured as possible were loaded into
1t on each trip and taken to the Har-
risburg hospital. the capacity of which
soon became threatened because of the
unprecedented number that were
brought In. A special train was made
up and brought the injured and dying
to the Union Station. Many of the un-
fortunates were taken into private
houses.
Immediately after the wreck all the
passengers who could ran from the
scene of horror to safety from the in
cessant small explosions. Men. women
and children, awakened from their
sleep In the berths to find themselves
in a perfect hell of horror. With prac-
tically no clothing they were compell-
are few houses in the immediate vicin-
ity of the wreck.
The agonizing cries of the unfortu-
mates were heartrending. The Office of
the Paxtang Light. Heat and Power
company looked like a hospital At
an early hour the Harrisburg Traction
company ran out a number of cars
from its barns and used them to bring
the injured to the hospital
The train was the second section of
No. 10. commonly known as number
10. There were 1863 passengers in the
train The hospital is crowded to the
doors and the hotels are being opened
for the care of the injured. II may be
necessary for the authorities to seize
one of the hotels and turn Ii into tenn
porary hospital.
The engineer of the passenger train
was II. X. Thomas. of Philadelphia,
who was killed outright He leaves a
family. The fireman. r. r. Dickey.
of Philadelphia. was only slightly hurt
Among the injured are: Harry
Spritzer. Finnburg. critical: George
Crabbe. Pittsburg. badly cut: Chas.
DeForest. Cleveland. seriously; B. l..
Harman. Pittsburg. arm broken: Chas.
Johnson. Philadelphia. badly burned;
Robert G. Daugherty. Philadelphia,
and little son. seriously: E. b. Otstot,
Chicago. burned; A. r. Outpost.
Elizabeth. N. J., cut; ]. r. Phillips.
Pittsburg. will die; -Eberly. New
York. may die; -Slotheimer, New
York. will die.