The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-22
CENTRAL WRECK UNIQUE
IN RAILROAD HISTORY
The Small Loss of Life Consid-
cred Remarkable.
JOHN CARSTENS WAS The HERO
Twenty Men in Smoking Car Escaped
When the Entire Bottom Was
Torn Out - FIagman Killed
While on Duty.

While on Duty.
Fishki,! Landing, N. Y.-A blind
ing rain which caused landslide was
responsible for the wreck of the west
bound Pacific Express on the New
York Central, ten miles south Of
Poughkeepsie.
Because of the small loss Of life
the complete destruction of the en-
gine and the baggage car and the
small damage to the five cars follow
ing the ones wrecked, the accident
is considered one of the most remark
able in the history of American rail-
roading.
The locomotive went partly into
the river, and the body of Wellington
Warner, the fireman, of New York,
was found floating in water in the
cab. William Wells, the engineer,
of Albany, was alive when picked up,
and he lived until an hour after he
had been received in the Highland
Hospital in Matteawan.
Twenty men in the combination
smoking and baggage car came
through the wreck with their lives,
although the entire bottom was torn
out Of the coach. The car was next
in line behind the locomotive. When
the engine went toward the river the
car was lifted almost on end, and,
then turning almost at right angles,
toppled down with one end projecting
from a low bank over the river. JOS
eph Shine, of Poughkeepsie, was in
the forward end of the smoker.
When the floor was splintered he fell
through into the river.> The water
was about eight feet deep, but he
swan ashore and was uninjured. DR..
B. e. McCambridge, of Poughkeepsie,
was thrown through window, and
with friend fen upon an upturned
side of the tender, which was half
covered with gravel. The two men
were only slightly bruised, and.
climbing down, they took up the
work of rescue.
John Carstens, baggage man, OF
New York, was the hero of the wreck.
An artery was severed in his wrist
by piece of broken glass. He man
aged to stop the flow Of blood by
winding strap around his arm be-
low the elbow, and he started to pre-
vent other trains running into the
wreck. He found two lanterns and
sent a passenger north with one,
while he went to the south. Although
terribly bruised and weak from loss
of blood, Carstens continued along
the track until he came to a signal
tower. He managed to climb up into
it and from there telephoned the
news that stopped all trains and
brought relief.
A dozen injured were taken to the
Highland Hospital, and two hours
after the wreck those who came
through unhurt went aboard one Of
the relief trains and were taken to
Albany, from whence they continued
to their destination.
Those most seriously injured were
Mrs. Warren Reynolds, Rome; Ed
ward Kelly, Poughkeepsie; John
Carstens, baggage master, New York
City; George Carpenter, Utica; Will
lam Nicholsas, Poughkeepsie; Ralph
Macarthur, Schenectady; G. Warren,
Peekskill; F. N. Nealy, Poughkeepsie;
Mrs. Warren Heath, Schenectady;
Oxford Peterson, Schenectady; Harry
Taylor, Poughkeepsie.
New Hamburg.-Thomas Mulford,
a f1agman on the New York Central
Railroad, was struck and instantly
killed by the Empire State Express
while tagging trains to prevent them
from running into the wreck Of the
Pacific Express.