The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-26
TH|RTY-SEvEN DIE
IN LEHIGH VALLEY
TRAIN WRECK
Train Plunges From Trestle
Near Manchester N. Y.
SOME INJURED WILL DIE
Two Coaches Plunged Down 40-Foot
Embankment to Bed Of Shallow
Stream

Manchester, N Y, Aug. 26.-Lehigh
Valley passenger train No. 4, speed
ing eastward behind time, ran into
a spread rail on a trestle near here
yesterday, and two day coaches from
the midsection of the train plunged
downward 40 feet, striking the east
embankment like pair of projectiles.
In the awful plunge and crash at least
81 persons were last night believed to
have been killed and more than GO in
jured The injuries of several are
so serious that it is feared they will
die.
The wreck was the worst in the
history Of the Lehigh Valley line in
New York and one of the most disas-
trous ever recorded on the system.
Crowded with passengers many OF
whom were war veterans and excur-
sionists from the Grand Army en-
campment at Rochester, train No. 4,
made up of IA cars, drawn by two big
Mogul engines, was 40 minutes late
when il reached Rochester Junction,
and from there sped eastward to
make up time before reaching Geneva
The engine and two day coaches had
Just passed the center OF a 400-foot
trestle over Canandaigua outlet, $50
yards east of the station at Manches-
ter, at 1926 o'clock, when the Pull
man car Austin, the third OF long
train, left the rails. 1t dragged the
dining car with It and two day coach
es and two Pullmans, in this order,
followed
All bumped over the ties a short
distance when the coupling between
day coach No 237 and the rear end
of the diner broke. The forward end
of the train dragged the derailed
Pullman, Austin and the diner over
safely, after which both plunged down
the south embankment and rolled
over. The free end of the Inflated
Lehigh Valley day coach, where most
of the slaughter occurred, showed out
over the gulf, and, followed by a
Grand Trunk day coach, stripped the
rear guard off the south side OF the
trestle and plunged to the shallow
river bed more than 40 feet below.
The end OF the first day coach that
went over struck the east embank-
ment of solid masonry and with the
other 60-foot cars behind II, both shot
against the wall with terrific force.
Both cars were filed with humanity
as the plunge was made and in few
moments the cars lay mass of crum'
bled wood, metal and glass, under
which a hundred, men, women and
children, many OF whom were killed
instantly, were buried. The most de
struction occurred in the day coach
No. 237 and dozen persons were la
ter taken dead from the second day
coach, which, having followed the
first over the trestle, snapped its real
coupling and thus saved the rest u
the train from being dragged over
This second day coach struck on th'
bottom and stood end up, the rear enc
projecting a few feet above the tot
of the trestle. All OF the passengers
in this car were piled In a tangled
mass Of broken seats at the bottom
OF the car
AS the groans Of the injured ant
dying were heard below, all possible
speed was made, but II was severa
minutes before anybody reached th'
cars at the bottom to effect rescues
The cars did not catch fire. Axe
were secured and body after body wal
removed and carried by the rescuer'
knee deep in the river bed to the banl
on the west side of the trestle. Their
the dead and injured were laid on
on the damp ground while planks an'
timber, taken from buildings In cours'
OF construction, were requisitione'
and a field hospital was established.
It was more than an hour befor
many of the injured could be remoy
ed and special trains from both Gen
eva and Rochester brought physician
nurses and medical supplies. HUI
dreds awaited treatment, and the raj
road station at Manchester, a eide
mill and an ice house were used
give temporary shelter and treatmer
TO the refugees. II was necessary
chop through the sides and bottom
the day coach at the bottom and III
work of removing the victims move
with painful slowness. Death ha
come swiftly to many, a large numb,
Of the dead having had their skul
crushed In when they were throw
with terrific velocity against the ca
seats and projections. The mortalll
was high among the older passenger
most OF whom were veterans OF u
Civil war and their wives.
The dead at o'clock last nigh
numbered 90 Two other persol
died In Rochester from their injurie
Several other persons with probab
mortal injuries. are lying In the he
pitfalls at Rochester, Geneva and Cl
ton Springs The number OF scriot
~ injured IL estimated at 60
Coroner d. A. Eisline OF Shortsvil
took charge of the wreck and VI
assisted by Coroners A. w. Ar
strong OF Canandaigua and Geor
Flint OF Geneva. Coroner Armstrol
was assigned particularly to inves
gate the legal aspect Of the disast
and after preliminary examlnati
of the scene he said; 1T looks to :
as though the track was bad and the
was probably a broken rail IL .
pears as II the first truck Of the III
car left the rails about go feet fro
the west end OF the bridge We "
hold no Inquest until We Identify
nj the-hodies"