Evening star., 1911-08-26


''The rail broke In two at point sew
eral hundred feet west of the trestle- II
derailed the nine cars at the END or the
train Of fourteen. the first five cars re-
naming on the tracks. The passengers on
these five cars did not know that any
thing had happened until the train stop
ped The tenth and eleventh cars were
the cars that went of into the gulf. Both
were day coaches OF the Lehdgh Valley.
Nos. 237 and 29S. and they had been
used as regular day coaches on the Black
Diamond.
Cars Well Constructed.
''They were well constructed. No. 237, in
which most loss Of life occurred. was a
Philadelphia car put on at Buffalo. and
No. 293 was an extra. carrying pas
sengers for all stops. The train was going
about twenty-five miles an hour at the
time Of the accident
ct don't know why that rail broke. as
1t was comparatively new. 1t was rolled
at Bethlehem in 1909 and was Of the
n.nety-pound standard. While we now
use a 10O-pound rail. 1t should have been
all right. Our bridge was not damaged
in the least and it stood the violence of
tie wreck beautifully. The only damage
done on the structure was where the
fore the cars plunged down. We are
sending out from Buffalo, Bethlehem and
New York all information concerning
victims as fast as we receive It.
Fourteen Cars In Train.
1t happened that the closing formalities
of the G. A. R. encampment at Roches-
ter came at about the time the train
which connects with No. 4 at Rochester
ws-s to leave that city. and veterans and
excursionists from Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and various New York points,
anxious to get home. filled the two cars
which were added to the twelve regular
ones at the Junction. The train was thus
increased to fourteen cars. 1t was about
forty minutes after its usual time when
1t got started from the Junction. Two
big engines were put On and the track
was cleared for run that. would make
up time.
Just after the station at Manchester is
passed there is trestle about 400 feet
long, built across what Is known as Can
andaigua outlet. leading from Canandai-
qua lake. The bed of the stream here
is about forty feet below the rails, and
there Is heavy masonry on both sides as
q support to the trestle. It was here
that the accident took place. The heavy
train had gone bowling through the Man.
slackening for the trestle. The rail broke
about 200 feet before the trestle was
reached. The two big engines had no
trouble. although 1t must have been their
ha.mmering that broke the rail. Two cars
following the engines also went through
without mishap.
Third Car Left Track.
It was the third car that left the track
1t was a sleeper. and heavily built, with
heavy couplings, and while it bumped
along the ties 1t was held to the cars In
front and went along almost across the
trestle. The same was true OF the dining
car. which followed; its couplings were
also stanch enough to stand the strain
Of being bumped along on the ties
Behind these had been put the two day
cars from Rochester. They were sand
wiched in between the heavy ones in
front and two heavily built sleepers be-
hind. The thrashing Of the sleeper and
lings of the forward OF these two, and
they parted.
The car swervad sharply to the right
stripped the guard off the south side oi
the trestle, and. turning over and over
shot with tremendous impulse against the
solid masonry wall on the east side OF
the stream. landing on its top. Behind
II came the other car, which turned with
the impact and stood upright in the bee
OF the stream. its rear end sticking ur
above the trestle. The first car was shat
tered by the dash against the wall ant
the smash of the other. Here the great
est loss of life and injury were caused
The occupants of the second car were
scarcely less fortunate. for they were
piled in a mass Of wreckage in the bot
tom Of 1t and at least q dozen wer,
killed and many badly hurt. Had 1t no
been for the shallowness Of the stream
more would have died Of drowning befor,
they could have been rescued.
Saved by Weak Couplings.
The rear car Of the train escaped de
struction because the couplings Of tn,
second car proved too weak to pull then
along the ties and over into tho ditch
Az it was. the sleeping car Emelyn al
most went over. It stuck almost hal
way off the trestle. and several Of th
| cars behind 1t were OF the track and II
danger of toppling over.
In all these rear cars and two Of tn,
| forward ones that left the rails man,
Were badly bruised and cut, but ther,
We're no really serious injuries. AS sool
| as possible the passengers piled out. AMI
those who were able Immediately gav
| aid In getting at the wreckage below.
| Residents of Manchester were ais,
brought quickly by the shrieking of th
| engines, and went to work with q Will
| There was delay In giving notice to tn,
railroad officials at other points and ~
| summoning help, because the cars II
| thrashing along the track had cut th
/ telegraph and telephone wires. Tele
| phones in the town were used, however
and it was not long before physician
and nurses from Canandaigua, Geneys
and Rochester were on the way In relic
trains. while wrecking crews wer
4 hastened here as fast as possible.
| Rescuers in Confusion.
There was much confusion in the earl!
efforts at rescue. Many Of the passen
gers who had relatives in the smashe<
cars ran about IN Mysteries and added tt
It. The volunteer workers had no lead
ership. but simply went at the wreckag,
as best they could. digging hard wher
ever shrieks or groans guided them Il
the injured and pushing away wreckag,
that held the bodies Of dead. It was q!
a result OF this that some Of the rescueri
removed means OF Identification from
bodies and were unable afterward to tel
from which ones they had come.
| The station was turned into q tempo
rary hospital and the injured were at
tended by local physicians until thos.
who had come from other places wer
able to give relief. The dead were takeI
in such vehicles as could be had to tn,
lmorgue at shortsville, two miles away