Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-26

Manchester. y. Y, Aug. 25.-Speed-
ing eastward behind time, Lehigh VAL
ley passenger train No. ran into d
spread rail on a trestle near here today
and two day coaches from the mid
section Of the train plunged downward
40 feet, striking the east embankment
like pair of projectiles. In the awful
plunge and crash at least 25- persons
are tonight known to have been kill
ed and more than so injured. The in
juries of several are SO serious that
it is feared they will die,
Was Making Up Time.
The wreck was the worst in the
history of the Lehigh Valley line in
this state 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 9. A r. encanpm ant
at Rochester. train No. 4, made up of
IA cars, drawn by two big mogul en-
gines. was 40 minutes late when it
reached Rochester Junction and from
there sped eastward to make up time
before reaching Geneva.
Pullman First to Leave Rails.
The engine and two day coaches had
just passed the center of the 400
foot trestle over Canandaigua Outlet,
$50 yards east of the station at Man
chester. at 1885 o'clock, when the Pull
man Austin, the third of a long train,
left the rails. 1t dragged the dining
car with it and two day coaches and
two Pullmans, in this order followed.
Day Coaches Go Down Embankment
All bumped over the ties short dis
tance 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,
which both plunged down the south
embankment and rolled over The,
free end of the ill-fated 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 trest1e and plunged to the
shallow riverbed. more than 40 feet
below.
Strike Wall With Terrific Force.
The end CT the first day coach that
went over struck the EAST embanknent
of solid masonry and with the other
60foot cars behind it, both shot
against the wall with terrific force.
100 People Buried in Debris.
Both cars were filed with humanity
as the plunge was made and in a few
moments the cars lay a mass of crum-
bled wood, metal and glass. under
which g hundred men, women and chill
dren, many of whom were killed in
stantly. were buried. The most de-
struction occurred ir the day coach
q
later taken dead from the second day
coach, which, having followed the firsts
over the trestle, snapped it's rear COUP
ling and thus saved the rest of thei
train from being dragged over.
Second Coach Stood End Up.S
This second day coach struck on tie
bottom and stood end up, the rear erid
the irestle All Of the passengers in
this car were piled in a tangled rniass
of broken seats at the bottom of ttile
car.
Pullman Passengers Rescued.
Indescribable pandenionium followed.
The Pullman car Emelyn. which re-
manned on the bridge with one !end
projecting over the gu1ch and several
cars behind it. dsrailed. and in iprime
diate danger Of going over on the ,mass
Of wreckage below, were soon eHptied
of all their passengers, and these aid
ed by gangs of railroad employees; from
the big freight yards at MANCHESTER
rushed to aid. AS the groans of the
injured ard dying were heard below.
all possible speed was made, butt it was
several minutes before anybody reach
ed the cars at the bottom TIC, effe-t
resoues.
Cars Did Not Catch Fire.
The cars did not catch fro Axes
we're secured and body after body was
Isnoved end carried by the rescuers
Unee deep in the riverbed to the bank
Nn the west side of the tresu F.. Thore
NE dead and injured were Id Id out on
the damr ground while pkhnks and
timber. taken from buildings in course
Of construction. were reQuishticned and
a field hospital was established.
Special Trains Bring Doctors and
Nurses.
1t was more than an hour before
many Of the injured could be removed
and Rochester brought. physicians,
nurses and medical supplies. Hun
dreds awaited treatment and the rail-
road station at Manchester, a cider
mill and an ice house were used to-
give temporary shelter and treatment
MANY Veterans Killed.
- 1t was necessary td. chop. through
the sides and bottom Of the day coach
at the bottom and the work of remov-
ing the victime moved with painful
sIowness Death had come swiftly to
many. large number of the dead
having had their Skulls crushed in
velocity against the Gar seats and pro-
jections. The mortality was high
among the older passengers. most of
whom were battie-stIarred veterans of
the civil war. and their wives.
23 Bodies IN Morgue.
The dead renoveii from the wreck
age and brought ia the morgae of J.
M. Steddard at Shartsville near here
at nine o'clock tonight, numbered 23
Two other persons died in Rochester
from their injuries. Several other per-
sons with probably mortal injuries
are lying in the shossptaIs 1at Roches-
ter, Geneva and cHfton Springs The
number of seriously injured is esti-
mated at sixty. -
Dead Bodies ssrt t. ShortsvilIs.
The following bodies were sent to
ehortsville from Manchester in charge
Of Coroner Stoddardt
Mrs. A. Zudick, Buffalo
7. c. Madden, Trenton, n
Mrs. c.. S. Johnson Cleveland. g.
George 8. 0unsIs, Smithvi1le, NJ J.
Charles Hicks. Newark. N il
r. 8. Uncle, Scuthheld n j.
G, 2. Jackson, Obetlin. q,
- eoWsss ~ addFnsa.