Evening star., 1912-07-04
PASSENGER COACHES
HURLED INTO DITCH
Many Pinioned Under Debris Long
After Accident.
NEWS OF DISASTER DELAYED
Cause of the Rail Catastrophe Not
Yet Fully Determined.
Coroner to Make
Investigation.

8
CORNING. y. Y. July 4-Lackawanna
passenger train No. g. which left New
York city at S:i5 o'clock last night for
Buffalo. was crushed from behind by a
train of express cars near here at $50
this morning, and at least thirty-five
persons were killed and fifty injured
Thirty-four bodies had been taken from
the debris at O'Clock. The crash oc-
curred before daylight. Many of the in
jGred We're mortally hurt.
Most of the dead and injured were in
two day coaches on the rear of the train,
which were toppled into the ditch The
five Pullman cars remained on the track.
Standing on Track.
The passenger train had been standing
on the track for twenty minutes when
the express train, which carried no pas
sengers, struck it at full speed. The two
day coaches were hurled down an en-
bankment and the express plunged half
way through the rear Pullman of the
standing train before it came to stop.
Most of the killed were passengers in
the day coaches, who were going home
TO spend the Fourth. F. w. Drake of
Passaic, n. j., the Pullman conductor,
said that four passengers were killed in
the Pullman.
On account of the confusion and the
lack of wire communication news of the
disaster was slow in reaching this city,
but by $50 O'Clock a score of physicians
were on the scene and the injured We're
being brought to the Corning Hospital
The bodies Of the dead were laid on the
top of the embankment, along the tracks
and at the roadside, and covered with
blankets from the Pullman. A number of
the injured are still pinned under the
wreckage, and their groans and shrieks
can be clearly heard.
Carried to Hospital.
Every undertaken in Corning was called
to help care for the dead, but their wag-
ons were first pressed into service to
carry the injured to the hospitals. Many
of the injured also were taken away in
automobiles.
The place where il occurred was a
straight stretch of track. So far as can
be ascerta!ned the engineer of the express
train had no warning that the passenger
train was in his way. 1t is believed that
when he first saw it he thought the train
was standing on a parallel track.
Block Set, Conductor Says.
The cause of the wreck has not been
d.termined. The passenger train had
been brought to standstill by freight
pain which had become stalled. One of
the two eng nes of the passenger train
was uncoupled and attached to the
,reght train to put il on the siding. Con-
ductor Staples of the passenger train
sa.s he caused the blocks to be set
against any westbound train
The train had been standing about
twenty minutes when there came an aw-
full crash. which pitched me forward
a. ainst the front OF the dressing room,
aid A. 6. Ingram of Chicago, one of the
Pullman passengers. "A second later
there seemed To come second JOLT and
then the engine of the express train
eame 10 a full stop. There was an awful
crnding and crunching. and then a great
crash as the day coaches were pitched
into the ditch. Then came tie screams OF
passengers who found themselves pinned
III the wreckage
The passenger train was heavily loaded
and was drawn by two engines. 1t was
running about half an hour late.
\ special relief train from Elmira ar
rived at Z o'clock, bringing physicians
and nurses.
Coroner Herbert B. Smith ordered all
the bodies removed to this city, and he is
planning 10 hold an inquest today before
the passengers. who will be the main wilt
nesses in the case, have left the city.
Death List May Run Over Forty.
The death list probably will run over
forty Thirty-four bodies had been taken
from the debris The work of identifioa-
tion progressed slowly. Among the first
identified were:
Antonio Nova, Cartaret, y. J.
Mrs. Lillian Reynolds. Brooklyn n. Y.
William A. Armstrong, Hoboken, y. ].
Mrs Lucy Settoducati, New York city.
As soon as news Of the accident spread
hundreds OF automobiles dashed to the
scene, blocking the roadways and inter
fering with the removal OF the dead and
injured A detail of police was sent from
this city TO keep the roads open and to
keep the crowds back from the wreckage.
Among the killed are several babies or
young children.
Stopped to Let Freight Pass.
SCRANTON. Pa. July 4.-Only meager
details have been received at division
headquarters OF the Lackawanna rail-
road here of the wreck at Corning. Tele-
graph wires are down and the company
is making efforts to get further informa-
tion.
Information received by the company
says that train No. had stopped al
Corning freight station To allow freight
train ahead to take siding when the
express train smashed into II AZ almost
cau speed. II is believed by officials here
mat 1t was impossible to get out flag
eaan in time to prevent the crash, the ex
press having entered the block close be-
and the passenger train.
Division Superintendent Cycek. at Bing
hamron, with wrecking train carrying
Soctors from Binghamton. Waveriy ant
Elmira. hurried at onse to the place oi
the disaster
Nearly all the passengers boarded the
train at Hoboken. Some got on at Scran-
ton, and all were bound for Buffalo and
points beyond. The crews of both trains