Year: 1871




Union Telegraph:


The train leaving New York at o'clock
last evening met an oil train on the New
Hamburg drnw bridge. The oil train
jumped the track and broke in two. An
oil har tipped over on the passenger train
and set it on fire, and the locomotive, cars
and bridge were all burned up. Three
sleeping cars are among those damaged.
I9 persons we're killed outright and ma
ny more injured who will not recover.
Their names have not yet been ascertain
ed. 'res-


PoUaHKEEPsfE, N. Y, Feb. THE
following is correct statement of the dis
aster on the Hudson River Railroad. One
car of the oil train broke wheel and was
shrown off its track upon the up track at
the bridge in the face Of the second Pa
ciic expreis. An attempt was made to
stop the express, but not in time enough.
1t struck the oil car and scattered the frag-
ments in every direction, which at once
ignitcd, enyeloping the entire express train
in flames


The express train was composed of To-
comotive. baggage car, express car. and
five or six sleeping cars. The locomotive
was at once hurled into the river and the
engineer killed. and the baggage and ex-
press cars piled on the top of the engine.
At the same time the sleeping car was one
sheet of flame and though desperate at
tempts were made to rescue the passen-
gers it is said not one. got out alive. Two
other sleeping cars next to it were also
wrapped in flames, but the passengers in
them all got out safely and then the bridge
| took fire. In less than ten minutes after
ward the whole structure fell, carrying
the Chicago car and burying the car and
inmates out of sight under the water and
among the ruins of the locomotive and ex-
press and baggage cars. This terrible
result settled all doubts of the probability
of rescuing any one dead or alive and
there was nothing to do till day light. I


Charles Cossum, conductor of the train.
states that there were sixty-five sleeping car
tickets and f:fty-two of them found own
ers, indicating that but thirteen are mis-
sing. The passengers say, however. that
the Chicago car contained twenty-five or
thirty persons, and not one got out.


All trains stopped at the break this
morning and the work of recovering the
dead bodies commenced. Upon the ice,
near the wreck body was found with
the entrails torn out. and the head aud
legs crushed. 1t has not been identified
up to this time. ., ...tI $50


The freight train which caused the ac-
cident, consisted of about twenty-five cars
most of which carried tanks filled with oil.
Before leaving Albany, every car was
carefully inspected by the workmen and
no defect was discovered. When the train
reached the wooden bridge over Wrap
pings Creek, near Hamburg, about, eight
miles below Poughkeepsie sudden shock
passed through the entire train. almost
throwing it from the track. On examin-
ing it was found an axle of the tenth car
had broken. The car had then broken
loose from its couplings, the car on end
and one side struck against the frame work
of the bridge and lay total wreck upon
the track.


Almost at the same moment, and boz
fore a signal or note of warning could be
raised, the express train which had left
the city at 8 o'clock, came rushing along
at the rate of 80 miles per hour The
engine struck the wrecked car with terri
BILE force, setting fire to the oil and scat
tering inhammable material and burning
fragments of the car in all directions The
force of the collision instantly threw the
engine over the bridge into the creek.
The ice was very thick at the time, but
was unable to bear the weight of the lo-
comotive. which broke through and sank.
The tender also fell into the creek imme-
diately behind the engine.


There were two baggage cars, followed
by sleeping cars full of passengers. The
flames from the oil tank soon set
fire to these cars, which, after striking the
wreck, fell over into the creek, a burning
mass. 1t is said some of the passengers
in the sleeping cars succeeded in leaping
from the car over the bridge and either
drowned or burned to death. The body
of 2. III. Voshburg, conductor of the sleep
ing car was afterwards found, with tho
lower extremities burned away.


As soon as the particulars of the disas-
ter reached this city, Superintendent j.
M. Toucey started for the scene, and has
since been engaged with large body Of
men searching for the bodies of the un-
fortunate passengers.


This morning the wreck was cleared
away from the sleeping cars as it lay upon
the ice and vigorous search was made for
the bodies of those passengers who might
be crushed in the wreck or those burned
to death. In one corner of the car heap
e Il k<.1s
found, but so disfgured that identification
is impossible. From the appearance of
the bodies it is evident the passengers, at
the time of the accident, had rushed in
despair to the rear door of the car and
there miserably perishcd. Three bodies
apparently those of mother and her two
children, of which the arms yet remained,
were discovered closely embracing each
other. 1t is surmised that, finding egress
impossible, they resolved to die together.


Behind this Buffalo car were two other
sleeping cars, also totally destroyed by FIRE.
The passengers, however, many of them
but partly dressed, succeeded in saving
their lives. Many cars of the freight train
with the baggage they contain we're also
burned. Lawrence Mooney, brakesman.
is among the killed. Discharged from the
road about month ago, he was reinstated
in his position about two weeks ago at the
urgent request of his mother.


The noise occasioned by the explosion
of the oil tank was heard for great dis
tance, and the flames Of the wrecked cars
and burning bridge could have been seen
many miles. The bridge over Wsppan-
gers creek was about 200 feet in length
and was totally destroyed.


Many persons from Poughkeepsie and
New HAMBURG as soon as the news of the