JUSTICE HOOKER HURT IN ODD TRAIN WRECK

Engine Boiler Explodes as Two Expresses Pass Each Other.

CARS HURLED ALL WAYS

Two Railroad Employes[sic] Instantly Killed and Over a Score of Passengers Hurt Near Utica.

UTICA, N. Y., Feb. 4.---Two railroad employes[sic] were killed and Supreme Court Justice Warren B. Hooker, was among over a score of persons more or less seriously injured in a remarkable accident to two trains that occurred at Whitesborough, three miles west of this city, at an early hour this morning.

As the Chicago express was passing the special from Buffalo, both going at full speed, the west-bound engine exploded. A sleeping car of the other train, which was exactly opposite, was hurled from the track a distance of 100 feet, tumbling over and over in its flight, while the engine, tender, and twelve remaining cars were blown from the rails as if the whole had been a toy train.

The rear Pullmans were toppled into a ditch to the side of the track, but the forward cars had been hurled into an adjoining field at distances varying from ten to forty feet. Several flew from the supporting trucks and wheels and plowed deep into snow banks, while the engine's boiler went hurtling through the air and landed on the east track just behind the point where the Buffalo special had stopped.

John Allen of Albany, the engineer of the Chicago Express and John Brenan, also of Albany, the fireman, were instantly killed.

The knowledge that an accident had happened came to the sleeping passengers on the west-bound train when the cars slowed down with a suddenness and shock that threw the occupants of the berths backward with great force, in some cases tossing them out to the floor.

In the intense gloom of the early morning the more serious plight of the east-bound express was not observed immediately, but when the situation became known the crew and many passengers hastened to the rescue. The roar of the explosion awakened near-by residents, who also assisted in relieving the imprisoned and terrified passengers. Sleighs were procured, and several of the injured were taken to the Whitesborough Sanitarium. The work was carried on in a freezing atmosphere, which benumbed the feet and hands, and caused great distress to such of the rescuers from the west-bound train as had responded only partly clothed.

Among the injured were Mrs. Bell of Buffalo, wife of the Superintendent of the Pullman Car Company; Mrs. F. W. Everest of Buffalo, wife of Superintendent Everest of the Western Division of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad; J. C. Knight, Bayside, L. I.: the following from New York; William Reynolds, H. W. Roseman, Robert Well, of the law firm of R. & A. C. Well; Sidney J. West, Dr. Walsh, D. Lederer, H. W. Mosenbaum, and W. A. Emdrick of Rutland, Vt., editor of The Rutland Evening News.

Most of the injured were in the sleeping car of the Buffalo train that had been hurled from the track. This car was broken to a considerable extent, but it was not possible to get the passengers out for nearly an hour.

One of the last to be taken from a Pullman car was Justice Warren B. Hooker, who was found wedged in between woodwork. Judge Hooker said he had been thrown with great force from his berth, and found himself lying across the woodwork of the opposite compartment. He was in great pain, suffering from internal injuries.

The arrival of a relief train from Utica hastened the complete examination of the overturned cars. Some of the injured were taken back to Utica at once.

Soon afterward a special train was made up, and the west-bound passengers were carried on to Buffalo.

The officials of the Central spent the day searching for the valuables of the passengers in the Pullmans, which were not found until after daybreak because of the terrible pile of wreckage. Most of the missing property was recovered. Sidney J. West of New York reported that the had left a large sum of money in his clothing in the Pullman, but after diligent search it was given up as lost. Guards were place around all the cars until to-morrow, when the search will be resumed.

The New York Times, New York, NY 5 Feb 1905
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!