Harrisburg, PA Train Wreck Jun 1892

ELEVEN PASSENGERS DEAD

AND MANY MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE WRECK.

DETAILS OF THE COLLISION NEAR HARRISBURG--ARREST OF A TELEGRAPH

OPERATOR WHO CONFESSES THAT HE GAVE A WRONG SIGNAL.

HARRISBURG, Penn., June 25.---The Western express on the Pennsylvania Railroad, leaving New-York at 6:30 P. M. and Philadelphia at 9:20, is due in Harrisburg at 12:15 A. M. This morning, however, it was several minutes late on leaving Philadelphia, and had not made up the lost time when it reached here.

It was made up of one baggage car and one express car, three day coaches, and the private car of George Westinghouse, the Pittsburg inventor of the air-brake. Robert Pitcairn of Pittsburg was also with the Westinghouse party. As the train rolled into Harrisburg it was stopped a few minutes at Dock Street, east of the station, to allow some shifting in the yards, the flagman being sent back to signal the second section, which was following close behind.

He was soon called in and the train had but started when the second section dashed around the sharp curve a few yards away. Then came a grinding and crushing sound and immediately after the groans and shrieks of injured and dying passengers.

The first section had stopped within a few hundred yards of the Union Station, and was just starting when the second section, a heavy train, made up of Pullman sleepers and one express and baggage car combined, plunged into the handsome private car of Westinghouse and drove it forward, crushing the three day coaches ahead into kindling wood in the twinkling of an eye.

The locomotive plowed its way through the rear of the private car, but not a single member of the Westinghous party was scratched. The porter, however--W. H. Woodyard of Philadelphia--was slightly hurt.

In the day coaches many passengers were half asleep and were awakened by the crashing and grinding of the timbers, the breaking of glass, and the hissing of escaping steam, while others never knew the fate which overtook them.

continued