The San Juan Islander

DEATH RIDES THE RAIL

Appalling Disaster at Cohoes, New York.

TRAIN STRIKES A TROLLEY CAR

Eighteen Passengers Killed and More Will Die-Happy Picnickers Suddenly Hurled Into Eternity.

Cohoes, N. Y., Sept. 7. An appalling disaster occurred in this city tonight. Shortly before 8 o'clock a trolley-car of the Troy City Railway Company was struck by the night-boat special of the Delaware & Hudson at a crossing at the west end of the Hudson river bridge, which connects the city with Lansingburg, and its load of human freight was hurled into the air. Eighteen of the 85 passengers are dead, and at least 10 of the remainder will die.

The cars entering the city from Lansingburg were crowded with passengers from a picnic at Rennsselaer's Park, a pleasure resort near Troy. It was car No. 192 of the Troy City railway that met with disaster. It came over the bridge about 7:30 o'clock laden with a merry party of people, fresh from the enjoyment of the day.

The crossing where the accident occurred is at a grade. Four tracks of the Delaware & Hudson River railroad which runs north and south at this point, cross the two tracks of the trolley road. It was the hour when the New York boat special, a train which runs south and connects with the New York city boat at Albany, was due to pass that point. Tracks of the street lines run at a grade from the bridge to the point where the disaster took place. In consequence of this fact, and a frequent passage of trains, it has been the rule for each motor-car conductor to stop his car and go forward to observe the railroad tracks and signal his car to proceed if no trains are in sight. It cannot be ascertained whether that rule was complied with on this occasion, for all events prior to the crash are forgotten by those who were involved.

The motor car was struck directly in the center by the engine of the train, which was going at a high rate of speed. The accident came without the slightest warning. The car was upon the tracks before the train loomed in sight, and no power on earth could have saved it. The motorman evidently saw the train approaching as he reached the track, and opened his controller, but in vain. With a crash that was heard for blocks the engine struck into the lighter vehicle. The effect was horrible. The motor car parted in two, both sections being hurled into the air in splinters. The mass of humanity, for the car was crowded to overflowing, was torn and mangled. Those in the front of the car met with the worst fate. The force of the collision was there experienced to the greatest degree, and every human being in that section was killed. The scene was horrible. Bodies had been hurled into the air, and their headless and limbless trunks were found, in some cases, 50 feet from the crossing.

The pilot of the engine was smashed, and amid its wreckage were the maimed corpses of two women. The passengers of the train suffered no injury, except a shock. The majority of the passengers on the trolley-car were young people. They included many women.

The train of the D. & H. R. R. went on to Troy. The engineer stated that he did not see the car until he was upon it. He tried to prevent his train from striking the car, but his efforts were fruitless. His train was going at a very high rate of speed at the time. He was some minutes late, and was trying to make up lost time. In consequence of the caution taken by the trolley road to ascertain if the tracks were clear at this crossing, the engineers of trains have always felt safe in running by at a high rate of speed.

The engineer says that the first he knew that the car was coming was when it hove in sight at the corner of the street, at which the crossing is situated. He was but a short distance from the car at the time. It was utterly impossible to bring the train to a standstill. He thinks that the motorman, when he saw the train was upon him, tried to get beyond the danger line. The grade of this crossing and the speed at which his car was going also made it impossible for him to stop before reaching the tracks. It was the front end of his car that was caught and crushed, and he was killed outright.

The following bodies were identified: Archie Campeau, James Temple, Edward Bailey, Mrs. John Craven, Miss Kittie Craven, Mrs. John W. Sutcliffe, Joseph Sense, Nellie Swett, 16 years of age, Mrs. Eliza McElroy, Mrs. James Taylor, Miss Winnie Craven, James Linez, Mrs. Ellen Scow and John Timmina.