FEARFUL CATASTROPHE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 279, 29 October 1883, Page 2

FEARFUL CATASTROPHE.

BAILWAY ACCIDENT.; ; ' 7 AN A WFUL MASSACRE. | 7 ; The mail brings particulars of tih_ fearful accident at Steglitz, mentioided m our telegraphic summary. It' occurred on Saturday night, Sept. 2. Steglitz is a favorite place of resort of BerHners, and lies on the Potsdam and Magdeburg railway, three miles to the south west.. .„ The„accidpnt, which. may r be called a massacre, stands probably unique m the annals of railway disjßteis. The,.4ay heing.Sunday, and the . Sedan, anniversary, the place was; crowded with excursionists to . thp, Schuetzenfast and other festivities m honor of the day. By 10 p.m , a crowd of about 500 persons filled the platform of , the railway station at Steglitz, wa)£ 'ing for 'the return traint''W_en the latter arrived, after some delay, the barriers still remained closed to await the.passing of the Cologne night express;. Suddenly, however} the pressure of Hhe^ impatient cro4d* forced the barriers aside, and, despite the efforts, of the railway officials, hhndreds oi , persons rushed across the down lines to enter the cars. At that moment the 1 express came tearing along, and although rthe driver, . pn, Bering the danger' signals displayed at the last; 'moment, applied the brakes, the train "dashed,* right the* : masa !of ; people covering the line, and annihilated everything m its way. One terrible cry of anguish arose even above ithe thunder of the train, and all was over, "'lie details of this terrible scene, lasting only a few seconds, as narrated by eye i &re alm'dst'^tbp har- : ;^rovvißg^for^^'repelilabnr^^riyt^rspriß^ ■of whomjseyenteeii were men, eighteen women* 'and ' five children, were iJn- ? sjantly killed, and about twenty-five' wounded. iAllithe victims belong to* tlje artisan and laboring classes. X For a distance of lOp^ardsrtlunline ' waipoyered with/bodies, all shockingly . mutilated/ and human fragments.; One girl had nearly reached the local' train when the draught caused by tjie express threw her under the locomo- > tiye. Que woman had both legs cutoff, and on being carried into the waitingroom gave birth to '-a r ßead-~ child ['and expired. Another* woman and a sailorin ;the Imperial j navy were completely decapitated, .-and no ; vestige_jof the heads have' been found;' A child had one hand cut off, and one body iwas entirely ; divested of clothing. -The' driver of the express train had to be relieved from his duti_4 being unAble 1 ' I to proceed after witnessing the .scene- ; HiS.licomotive wascbVered with pieces ' 'of flesh, bones, rags, a_d f dre%che&with I jblooii. T?he line remained blocked for nours, while detatchment of firemeii and soldier^ gathered the remains of the vie* tipis by. torchlight. r^wbnderfpl escaped reported \of .two children who wereintheiaccide-t, ' and who fell between the rails, and the ' train passed over them, inflicting on them on, a few sUght bruises.- Most of the wptinds were not caused* by the engine, but by the footboards. /.;' \