MANY PERSON KILLED OR INJURED. THE TERRIBLE RESULT OF A COLLISSION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 316, 14 November 1888, Page 5

MANY PERSON KILLED OR INJURED. THE TERRIBLE RESULT OF A COLLISSION.

Information leached Pottsville, Pennsylvania of a terrible accident which occurred on the Lehigh Valley railroad at Mud Hun, the liist station above JPenn Haven. A grand parade of Catholic societies) took place at Hazletou to-day and a large excursion was run from Wilkesbaire for the occasion, composed of lodges, bands and sightseers from YYilkeobarre, Nanticoke, and other points along the line. The excursion train was in sections and upon cheir return trip the rear secwon ran into a forward section at Mud Run about 9 o'clock, with disastrous results. Several ear;* of the forward section were tele&eoped, and about eighty persons were killud outright and about an equal number injured, many of them probably fatally. The lute hour at which the accident occurred, the remote and isolated locality of the scene and the reticence of ohe railroad people combine to render the obtaining of details extremely difficult. Another de&patcn says :—": — " The accident is beyond question the most awful disaster that ever happened in this portion of the State. Triou^li few details can be learned, there is no doubt that the number ot killed will reach nearly eighty and the injured nearly double that number. The trains were excursion trains returning from the celebration at Hazleton and the annual parade of the Cacholic temperance societies of the Scran ton diocese. Thousands of people went down to Hazlet^n from the towns of Luzerne and Lackawauna counties. Seven trains, with the cars rilled to the doors pissett thiough Whitehaven this rooming, taking the old route by the Pennsylvania ttailrodd. On the return the fir.-t train left Hazleton ab about 5 p.m., the others following a& rapidly as was deemed safe. The iirst three sections came through without any accident, the disaster happening to th r j fourth and fifth sections. JFor some reason not explained the fourth section was standing on the trac k near the little station of Mud Run, rive miles below Whitehaven, when the fifth section shot around a curve close behind and crushed into it The cars were smashed and broken and hurled off the track. The road lies close beside the Lehigh river, a steep embankment, sixty feet high, running down to the water. Several ot the cars rolled down this. Up to this writing (12.30 a.m.) no direct communication has been established with the scene of the disaster, and the railroad officials here, if they know anything, absolutely refuse to give any information. At 1 o'clock this morning report? aboat the accident are still very conflicting. It is known, however, fiom despatches received at the depot, that the accident is quite as bad as at fuse reported, and that at least thirty or more are killed. Nothing official can be obtained at the company's office, which is closed to reporters and others. One train has been started from the wreck, and it is expected to arrive here about 3 o'clock this morning. Most of the injured are said to be from Scranton and Lackawanna county. Arrangements have been made to admit the injured to the ' Wilkesoarrc Hospital. It is impossible to, get details until the first section of the train comes, which will not have been until 3 o'clock or later. The train is carrying the wounded. The train reached here at fouro'clock, but it is impossible to learn how many were killed. Among those reported dead are the following : T. Mulhern. J. Conaby, ft. Powell and wife and a boy named Ratchford, all of Minsoka, near Scranton ; Mary Ellen Girtene, William Noon, Annie Hart, Mary Ann Cannon and Kate Kenny, of Hyde Park ; Mike Motfitfc of Bellevue, Joh n

M. Coleraan and two sons of Scran ton, Miss Kate "Featherston, Barney Eagan and two daughters, Thomas Reddy.Mike Tyrell, Tom Dubbiga, Allie Reilly,, Mrs Melvin, Mrs Calls n, Mary Connor M. Gibson, Richard Powell, Harry JSurko, and Mike R. Miun of Lacawanna county. It- is reported that twenty boys of "the Father Mathew Cadets are also among the killed ; from seventy to 100 are reported injured. It is impossible to get further particulars at this hour, as the greatest excitement prevails. It was soction live of the excursion train whiclrran into section four. Tho latter had lain at White Haven, so as to bo ten minutes behind the preceeding section. A flagman was put out foi protection, but the engineer of section tive did not see his signals, it seems. The bodies, of four children were taken from under the engine immediately utter tho wreck, and tho other occupants of cais had to be cut out. the roofs and sides.