From the July 31, 1899 Issue of the New York Times:
Double Wreck on the Erie Railway - Freight Runs into a Landslide, and Passenger Train Follows - Two Killed and 26 Injured
Port Jervis, NY, July 30 -- At 11 o'clock last night, Erie passenger vestibuled train No. 7, for Buffalo and Cleveland, leaving Jersey City at 7:30 o'clock, was wrecked and burned two miles east of Lackawaxen, only two cars escaping the flames. The train consisted of a mail car, express car, cafe car and three Pullman cars. The wreck occurred during a storm which caused a landslide. An east-bound Erie freight train was first wrecked, and the passenger train plunged into the freight wreck. The engineer and fireman of the passenger train were killed, and fifteen passengers and a number of the crew of both trains were injured. In addition, three passengers were unaccounted for.
The wreck was preceded by a cloudburst and storm which lasted two hours. A section of the bank fell on the east-bound tracks directly in front of the freight train. Several trees went down with the rocks and the earth, and the freight cars and engine were turned over directly across the west-bound tracks of the Erie road. Fifty-five freight cars constituted the train, though only 22 were derailed, and the debris was piled up on the west-bound tracks just as the No. 7 Buffalo and Cleveland Express put in an appearance, running at the rate of 50 miles per hour. The engine of the express train crashed into the wreck, and the baggage and mail car, combination and buffet car, and two Pullman sleepers were piled up on the tracks immediately in front of the wrecked freight cars. The first sleeper was split into two parts as a result of the accident, and the passengers were thrown thirty feet down a bank. Fire at once broke out and four cars of No. 7 and nine of the freight cars were burned.
Baggagemaster (John) Becker, who found himself under the baggage car door, recovered consciousness to discover that he was alone in the heart of the wrecked passenger cars. He managed to crawl from his position only to find a blaze starting in front of him, while half of a car was somehow braced up immediately over him. He called for assistance but there was no response. Then he saw the passengers who had been hurled down the thirty-foot embankment, endeavoring to extricate themselves from the debris and make thier way up the bank. They were clad only in their night clothing, and many of them were bleeding and moaning.
At once the uninjured passengers and members of the crew began a systematic work of rescue. Blankets were brought from the Pullman cars and wrapped around shivering, hysterical women and half-conscious men. Word was telegraphed to Port Jervis, a relief train was at once arranged for, and Dr. Cuddeback, Dr. Swartout, Dr. Johnson, and several trained nurses returned for the purpose of caring for those needing immediate assistance. The relief train soon reached the scene of the accident, and nearly all of the injured persons were removed to the hospital.
Killed were: Stephen Outwater, Port Jervis, Engineer; Frank Sells, Port Jervis, Fireman.
Injured included: Belz, C.E., Cleveland, Ohio, cuts on the head and hand burned; Becker, John, Attica, Baggagemaster, head cut and bruises; Drake, F.L., Pullman Conductor, slight injuries; Dunbar, William, New York, Chef, bruises, scalded; Frazier, Robert, Jersey City, Waiter, scalded hands; Lovejoy, William, Jersey City, Waiter, burned hands; Sanford, Frank M., New York, Chef, bruises, scalded; Shay, Bernard, Port Jervis, Freight Engineer, broken pelvis; Smith, Fred, Port Jervis, Brakeman, shoulder broken; Trimmer, J.M., Passenger Trainman, shoulder injured; Thornton, Michael, Porter, shoulder injured; Welch, Timothy, Passenger Conductor, back and legs injured.
Of the persons injured and now at the hospital, Bernard (Benjamin) Shay of Port Jervis, the engineer of the freight train, and G.E. Belz of Cleveland, Ohio, were most seriously hurt, but it is not thought that their wounds will of necessity prove fatal. Mr. Belz is a stenographer in the office of Traffic Manager Thomas of the Erie system, with headquarters at Cleveland.
Several thieves from Port Jervis, who, it is supposed, reached the scene of the wreck on the relief train, ransacked the clothes of the passengers during the period of excitement. F. Vieu of 3 West Third Street, New York, lost clothing containing $300 in bills and a gold watch. F.S. Kilpatrick of Denver lost $100, a gold watch, a diamond pin and a diamond stud. On the way to the hospital he noticed a man wearing his trousers. Together they went through the pockets, but found the money gone. The man said the trousers had been given to him by one of the trainmen, but claimed that the money and valuables must have been taken before he received the present of the clothing.
After several hours of searching the bodies of Engineer Outwater and Fireman Sells were found under their engine by persons attached to the wrecking train. Both bodies had been burned to the waist. The men were identified by their watches.
Conductor Welch, who was removed to his home, was not seriously injured. He had a train check in his possession showing three persons as yet unaccounted for. Two were from Cleveland and one from Cattaraugus. The Cattaraugus man traveled on an editorial ticket. It is believed that all three have taken refuge in the vicinity of the wreck, and that they will be heard from later.
An Official Statement
Superintendent of Transportation George Van Keuren of the Erie Railroad was at the Jersey City offices of the company all day yesterday, assisted by his clerks, receiving details regarding the wreck and directing the work of caring for the dead and wounded and preparing for the resumption of traffic.
When seen at his office yesterday afternoon, Superintendent Van Keuren gave the following official version of the series of accidents:
"As far as we have been able to learn, it was brought about by an act of Providence, and could not be avoided by human foresight or ingenuity. The primary cause was a severe rain and wind storm, which raged throughout that section last night, causing a nasty slide on the tracks at a point on the Delaware River two miles east of Lackawaxen and 21 miles west of Port Jervis. At this particular point a steep hill towers on one side, while on the other an embankment shelves more or less abruptly down to the river. With the landslide a big tree had fallen directly across the east-bound track. The exact hour in which the slide occurred is of course unknown, but it could not have been many minutes before 11 o'clock, at which hour freight train No. 82, with 55 cars, bound east, reached the spot, running at the usual rate of speed -- about 20 miles an hour. There is no curve at this point and the stretch of roadbed is without grade. The night was very dark, and we are led to suppose that neither the engineer, B. Shay, nor his fireman, Parsons, saw the obstruction, at least, until the engine was close uopn it.
"The engine struck the obstruction and was thrown a considerable distance down the embankment, fifteen freight cars were derailed and piled up in a confused heap on the west-bound track or scattered along the side of the roadbed.
"Passenger Train No. 7, which left Jersey City at 7:30 o'clock, bound west, was due at that point at that moment, and the flagman of the freight train, recalling that fact, started on the run down the west-bound track to give the warning. He was too late, however, for within two minutes after the first train was wrecked the passenger train came in sight, running at a high rate of speed. The engine of the passenger train struck the wreckage of the freight train and was completely wrecked, being derailed and run a considerable distance in the mud. Following the engine into the mud were the mail, express and cafe cars and two sleepers. The derailed cars were badly wrecked.
"The news of the accident was carried to Lackawaxen by the trainmen, and as soon afterward as possible wrecking trains with physicians on board were dispatched to the scene from Port Jervis and Hornellsville.
"The dead and injured were taken to Port Jervis, and several of the latter proceded on to their destinations soon afterward. As far as we can learn, none of the injured is in any danger. Some of the hurts were trivial. The west-bound track was opened at 11:45 o'clock this morning, and the east-bound track will be opened for traffic at 6 p.m. The roadbed where the accident occurred has always been in good condition, and never gave any trouble before. The Erie Railroad is furnished with a complete system of block signals, but the peculiar combination of circumstances under which the first accident occurred rendered the second inevitable. We will make a thorough investigation, of course, but at present do not attach any blame to any one."