FATAL TRAIN WRECK AT BLODGETT MILLS, N. Y.

D. L. & W. R. R. depot at Cortland, N. Y. Trolley waiting to cross.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 3, 1897.

A FATAL WRECK!

Mrs. J. H. McQuillen of Philadelphia, Instantly Killed.

D. L. & W. SOUTHBOUND VESTlBULE BROKE A RAIL AT BLODGETT MILLS.

Many Injured, Some Seriously—Parlor Car went on its Side—Day Coach

Left the Track—Section Gang had Three Ties Loose and Engine Broke a Rail.

   The southbound vestibule through express on the D. L. & W. R. R., which left Cortland at 10:02 yesterday morning in charge of conductor James Doyle, engineer F. G. Townsend and fireman A. H. Wellington was wrecked at the depot in Blodgett Mills. The train does not stop there and was going through at full speed. About one hundred feet north of the depot the section gang were at work on the track. They had three ties loose and as the locomotive went over, its weight broke a rail. The locomotive, express and smoking cars went over the break all right, as did the front truck of the day car following. The rear truck of this car and the parlor car left the track. Before the coupler broke the day coach was dragged two hundred feet, minus the rear truck. Every light of glass in the east side of the car was broken by coming in contact with a telegraph pole or the corner of the depot.

   Soon after the parlor car, "Richfield" left the track it went over to the east on its side. The corner of the milk depot was taken out, a large telegraph pole was broken off and when it struck the passenger depot that was carried several feet off its foundation before the car stopped. How any one in either of the two last cars escaped serious injury and how any one in the parlor car escaped death is to be wondered at. All felt the jolt as the car left the track and nearly all stood up. These are mostly the ones who were injured.

   Mrs. J. H. McQuillen of Philadelphia, her daughter Mrs. H. S. Carter and son Jack, and Mrs. D. N. McQuillen and sons Daniel and Price, formed a party who have been stopping at Glen Haven. They were in the parlor car, returning home. As the mother felt the car leave the track she jumped to her feet and when it went over she was thrown partly through the window and dragged some distance between the car and ground. Death probably was instantaneous for her head and right side were badly mangled. She was

68 years old. Mrs. Carter's leg was injured and her son Jack's face and hands were much bruised. The other two boys of this party were somewhat bruised.

   Many Cortland people were on the train, including a bridal party, Mr. and Mrs. Will. Lombard. The only one badly injured was Proprietor A. D. Wallace of Hotel Brunswick. He was on his feet and was thrown through a parlor car window when it went over, but not until it had lost its motion. His hat partly protected his head but he received a bad scalp wound and his left arm was much bruised, besides a general shaking up. The doctor thinks no bones are broken.

   A partial list of the injured includes Mrs. Rogers, wife of Dr. Rogers of Wilkesbarre. She received a cut about three inches long through the scalp. She and her daughter had been visiting Mr. and Mrs. N. H. Gillette of Cortland.

   Mrs. M. Bellman of Oswego was cut over left eye.

   Harry Connell of Scranton had his 5 year old daughter Louise in his lap. He was uninjured, but the child's head was badly cut and her left arm. They were in the east side of the parlor car. Mrs. Connell, his wife, was badly cut about the head and their daughter Helen has a badly injured right arm.

   Mrs. Downing of Brooklyn was badly injured, probably no bones broken but internally.

   In the parlor car were eighteen passengers. Some escaped uninjured and many had small bruises and cuts. Everyone on the east side of the day coach was injured more or less by the flying glass

   Superintendent A. H. Swartz of this division of the D. L. & W. was on the train. His left hip was bruised.

   It is very fortunate many more were not killed outright and that everybody was not injured.

Pink line shows Erie and Central New York R. R. between Cortland and Cincinnatus, N. Y.

LACK OF TIES

Prevents the E. & C. N. Y. R. R. from Extensive Track Laying Expected To-day.

   Since our last issue the rails of the new railroad have been laid to within a mile of McGrawville and nearly the entire distance is ballasted. All the ties on hand have been used. Several carloads are expected to-day and if they arrive track laying will progress rapidly. The work train now runs nearly to the land of the Welch estate.

   In the meantime the grade has been completed for the Y which is to run across the Randall land and connect with the D. L. & W. The foundation is laid and the frame of the engine house has been raised. The freight depot is also well under way as is the grading for switches. In front of the engine house will be a turn table and water tank. By to-morrow night there will be many hundred feet of switches ready for use. Over a hundred men are at work.

SLIDING.

The Cortland Team Lose Games Regularly Now.

   While every game of ball in which the Cortland team has figured lately has been a good contest, Cortland has invariably come out with a smaller score than her opponents. The first Palmyra game last Thursday is a glaring exception. We won it and would have won the second one also had Yerkes been here to go in the box or had Friel kept his temper. It was a good deal to ask when we think of the dirty playing of Connors of Palmyra, but it would have won the game.

   The first game was ours handily, 6 to 3. The second was ours when the seventh inning opened, the score being 4 and 4, but here the visitors obtained a lead and kept it. Final score 8 to 4. Friday we did not play.

   Saturday Auburn was here. As a result of two costly errors, the score was 6 to 1 in Auburn's favor when Cortland went to bat in the last half of the ninth. Then by good clean work we hammered out 4 runs and had not Ashe been replaced by Duggleby in Auburn's box, Cortland would not have stopped run getting till she was a winner. As it was Auburn had us 6 to 5.

   Monday Geneva beat us on our own ground, 9 to 8. Friel was knocked out of the box but didn't know it, hence our defeat. Then an exhibition game was played, which we won 14 to 2. Wednesday Cortland was defeated at Lyons 3 to 2. Yesterday afternoon they were playing at Palmyra and to-day they play at Canandaigua. Tomorrow Canandaigua plays here. One more game after that is all we shall see in Cortland. That is on September 10 with Auburn.

   Last Thursday Canandaigua won from Auburn 6 to 5 and Lyons shut out Geneva 6 to 0. Friday Auburn downed the leaders 7 to 5 and Canandaigua and Geneva split a double bill. Geneva won the first 9 to 5 and Canandaigua won the second 3 to 2. Saturday Palmyra won from Geneva 17 to 9 and Canandaigua beat Lyons 8 to 7.

   Sunday Geneva beat Auburn 5 to 3. Monday Palmyra beat Lyons 11 to 1 and Canandaigua beat Auburn two games, 6 to 5 and 11 to 7. Tuesday Palmyra won from Lyons 11 to 8 and Auburn took two from Geneva 16 to 2 and 7 to 3. Wednesday Auburn easily defeated Palmyra 6 to 2 and Canandaigua won from Geneva 6 to 1.

   The standing of the clubs Wednesday night was as follows:

Carpenter Family Reunion.

   In the year 1800, Abner Carpenter settled on the east side of Dryden Lake,

Tompkins county, where he lived to rear eight children, two of whom are now living, Mrs. Candace Sweetland of Kansas, and Mr. Stephen Carpenter of Harford, who were present at the third annual reunion of the descendants of Abner Carpenter, held Thursday, August 26, at the home of Mrs. Jane Carpenter Joiner in Virgil.

   Tables were spread in the orchard and a sumptuous picnic dinner was served to 148, the number present.

   During the afternoon an excellent literary programme was rendered on a stage on the lawn in front of the house.

   Song—"Betty and the Baby," Clara VanMarter, Judson VanMarter.

   Recitation—"What They Say," Iva Pond.

   Drama—"Out into the Street."

   Song—"The Old Homestead," Clara VanMarter.

   Declamation—"A New Republic," Geo. Pond.

   Recitation—"Little Angels," Hattie Pond.

   Dialogue—"An Old Maid's Idea," Nina H. Pond, Merta S. Joiner.

   Recitation—Eva Pond.

   Recitation—"An Inventors Wife," Nina H. Pond.

   Song—Clara VanMarter.

   Historian's report—Three births, no deaths, one marriage, Mrs. Nancy Carpenter

   Reading letter from Sylvester Carpenter, Neponset, Ill.; speech by S. A. Carpenter, Harvey, Ill.

   The following officers were elected : Wesley Kinney, president; Mrs. Maria

Carpenter VanMarter, secretary and historian; Orrin C. Pond, treasurer.

   Swings, croquet and base ball afforded the amusements of the day. After singing "God be with you 'till we meet again," by request of Sylvester Carpenter of Illinois, they disbanded to meet at Mr. R. D. Joiner's in Virgil, the last Thursday in August, 1898. Those present were S. A. Carpenter, Harvey, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. John Carpenter and daughter Cora of Pennsylvania and representatives from Cortland, Tompkins, Cayuga and Tioga counties.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

The Labor Conference.

   The following is the platform adopted by the labor conference at St. Louis, which was held on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The platform as presented reads, in part, as follows:

   "The fear of the more watchful fathers of the Republic has been justified. The judiciary has become supreme. We witness a political phenomenon absolutely new in the history of the world—a republic prostrate at the feet of the judges appointed to administer its laws.

   The exercise of the commonest rights of freemen, the right of assembly, the right of free speech, the right of traveling the public highways, have by legislation under the form of injunction, been made a crime and armed forces disperse as mobs the people daring to exercise their rights.

   The pending strike of coal miners, starved to feebleness by their scant wages and by arduous and dangerous toil, the pending strike for the right to be fed enough to make labor possible, has been prolific of judicial usurpation, showing the willingness of judicial despots to resort to the most shameless defiance of decency as well as of law and humanity in order to enable heartless avarice to drive its hungry serfs back to the mines to faint and die at their drudgery, and there remains to-day not one guaranteed right of American citizens the exercise of which an injunction has not somewhere made a crime by these subversions of constitutional liberty. We have met to counsel together and have come to the following conclusions:

   That, whereas, The present strike of the coal miners has again demonstrated the fact that our so called liberty is not freedom, but is a stupendous sham;

   Whereas, This condition has become permanent for a large and ever increasing number of our population;

   Whereas, Appeals to Congress and to the courts for relief are fruitless, since the legislative, as well as the executive and judicial powers, are under the control of the capitalistic class;

   Whereas, Our capitalistic class, as is again shown in the present strike, is armed, and has not only policemen, marshals, sheriffs and deputies, but a regular army and militia in order to enforce government by injunction; therefore, be it

   Resolved, That we hereby set apart Friday, the 3d day of September, 1897, as a "Good Friday" for the cause of suffering labor in America, and contribute the earnings of that day to the support of our struggling brothers, the miners, and appeal to every union man and every friend of labor throughout the country to do likewise.

   Resolved, If the strike of the miners is not settled by September 20, 1897, and announcement made to that effect by the president of the United Mine Workers, a general convention be held at Chicago on Monday, September 27, 1897, by the representatives of all unions, sections, branches, lodges and kindred organizations of laboring men and friends of their cause for the purpose of considering further measures in the interest of the striking miners and labor in general.

   Resolved, That we consider the proper use of the ballot as the best and safest means for the amelioration of the hardships under which the laboring class suffers.

   Resolved, That the public ownership of railroads and telegraphs is one of the most necessary reforms for our body politic.

   Resolved, That we most emphatically protest against government by injunction, which plays havoc with even such political liberty as workingmen have saved from the steady encroachment of capitalism; and be it finally

   Resolved, That no nation in which the people are totally disarmed can long remain a free nation, and therefore we urge upon all liberty loving citizens to remember and obey article 2 of the Constitution of the United States, which reads as follows:

   "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

   ◘ The Republican county convention has been called to meet in Taylor hall in Cortland on Monday, September 6 at 1 o'clock P. M. At a meeting of the county committee held on Monday of this week, on motion of Attorney N. L. Miller, it was decided to delegate the power of selecting the chairman of the county convention to A. S. Brown, chairman of the county committee. This is an excellent plan, as it saves the county committee the trouble of meeting before the convention and selecting a chairman as they have usually done, and it also avoids the possibility of making a mistake and selecting some one that the Republican voters might want for chairman, instead of the man that the more conservative organization want. It is not safe, you know, to leave a matter of that kind to a committee as a whole, they might get rattled. In fact, we do not see why the "organization" should take the chances of holding a convention at all, why not let Mr. Brown name the whole county ticket!

HERE AND THERE.

   The state fireman's convention will be held in Binghamton next year.

   W. D. Tisdale has been chosen secretary of the Cortland Board of Trade.

   Great Adam Forepaugh & Sells Bros.' circus at Cortland next Wednesday.

   Cortland grocery stores and meat markets will close at 8 o'clock except Saturday nights and during the Holidays.

   Street railway "spotters" visited Ithaca recently and caught all but two of the conductors "knocking down'" fares.

   Joiners' Business college opened for the fall term Monday. The attendance this term promises to eclipse all previous years.

   Forepaugh & Sells Brothers' circus will probably exhibit on the fair grounds between Cortland and Homer. They are here next Wednesday.

   A regular meeting of the board of managers of the Hospital Association will be held at the hospital Monday next, Sept. 6, beginning at 3 o'clock P. M.

   Rev. Stanton A. Parker of Omaha, Neb., son of Justice E. C. Parker of McGrawville, was married on Aug. 26 to Miss Belle Rogers, of Salida, Col., at the home of her parents.

   Fred Rounds of Virgil, and Miss Mildred Williams were married at the home the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Williams on River-st. Wednesday afternoon. They left at 6:13 for Binghamton and other places.

   A '96 model Rambler lady's bicycle was stolen from the hallway leading to the Salvation army rooms one evening last week. The owner left the wheel only a short time but upon returning missed it and the police were informed. No trace of it has been found.

   At Syracuse Saturday, Aug. 21, Onondaga county Republicans nominated G. Ross French for sheriff, Dr. C. E. McClary for coroner, Edgar P. Glass for surrogate and George J. Yaeckel for county clerk.

   Gerrit A. Forbes, Supreme Court Justice, is again seriously ill at his home in Canastota. He arrived home from Massachusetts, where he had been spending a several weeks' vacation a week ago Saturday morning, his return being hastened by indisposition. He was compelled to take to his bed at once, being attacked by convulsions. Physicians pronounce his trouble to be Bright's disease and this attack to be far more serious than the one which prostrated him at Oneonta last spring. At last reports he was somewhat improved, and no immediate danger was anticipated.

   Andrew L. Smith, a Lehigh Valley brakeman, residing at Elmira, was caught between the bumpers while making a coupling at McLean Tuesday night. Dr. Boice of McLean was called and the injured man was brought to Cortland in a caboose. Beard & Pecks ambulance was at the depot in response to a telegram and Mr. Smith was immediately taken to the hospital where Drs. Dana and Didama made an examination of his injuries. It was found that no bones were broken but he was badly bruised about the shoulders.  The patient is now reported to be in a comfortable condition.

   The insurance of B. H. Bosworth on his clothing which was burned in the fire at his residence last week Sunday has been amicably adjusted. The full amount of insurance was $400. He made up a list of the loss amounting to $300.20, and it was fully allowed by Davis, Jenkins & Hakes, the agents.

   The Homer-ave. M. E. church base ball team will cross bats this afternoon with a team from the First M. E. church at the fall grounds. When Methodist ardor meets Methodist zeal, the poor leather sphere will be made to feel the force of such slugging as never before helped to roll up a magnificent score.

   The tubes of the chimes in the belfry of Grace church in this village, which have so long been badly out of tune have been returned to the factory at Methuen, Mass., for tuning and the entire set of bells is soon to be rehung and thoroughly overhauled by a representative of the U. S. Tubular Bell Company.

   Mrs. Lettie Buell Woodward, wife of E. E. Woodward, died at her home in Truxton last week, Thursday morning, after an illness of about seven months, at age of 42 years. Her husband, three sons and one daughter survive. The funeral was held at her late home in Truxton, Saturday, at 10 o'clock.

   Mrs. Benjamin Peters, who was taken to Syracuse for medical treatment last week, died Tuesday afternoon. An operation had been found necessary and was performed last Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Peters have resided in Cortland for about 15 years. The remains were taken to Rosendale, N. Y., her former home.

   Oswego papers speak very highly of Messrs. Wallace & Gilmore who will manage the Cortland opera house this season. The Wilbur Opera company which received such an ovation in Oswego last week will open the Cortland Opera house week after next with a three night's engagement, Sept. 16, 17 and 18.