The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-28
BARNUM.

The Terrible Accident to his show-FOur
Persons Killed and Two Others Seri-
OUsIy injured.
The Newark Advertiser of last evening has
the following particulars Of the painful accident
reported in yesterdays TELEGRAPH:-
As Barnum's menagsrie and circus was this
morning on It's way from Plainfeld to Eliza
BETH where it is on exhibition to-day, the cook
wagon, drawn by four mules, was struck at the
crossing of the Central Railroad at Cranford
formerly Craneyille) station, by the train WhicA
leaves somerville for New York at $50 A. M.
The train was said to be running at the rate of
in charge of the train that the driver of the
wagon was asleep, which was probably the case,
az the caravan did not leave Plainfeld until
A. NJ, and the men had no sleep previous
thereto.
The locomotive struck the wagon just as the
fore axle was midway between the tracks, and
SO great was the force of the collision that the
driver was thrown it is said by eye-witnesses,
full forty feet inte the air, and instantly killed.
The two wheel mules were also thrown above
the smokestack of the locomotive, and of the
five persons who were sleeping in the wagon at
the time, enc Was instantly killed, two SO badly
injured that they have probably died ere this,
and two others so manned that their recovery Is
matter OF doubt.
KILLED AND WOUNDED.
Theodore Conkling, the driver Of the wagon,
had his skull fractured and right leg broken,
and eed almost instantly. He an unmar-
ried man, about q years of age, and has parents
Edward Dyer (colored), employed as a cook,
was sleeping inside the wagon, and as his neck
was found to be dslocated, his death was of
course instantaneous. He was about 40 years
e e. g. b5s'' unmarried and resided in Brooklyn
Thomas Walsh, lad of seventeen, who acted
in the capacity of coachman for the dwarf, Ad-
miral Dot, was also sleepisg in the wagon. His
injuries are so severe that the attending physi-
clans gave 1t as their opinion that he would die
! before night His parents reside at Racine,
| Wisconsin.
George sickles (colored), employed as an
assistant cook, was badly injured about the
| head and had his ribs crushed in. He, too, is
| too badly injured to recover. He was from
! Brooklyn.
John Joice, lad from Jersey City, who was
employed in some capacity in the cooking de-
partment, together with a young man who had
been lately employed, but whose name was not
yet on the pay roll, we've severely injured, but
both may recover.
AS soon as word was received at Elizabeth
| of the accident, Doctor Martin, surgeon OF the
! Central Railroad Company, proceeded to Gran
ford and made proper provision for the wounded
persons, who had been removed to the resi-
dence of family living near the station, and
caused everything to be procured that would in
any wise conduce to their comfort.
CoRoNERs INQUEST.
With more than ordinary promptness Coroner
| Alexander Gibbs, of Elizabeth, summoned a
jury to investigate the circumstances attending
the accident, and at 12 NJ the ineuest was
Several witnesses were examined, who substan-
tiated the facts stated above
Mr.. Osborn, Sheriff of Union county, who re-
sides at Scotch Plains, stated that he was a
passenger upon the train which demolished the
Wagon, and that previous to the accident he heard
the engineer whistle 'down brakes" several
times, and the bell ringing and the steam blow
ing off. In moment after he felt jar, and
when the train was stopped some four hundred
yards beyend the place where the accident oc
CURED, saw the two dead mules that had beer
dragged by the locomotive. The inquest wal
still in progress when our reporter left at 2. M
The two leading mules broke from the tongue
to which they were attached, when the acciden
occurred, and ran frightened up the road, where
they were subsequently, found uninjured.
INCIDENTS.
1t was said in Elizabeth, but not swern to be
fore the Coroners jury, that one of the injured
men stated that he was startled from his sleel
just before the accident, and opening the slid
in the door of the wagon, discovered the trail
swooping down upon them but a few feet away
Before he could wake the driver, however
the crash came, and he was dashed among tn
debris of the crushed wagon stunned and seri
ouslY wounded.
The balance of the caravan proceeded ON Il
Elizabeth, where the three tents were erecte
aL12 o'clock and at half-past P. NJ the stree
leading to the great show was crowded witt
people on their way to the exhibition.
SRsEs MT TNHmEITTTn%5TY TYRVTa