The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-13
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
AN EXCURSION TRAIN TELEsCopEp.
over FortylPersons injured and Sew.
eral Killed-The ExcursiOnists are
Catholics Returning From Al.
lnntie City to philadelphia.
Gross Negligence ON the
Part OF the Railroad

Philadelphia, Aug. 12.--Last evening the
second section of an excursion train, which
left Atlantic City at o'clock, ran into the
first section, telescoping the rear car, killing
one and iujuring over forty persons. The
train was filed with Catholic excursi onists
sixteen cars ofwhom left the city at 6 clock,
and the second section, ten cars, soon followed.
All went well until tho first section reached
Mary's landing, where the engineer slowed
and started to run on the siding to admit the
passage of No 90 express, from Camden,
and the cars had passed the swift b, except
two, when the second section came thunder.
ing on behind. Some of the persons on the
rear platform ofthe first train jumped to the
ground, and then rushed panic stricken back
into the cars. The locomotives came
bounding on and crushed into the rear
cars left standing upon the bridge. So ter.
rible was the force of the collision that the
engine fairly plowed furrow half way
into the ear, the roof of the latter being lifted
over the smoke'stack of the locomotive. Tho
shock broke one of the cylinders of the en-
CINE and instantly scalding water was poured
upon the terror-strlcken occupants of the
car Rain had been pouring down heavily
and constantly and all the windows of the
Cur were down, and the steam filling it in
stantly, added to the terror of
tho accident by concealing every
thing beneath tho impenetrsble
clouds, The scenes that ensued are described
as being simply terrible. From beneath the
concealing vapor were heard agonized
shrieks of women, piteous walls of children,
and painful yels of suffering, panic.stricken
thousands in the cars of the first train, who
ran pell mel and jumped through windows,
and rushed they knew not whittier, in their
uncomfortable fright, and it was
some tlme before reason prevailed
and earnest efforts we're made
to rescue the injured and relieve their suffer-
ings. AS there were nearly two thousand
people from Philadelphia on tho excursion,
tho excitement among those looking for their
friends ut the wharf as the wounded were
brought over from Camden, was intense
Some ofthe women had gone down to the
seaside IN Light summer costumes, which
furnished slight protection against the steam
jets, and the only difficulty is to see WHY
they were not burned. They were carried
from the cars " mass Of flour and cotton,
under which the human form was scarcely
distinguishable, aad but for the low means
they seemed dead. AT 2 o'clock this morning
number of ambulnnces were full, and the
number of stretchers proved inadequate.
Several of the victims still remain in the cars.
Mays Landing, Aug, 12.-This place is in
a state of intense excitement. The Union
hotel is turned into temporary hospital and
in the parlors are several of the dead and dy-
ing. In the front room lies Mrs. David Nc
CRYSTAL, with her face and poly frightfully
scalded. By her side is her husband also
badly scalded. In the next room lies Mrs.
Bardle, badly scalded about the head and
face. Near her. and covered with cloth.
lies the body Of Katie Welsh,
aged II years, who died from her injuries
last night, and near by lies Lille Grace,
badly, burned and suffering intensely. AT
neghboring cottages are other victims. At
Godfrey Eastlow's, near the hotel, was found
an infant daughter of Mrs. CRYSTALS, about
four months old, suffering from a severe
scald. Another child of the same family.
wounded has been found at Mrs. Parsons
Close by this little one, al girl eighteen months
old,was its mothers arms when the collision
occurred, and the father snatching it quickly
without waiting to raise car window, threw
it through the glass and jumped after ii. The
body was afterwards picked up only slightly
injured, and is now doing very well.
AT the house of Mrs. Smith, near the scene
OF the accident is the dead body of Mrs.
Herraty andtwo others, suffering greatly from
scalds. The dead body of James
Sweeney has been sent to Philadelphia.
Freddie Carr, II years old, who died soon
after the accident, and Annie Gillespie, who
died early to-day, are both at the residence
of MIR. Rafe. The mangled forms of Owen
Walsh and James Mullen, tied up in raw cot
ton and presenting terrible appearance,
were also sent to Philadelphia.
The scenes which followed the collision
are indescribable, and many say they
think the railroad company guilty
of gross negligence in running
q section of trains so close. There were
twenty-four cars in the train, sixteen in the
first section and eight in the other. The
people here have done everything that
could be done for the wounded. The scene
of the accident is in the straight track, about
two hundred yards from Mays Landing
station Part Of the first section was on the
Great Egg Harbor river bridge.
When. the crash came. II
is the general opinion that the engineer of the
colliding locomotive did all he could to check
mis- engine, and when it struck the engine had
been reversed and the sir-brakes put on.
Assistant trainmaster Ak n, engineer of
the second section, says the accident was
pQnaad cinny>lx, INV he, Ms e..
work. lie believes If the brakes had oper-
sted his train would have stopped in time to
have prevented the collision.
The dead with their residences, as far rs
learned are as follows; Mary Henruly Almond,
Somerset street. Philadelphia; Dan Gillespie,
New York and Huntington streets, Philadel-
phia; James Sweeney, 240 Cedar street, Phil
adelphia; Freddie Carr, Tilton and Emery
streets, Philadelphia; Katie Walsh.
Inc injured now here are Mr. and Mrs.
David McCristsl and their two children,
James Mullen, Mrs. Doodle and Lille Grace,
all of Philadelphia. james Bender, who
was sitting with Miss Henruttly when she re-
ceived fatal injuries, is unaccounted for. At
farm house near here Mrs. Mary Widdel,
of Camden, is lying in precarious condition,
being scalded SO severely that her life is des-
paired of T. b. Judge, president st. AIMS
literary institute, who is Visiting to attend the
inquest, makes a statement, fixing the num-
Der of passengers at 1900. He character
zes the scene as appalling.
II has been suggested that the air brakes
may have been designedly tempered with, butt
this theory has but few supporters. Sarah
Collins, who was terribly scalded, and also
suffering frightfully from internal injuries by
inhalinn tho stnnnl died ut tho pannarlrnnin