The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-19
4 HORRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Pleasure Seekers Steamed to Death In II
Close Car.
PuII,ADELpuIA. Auplst IL.

Pleasure Seekers Steamed to Death In i
Close Car.
PHILADELPHIA, August IL.
Last evening the second section of al
excursion train which left Atlantic City
at six o'clock ran into the first section
telescoping the rear car, killing one pas
senger and injuring over forty. The
train Was filled with Catholic excursion
lists from Kinsington and Philadelphia
The first section of sixteen cars left the
city at six o'clock, and the second section
of ten cars soon followed. All went vel
until the first section reached May land:
ing, when the engine slowed up and started
to run on siding track to allow the pas.
sage of the $50 express from Camden
All the cars had passed the switch ex.
cept two when the second section came
, laundering on behind. Of the persons On
the ronr platform of the first train, some
jumped to the ground and then rushed
panic stricken back into the cars. Tho
locomotive came bounding on and crash
ed into the rear car still standing upon
the bridge. So terrible was the force of
The collision that the engine fairly plowed
turrow half way into the car, the roof
of the latter being lifted over the smoke
stack ofthc locomotive. The shock broke
one of the cylinders of the engine and
instantly scalding water was poured out
upon the terror stricken occupants OF the
car. The rain had been pouring down
heavily and consequently all the windows
of the car were down, and the steam fill
ing it constantly added to the terrors OF
the occasion by conceaing everything in
an impenetrablc cloud. The scenes that
ensued are described as being simply ter
ribIc. From beneath the concealing va
por were heard the agonized shrieks of
women, piteous walls of children and
pain borns yells of suffering men. The
panic stricken thousands in the cars of
the first train ran pell nell from them
or jumped through the windows,
and rushed, they knew not whittier, in
their unconquerablc fright, and it was
some time before reason prevailed, and
earnest efforts were made to rescue the
injured, and relieve the suffering. AS
there were nearly two thousand people
from philadelphia on the excursion the
excitement among those looking for their
friends at the wharf as the wounded were
brought over from Camden was intense.
Some of the women had gone down to
the seaside in light summer costume,
which furnished but slight protection
against the steam jets, and the only diff
ficulty is to see where they are otburned.
They were carried from the cars mass
of -four and cotton, in which the human
form was scarcely distinguisha5lc and but
for their low means they seemed dead. At
two o'clock this morning ten ambulauces
were full, and as the number of stretchers
proved inadequate several of the victims
still remained in the cars.
MAYS LANDING, n. j., Aug. II.
This place is in state of intense ex.
citement. The union Hotel is turned
into a temporary hospital, and in the
parlors are several of the dead and dying.
III lhe front room lies Mrs. David Nc.
Crystal with her face and body frigbtful-
ly scalded, and by her side is her hus-
band also badly scalded. In the next
room lies Mrs. Berry, badly burned
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 suf.
fering intensely. At the neighboring
cottages are other victims. At Godfrey
Eastlow's near the hotel, was found Il
daughter of the McCrystals, about four
months old, suffering from severe scalds /;
another child of the same family has
been found at Mrs. Pearson's near by.
This little one, girl eighteen months
old, was in its mothers arms when the
collision occurred and the father
snatching it quickly without waiting to
raise the car window threw it through the
glass and jumped after it. The baby
was afterwards picked up only slightly
injured, and is now doing very we'll.
At another house is the dead body of
Miss Henratty, and two other persons
suffering greatly from scalds. The dead
body of James Sweeny has been sent to
Philadelphia. Freddler Carr, eleven
years old, who died soon after the acci-
dent, and Annie Gillespie, who died
early to day, are both at the residence Of
Mr.. Rafe. The mangled forms of Owen
Walsh and James Mullen tied up in raw
cotton, and presenting a terrible appear
ance, were also sent to Philadelphia.
r. B. Judge, President of st. AIMS
Literary Institute, who is waiting to at
tend the inquest makes statement
fixing the number of passengers at 1900.
He characterizes the scene which follow
ed the collision as indescribable, and
says: II think the railroad company was
guilty of gross negligence in running
sections of trains so close. There were
"a cars in the train, 16 in the first Sec
ton, and eight in the other.
The scene of the accident is on q
straight stretch of track about 200 yards
from Mays Landing station. A part of
the first section was on Great Egg Har-
bor River bridge when the crash came.
1t is the general opinion that the engin-
ecr of the colliding locomotive did all he
could to check his engine, and when it
olluCh ~ udu UCtu ICfCloCu anu LAV az
brakes put on. Assistant Train Master
Edward Aiken, the engineer of the sec.
opd section, says the accident was caused
simply by the mir brakes failure to work.
He believes if the mir brakes had opera
ted his train would have stopped in time
to have prevented collision. 1t had
been suggested that the air brakes may
have been designedly tampered with, but
this theory has but few supporters. Sa.
rah Collins, who was terribly scalded
and suffered frightful internal injuries by
inhaling the steam, died at the Pennsyl-
vania Hospital to-day.
Two physicians and six nurses arrived
hero to-day. The railroad company has
done everything possible for the relief Of
the injured.
NJ. Hoogland, the conductor, and Ed
win Aiken, engineer of the second Sec
ton, were arrested here to-day. They
are charged with manslaughtcr, and
were each held in one thousand dollars
bail.
County Coroner Boyson swore in jury
of inquest this afternoon and the body of