Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-31
n laIyPLACED sWIrCa.


= AIBPLACED SWITCH.
A.a . Fatai R.4lro.a Accident
What is believed to have been a mis-.
placed switch at Bear Swamp. four miles
east Of Trenton, on the New York division
l of the Pennsylvania railroad yesterday
about 4:3O p m, caused an accident result
ing in the killing of two persons and the
wOunding, moro or less seriously, OF
twenty more. The train was the fast
Pittsburgh express, which left New York
at $40 and was due in Philadelphia at
SEQ. It consisted of a baggage car, a
Pullman parlor-car and three passenger
coaches. The engineer, conductor and a
number OF passengers agree in saying that
the switch-tender was seen running of
toward . woods when the wreck occurred
the theory being that he turned the
switch the wrong way by mistake and,
seeing the error, hurried back to rectify it,
but discovering he was too late, fled to
avoid the consequences. Tho engine was
the famous 724, which made the quickest
run between Philadelphia and New York
before the last big engines were built and
was in charge of Engineer E. F. OsmOnd,
who says he was running about thirty
miles an hour, but the conductor says the
speed was about tifty-five miles. The two
rear passenger cars were smashed to kind
ling wood. The baggage car, smoking
Car and Pullman parlor car in front kept the
track and were not damaged. The engine,
though canting::over and quivering in every
joint, kept the track, and the engineer and
firemen held their posts. Among the dan
gerously injured is Topsy Venn, of Rice's
Surprise Party, now engaged at tho Wal
nut Street theatre, who, with Ella Chap
man, of the same troupe, had gone to New
York to spend Sunday, and were returning
to take their places in last evenings per-
tween two seats, while Miss Chapman re-
ankle. In the midst of the excitement and
sufferings of others, however, both, accord.
ing to the statements of passengers, forgot
selves to the care of others. Arriving in
Philadelphia they were conveyed to the
Continental, where tho condition of Miss
Venn Immediately became alarming. DR..
Turner says that in the crush between the
seats she received dangerous conclusion
to the liver and a jarring to the whole body
which renders her condition most serious;
in fact, the doctor would not last night
HltC sbu OplLlOu do W GllO CAS1CJ 04GCuJ VI
her injuries, but gave all -inquirers to un-
derstand that nothing definite could be
known for day or two. Miss Chapman
the company in few days.
Mrs. Lucretia Pennington, who was one
of tho killed, was tho widow of John Pen.
on Seventh street, below SAMSON. Os.
f0,o O;uoor o1,o,. ,.r<, tho tro:,,
was one of Colonel Scott's old favOrites,
having run the road for twcnty-four years
| without an accident. The other killed
was Ritter, Augustus, book-keeper for j.
p. Ditman & Co., 635 Morris street, Phil
adelphia SO years of age crushed be-
meath truck and instantly killed. Mrs.
Ritter was injured and Mrs. Peanington's s
niece had her spine severely injured.
About a dozen others were more or less
hurt.
It seems that Mr.. Ritter and his wife
had their baby with them, and passenger
who saw him killed thus describes the
scene ''The father had his body half way
out of the window when the trucks came
crashing down on him, smashiag in the
roof like ap egg shell and falling right
across his waist. His brains were Oozing
out, blood was streaming all over his
head and face and he was quite dead.
don't think he lived an instant after the
trucks struck him. In ono hand he held
his baby's little lace cap, and it could not
be gotten out of his fingers. The wife
was rushing wildly about, screaming for
somebody to come and get her husband
out. 1t was not until two or three pas
sengers, one of them with the baby in his
arms, had taken her in hand that she could
be gotten away. The passengers got axes
and cut the husband out. The car was
as complete \ wreck as l ever saw or
expect to see. The old lady who sat in
tho seat behind the dead man was also
badly crushed, and, think, died
few minutes afterwarl. If it had not
been for the passenger in the scat behind
me pulling me back I, too, would have
been crushed to death under the heavy
truck and the baby along with me. How
the mother was saved I don't know.
When the car pitched over the second time
she was thrown aslant the aisle past my
seat and toward the door. She was
crushed between the seats and seriously
hurt. Afterwards she and her baby were
cared for by passengers, who raised a purse
of money for her and took her to the hotel.
Her husbands watch was also given her
by the German who took it off bis person
in my presence.