Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-20
CRUSHED BY A LOCOMOTIVE.
A Locomotive Dashes into a Philadelphia
street Car Filled with Passengers, Kill
ing Four People and Wounding Several.

A Locomotive Dashes into a Philadelphia
street Car Filled with Passengers, Kill
ing -Four People and Wounding Several.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct GA frightful &C
cident occurred yesterday morning at the
corner of SusQuehanna avenue and Ameri.
can street. At this point the tracks of the
Union Horse Railway cross those of the
North Pennsylvania branch of the Pennsyl-
vania & Reading Railroad. The incoming
passenger train ran into q crowded street.
car yesterday, completely demolishing it,
killing four persons and seriously injuring
ten others.
There was no conductor OF the car, and
the drivers duty required him to guide his
team, see that fares are deposited in the
box, and at the same time watch for trains
at the railroad crossing. The railroad COM
pany had no safety gate at the crossing,
although they had been directed by
the City Council a year ago to
erect one at that place. The driver
had stopped the car while the
north-bound train passed, but had not no
ticed the approach of the train on the other
track. He started his horses, and before
the passengers had a moments notice the
south-bound train, running at the rate of
twenty-five miles a n hour, struck the car
on the side, tearing it to splin'
bruised and bleeding, into a pro-
miscuous heap. Ambulances from the Epis-
copal Hospital arrived quickly, and most
of the sufferers were removed to that insti-
tuition, while others were taken into neigh.
boring houses, and a fewof the injured were
taken to their homes. 1t is said by a man
who watched the accident that a boy was
acting as driver while the regular driver was
inside the car.
The names of the dead are as follows:
John McKeown, gardener, leaves wife and
seven children. James Hammil, coal deal
er, had leg cut off and died in twenty min
utes after entering the hospital.
The names of the wounded are: Henry
Schultz, foot torn off at ankle, and had to
be amputated. Jacob %Iseminger, scalp
wound, not serious. Adam Kramer, scalp
wound and injuries to shoulder, back and
leg, not serious. Charles Young, dan
gerous rounds, leg broken, ankle
smashed, and amputation neces-
sary. Henry Postol, scalp wound, injury Of
leg, not serious. Mary Sellers, severe in
off, both arms fractured; will probably die.
James McHenry, slight scalp wound; Miss
Annie Shaw, injured internally and scalp
wound; George Fredericks, not serious.
Frederick II. Young, not serious.
Charles Young and Mary Sellers, men
toned above as wounded, have since died of
their injuries. Such a complete wreck was
never seen. The car was smashed to splint-
ers. The iron wheels were broke into bits
and the thirteen passengers were thrown a
distance of twenty feet. The iron DASH
board alone remained whole. 1t was a
sickening sight. The ground was covered
with debris and dyed with blood and the
cries of the wounded rent the air. Not a
passenger escaped unhurt.
Three more are expected to die from
their injuries. The eight remaining victims
OF the catastrophe are badly hurt and will
he crippled for life. Two men Oh the back
platform of the car jumped off a moYent
before the collision and escaped uninjured.
Andrew B. Little, who saw the accident,
says the crash was like a whirlwind, and
a cloud Of dust arose and covered
everything. 81 heard some heartrending
cries" he says, land saw a number Of bod
les of the passengers M the hOrse-car lying
around in different directions in the street,
and fragments OF the car were spattered
with the blood Of the injured passengers.
AS soon as l could collect myself l jumped
in and helped to lift up and carry away the
bodies that lay wounded Oh the ground, and
the scene presented was heartrending. l
saw one MAJ with his leg completely
off, and l helped to place the leg
over his body. l think he died going to the
hospital. The driver of the car was picked
up in the middle Of the street directly after
the accident, and he was heard to cry: Fol
Gods sake pick me up OF the MAJ who
was picked up first L heard the deatll-rattle
in his throat, and the woman presented a
horrible appearance" There are no gates
at the crossing, and the nagman said he
halloed to the boy who was driving the car,
but lie would not mind.