The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-06-20
A FRIGHTFUL COLLISION.
Two Passenger Trains Meeting
on the Same Track.
Eight Persons Killed and Fifteen
More Injured,

A collision occurred at A. NJ on the
Camden and Atlantic railroad, near Ashland,
NJ. between a Sunday excursion train,
bound from Camden for Lake Side Park. and
the regular accommodation train com
ing from Atlantic city to Philadelphia.
Eight persons were killed and fifteen injured.
some in all probability fatally. The cause of
the accident was disregard of orders sent to
the agent at Ashland to hold the accommoda-
ton train until the excursion train had passed.
After the accident, the condition of the
engines showed that the engineers had taken
every possible step to avoid a collision, and
had sacrificed their lives in the attempt to
save the passengers
The engines were almost completely tele-
scoped and the forward cars of each train
were torn into splinters. The first intimation
the passengers of either train had of danger
was the shrill whistle of one engine and then
the other, and the air brake applications
threw many of the passengers from their
seats. In second, and before any of the pas
sengers could rise, the trains came together
Then the screams of the frightened passen-
gers, mingled with the kissing of the escaping
steam from the two locomotives, created a
panic among the passengers who were unn-
1urcd. They climbed out through the car win
dows and fell over one another in their fright
and haste to get from the cars, and in the panic
many of those unable from fear or injury to
move were trampled upon. After the male
passengers had recovered partly from their
lrlght they began work at once to extricate
the injured from the wreck. The cries of the
injured were heartrending and messengers ran
in every direction for medical aid.
Telegrems were sent to Camden and Had
donfield, and in short time special trains ar
rived bearing score of physicians. BY that
time many of the injured had been removed
and they were attended to at once The dead,
as they were picked up, were carried to Sc
Guided spot to remain until they could be car
ried away.
The accommodation train consisted of the
locomotive and seven cars The excursion
train had five cars One of these, containing
lunch baskets and baggage, was completely
smashed. The next car contained about fifty
scholars of the Wenonah On. j. Sunday
school. The three rear cars were occupied by
several hundred scholars of the Second Pres
byterian Sunday school of Camden. The bag
gage and express cars of the accommodation
train and the smoking car were broken to
pieces.
Only few of the excursionists were injured
and only one killed. but the passengers on the
accommodation train suffered terribly. The
debris was piled nearly fifteen feet high, and
it required the work of every able man in the
neighbOrhood to remove it before any of the
injured or killed were reached. The follow
ing is list of the killed:
IVES Palmer, aged 81, engineer of the ac-
commodation train.
George Baxter, aged 81, engineer of the ex-
Cursion train.
Walter Vaughan, aged 25, baggage-mas-
ter.
Albert Smith, aged 80, conductor of the ex-
curson train.
Scott WYE, aged So, mail agent
Nicholas Barker, fireman of the accommo-
dation train.
Frank Fenton, civil engineer temporily
employed by the railway company.
Gustavus Edwards, of Marion, n. J.
The wounded are as follows:
John Caskey, of Philadelphia a boy, skull
fractured.
Leonard Bausch back injured
Cora Lippincott, young girl of South
Camden, leg fractured,
Eugene Lippincott, aged 16, leg hurt
Charles Hand of Atco, n. j., hand cut.
John Sayre, brakeman, head, body and
thigh injured.
Henry Deets, special policeman of Camden,
scalded and hip fractured.
Frank Mccormack, excursionist, left leg
broken, also scalded.
Joseph Rosenbaum, express agent, head
AL Glen, conductor of the excursion train,
internally hurt
William Caskey, younger brother of John
Caskey; internally hurt, probably fatally.
Louis McLain, fireman of the excurson
train; head terribly scaded
John Lager, brakeman; thrown into the
water and badly bruised.
One of the passengers says: CATER the
collision occurred we all scrambled out Of the
car, some escaping by the windows. Both To-
comotives were completely demolished, and
the escaping steam made it impossible for
some time for any one to approach within
fifty feet of the wreck. Great excitement
existed. The train hands were running to and
fro, too much excited to render any assis-
lance.