Bridgeton pioneer., 1888-06-07
HORRIBLE DEATH.
Dashed from a Moving Car on
the W. j. r. R.-The
Inquest.


West Jersey extension running into
this city, was sacrificed on Saturday
afternoon, at half9past two o'clock.
The sad accident which rendered two
children fatherless and loving wife
widow. took place on the new eyten, !,
sion very near the ''Perfection Funnel
Works. north of Commerce street,
The sad story can be told as follows:
John Affenberger is s,sasss lEsRs I'D tSSlss
nine and is German: Some twelve
years ago he came to- this city With
his wife and two child ldren, John, now
bo5of is, ana agiris Julia, sat pres
ent. fourteen years Both Mr.. and
Mrs Affenberger worked in the East
Lake Woo1en' Mills and continued
there as long as the works were under
the management Of Mr.. Robt. Dubois
Through the instrumentality nof the
latter gentleman, Mr.. .Affenberger3 Sc
cured q position in the rolling mills of
the Cumberland Nail & Iron Com
pany, where he continued until
month ago when he secured position
on the West Jersey gravel train.
This train is under the care of con
ductor Clayton Moore, and John
Schenck, is the engineer Saturday
afternoon as usual, the train of fiat
dumping cars were loaded at the hill
near Harris Grove, and the train
started northward, where they are
filling in the road. The train at the
time of the accident was running at
a speed of about ten miles an hour.
Effenberger was sitting on the sand in
a car near the rear of the train. On
one side of the same car sat Elbert
Bradford, living at No. 121 Cohansey
street. When the train arrived at the
point mentioned above, the car with
out the slightest warning dumped itself
and both men were thrown headlong.
Bradford was upon the side of the car
highest in the air, and the momentum
of the dumping car threw him clear of
all tracks and ties into sand heap,
and he escaped with but few slight
bruises
Affenberger was not SO fortunate.
The sides of the cars are but trap
doors, and through one of these. head
first it is supposed he was dashed,
while his head must have struck a tie,
although it is not positively known.
The train was Immediately brought to
a standstill, and men hurried to the
assistance of the injured man. They
found him unconscious, with blood
streaming from his nose, ears, and a
cruel cash in the skull, just over and
back of the left ear. An empty car
was attached to the engine, and the
poor victim lifted into it. He still
breathed though did not regain con-
sciousness. Breathing continued until
the Feracute Machine Works were
reached when he died. tf
The direct cause of the tipping of
the car is unknown. They are held in
position by an iron pin, and kept in
place with a wooden plug, which is
always knocked in tight. Investiga-
ton of this particular car showed that
the wooden plug was rather small for
the aperture, and might have worked
loose, allowing the pin to drop out,
and the car to careen. The coroner
set the time of holding the inquest to-
| night, at the Mayors office, when all
the facts will be thoroughly investi-
gated
The affliction is an unusually sad
one, the family being very poor. The
house is only partially furnished, and
there are no carpets on the floor. Mr.
Affenberger was sober, industrious
man, but made small wages 1t is
understood that subscription is to be
taken for their relief, and no one
would be going amiss in giving them
charity. An agent of the Metropoli-
tan Life Insurance Company, stated
Saturday that he had small claim in
their Company.
The inquest was held in the rear
room of the Mayors office, at o'clock
Monday morning. John G. Schenck,
the engineer of the train upon which
Affenberger met his death, was first
called. 1t was about two O'Clock at
the time of the accident, he said,
and the train was northward, being at
the head of Elmer's pond. The train
was running at rate of from ten to
twelve miles per hour. In answer to a
question at this time, Mr.. Schenck said
that work trains were allowed to run
as fast as twenty-four miles an hour,
and knew of no restrictions which pre-
vented them from running that fast in
the city. The train was running even
ly. 1t Is customary for men to ride on
the dump cars, although sometimes in
running long distance the company
furnish the men a fiat car upon which
to ride. The first intimation of the
l acei6onf roaotuaI hx, NJ Goh an nlr wee