Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-09-25
FEARFUL DISASTER.
Shocking Calamity on the Read
ing Railroad.
A Passenger Train, Running at n High Rate
OF Speed, Dashes Into a Freight Wreck
Many Persons Killed and
Injured.

READING, Pa, Sept GA wreck &C.
Cured on the Reading railroad seven
teen miles above this place about 6:45
last night which resulted in a frightful
disaster-the worst in the history of the
Reading Railroad Company.
The train which met with the disaster
left this city at Cos o'clock. ten min
utes late. 1t was known as the Potts
vile express and was running at the
rate of at least thirty-eight to forty
miles an hour. 1t had on board pos
sibly 125 or $50 passengers and consist
I'D of engine tender. mail and express
ears end three passenger coaches
Above ShoemakerSville, this county,
about fifteen miles from this city, is a
sharp curve, where the railroad is about
eighteen to twenty feet higher than the
Schuylkil river. Here shortly before
eix o'clock a freight train ran in ito a coal
train, throwing several cars of the lat
Ger on the opposite track.
Before the train hands had time to go
Back to warn any approaching train of
ehe danger the Pottsville express came
around the curve and ran into the
wrecked coal cars on it's track. The en-
CINE went down the embankment into
che river, followed by the entire train
With its human freight.
Some of the passengers managed to
crawl out Of their prison and arouse the
0eighborhood Word was telegraphed
to shis city and help summoned. but all
Information was refused 1T this point
By the railroad officials. Physicians
and surgeons and a force of 800 work
nen were taken to the spot by the COM
pany snd with the aid of travelling
Dlectric light plant the work Of clearing
away the wreck was at once begun.
Up TO midnight thirteen bodies had
been recovered. Five bodies are ex-
posed to view in the wreck. They are
pinned under the timbers
Conservative estimates place the
number of killed at from forty to fifty.
1t is almost impossible to estimate the
exact numbe and the full horror of the
situation will not be known before
morning.
At eleven o'clock Mail Agent Green
wald's body was taken out, followed by
the horribly mangled bodies of two
MahanOy City fremen on their way
home from the Chester convention.
The killed SO far as identified are as
Follows: John L. Miller, of Cresson;
William ID Shome, Reading badly
mangled; John White. engineer, Potts
yille, Pa; James Templin, Pottsville,
Pa. George r. Kaercher, Pottsville, Pa;
Marry Logan, conductor, Pottsville, Pa.
David Aughstadt Mahanoy City, died
after being taken from the wreck. His
head and body were crushed; E. w. Lo-
gan, baggagemaster, Shenandoah.
George r. kaercher, Esq, the eminent
railroad lawyer OF Pottsville, who has
also law Office in Philadelphia, is
among Che killed. Persons who were
well acquainted with him have identi-
Aed the crushed body in the debris of
the pullman car.
William ID Shome, one of Readings
wealthiest citizens was passenger on
the train and was one of the first per-
sons re ported killed.
RECOVERING TIE DEAD.
READING. Pa, Sept 2O.-At two
o'clock this morning the situation was
as follows: Three hundred men were
still at work, but were making slow
progress Fifteen bodies had been
sa!len out None OF the bodies have
been taken from the scene of the di-
saster
1t il still believed that twenty or
more are underneath the wreck. Who
they are is not known, because 1T is not
known who was on the train, and how
many were actually killed will only be
disclosed with the rem oval of the en-
sine ana cars from the bed of the river.
STORY OF y SURVIVOR.
READING, Pa. Sept. 2O.-One of the
passengerswho went down in the wreck
end who vas but slightly injured, and
was one OF the sixteen of the injured
h.. III I'll
Ing hospital at eleven o'clock, says that
when the passenger train left Reading
Che cars were all we'll filled. Among
the people were many ladies. He
SAG in the front part of the last
car. This is his story: The train
was going at a lively rate of speed. The
Passengers appeared happy crowd.
many of them ladies, chatting and
laughing after a days pleasure at the
Berks County fair. l was viewing the
country through which we were passing
when suddenly there was terrible
crash. ] was hurled from my seat,
while Che cars rolled down the twenty
foot embankment, and Iswas thrown
from one side OF the car to the other
1ike esoys when-splash one end went
into the water and was thrown against
she aide Of the car with force that par
TALLY stunned me. ! quickly recovered
nyseH and managed to climb upon the
eeats on chat side of the car which Law
againet the en- bankment was pris-
oner n che car unable to get out. and
while aursing my sprained ankle and
wrist out of joint realized that 1 was
in a sce0e % veritable horror. Around
and about me were human beings strug-
gang in the vsater, screaming in their
fright, and some almost dragged me
back into the water again. few saved
themselves as did and the remainder
struggled in the water and then quietly
sank QUE q sight"