The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-20
RICH HARVEST Of DEATH.
Fifty Persons Killed and Manv IN
jured in a Wreck Near
Reading, Pa.
Crushed, Mangled and Drowned In
the Narrow Confines OF
the Carr.
A Turkish Man. of.War Coca Dovn vv,&h
500 Souls on Board-Other
Calamittes.

READING. Pa, Sept. 19.-One Of tho worst
wrecks ever known in this section occurred
tonight on the Reading railroad, seven
teen miles from here. Near Shoemakers-
vile there is a curve where the railroad is
eighteen or twenty feet higher that the
Schuylkill river. Here. shortly before six
O'Clock, freight train ran into a coal train,
throwing several cars on the opposite
track. Before the train hands had
any time to warn any approaching
train of danger, the Pottsyille express, car
rying about 15O passengers, came around
the curve at the rate of forty-f1ve miles an
hour, and ran into the wrecked coal cars.
The engine went down the embankment,
followed by the entire train with its human
freight. The scene was one of great hor-
ror. The cries of imprisoned passengers
were heartrending. Some of the passen-
gers managed to crawl out of their
prison and arouse the neighborhood.
Word was telegraphed to this city and sur
geons and force of 300 workmen taken to
the spot. The work was slow and tho dead
and dying taken out with great difficulty.
Fifteen dead and about forty injured have
been taken out Of the wreck. The exact
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known, but it is believed there are still
twenty-five or more bodies underneath the
wreck, or who were carried away by the
current. Five bodies arc exposed to view
in the wreck, pinned under the timbers
The total dead may number forty or fifty.
Among the dead who have been taken out
and identified are George Il. Kaeroher, al
eminent railroad lawyer of Fottsville;
William y. Shonis. Reading; John White,
engineer, Pottsville; James Templin, fire.
man, Pottsville; Harry Logan, conductor,
Pottsville; David Augstadt, Mahoney City:
=. W. Logan. bageage-master, Shenandoah;
Mail Agent Greenwald and two firemen, of
Chester; John L. Miller, of Cresson.
The injured include Harrison Riland,
Philadelphia; Joseph Southwood. Centralia;
James E. Merkel, bethlehem; John Thorn
ton, Freeport; Joseph Noll, Shenandoah;
Frank B. Hall, manager Of Frank Mayo's
Joseph Asfield, Mahoney city; VIM. Glass
mayer, Port Clinton; Thomas Looney,
Philadelphia; Robert Collins, Pottstown;
Samuel Shellenberger. Hamburg; B. w.
Ciller, Grandville; John Collick, Mount
Carmel; W. W. Johnston, Shenandoah;
GeoFge
doah; John Hess, Manoney City; David G.
burg; Dr.. B. F. salade, New RinRgold;
Jacob Almer, Pottsville; Samuel Coomb.
Mahoney City; VIM. SINNERS, Ashland;
Prof. Mitchell, of Lehigh university at
Bethlehem; Lawrence Barnes, Of Philadel-
phia. Kahn McDonough, Jack holland,
VIM. johnson, of Shenandoah, Pa, and
John Strauss, Schuylkill Haven.
One Of the passengers who escaped with
slight injuries, said: "At midnight, w6en
the crash came, was hurled from my seat.
One end Of the car splashed into the river
and was thrown against the side of the
car with force that partially stunned me.
quickly recovered myself and managed to
climb upon seats on that side of the car
which lay against the embankment.
I was a prisoner in the car
and while was nursing my sprained ankle
and my wrist, which was out of joint,
realized that was in a scene of terrible
horror. Around and about me were human
beings struggling in the water, screaming
in fright, and some almost dragged me back
into the water again. A few saved them
selves as did. and the remainder struggled
in the water, and then quickly sank out of
sight,