, 1890-09-20
Disastrous Wreck on the Read
ing Railroad.
A Passenger Train COllides
With Coal Cars.
The Express Thrown Into the
.Schuylkill River.
Forty or Fifty Persons Believed
to Have Been Killed.
Some of the Bodies Carried
Away by the River.

READING, Pa, Sept. l9.-One of the
worst wrecks eyer known in this section
occurred tonight on the Reading railroad,
seventeen miles from here. Near Schoe-
makersville there is a curve where the
railroad is about eighteen or twenty feet
higher than the Schuylkill river. Here,
shortly before 6 O'Clock. q freight train
ran into a coal train, throwing several
cars on to the opposite track. Before the
train hands had any time to warn any APP.
preaching train Of the danger, the Potts
vile express. carrying about $50 pas
sengers, came around the curve at the
rate of forty miles an hour and ran into
the wrecked coal cars. The engine went
down the ~enbankment followed by the en-
tire train with its human freight.
The scene was one OF great horror. The
cries of the imprisoned passengers were
heartrending. Some of the passengers
managed to crawl out of their prison and
arouse the neighborhood. Word was tel
egraphed to this city, and surgeons and a
force Of 300 workmen taken to the spot.
Work was slow and the dead and dying
taken out with great difficulty. Up to 10
o'clock tonight six dead and thirty
wounded have been taken out. OF the
latter some were brought to this city and
others taken to the miners hospital at
Ashland
The dead taken out SO far are: VIM.
d. Shores, Reading; John White, engi-
neer. Pottsyllle; james Templin. fireman,
PottsMlle; Harry Logan, conductor, Potts
vile; David Augustad, Mahoney City; f..
w Ia-o- k,.woUanoetnr Sko,.-l.oh
The injured are: Harrison Riland, Phila-
delphia. Joseph Southwood, Centralia:
James Z. Market, Bethlehem; John
Thornton, Leesport, Joseph Noll, Shen-
audoah; Frank B. Hall, MANAGE ofFrank
Mayo's dramatic company; John Carroll,
st. Claire; Joseph Asfeld, Mahoney City;
VIM. Glassmayer. Port Clinton; Thomas
Cooney. Philadelphia; Robert Collins,
Pottstown; Samuel Shellenberger, Ham
burg B. w. Cile-, G~irardville: John
Coolick, Mt. Carmel; W. ". Johnston,
Shenandoah; George Sanders, Reading
Benjamin Franklyn, Shenandoah; james
Bernhart. Shenandoah: John Hess,
Mahoney City; David G. Young. Mahoney
City; Lyman Dick. Hamburg: DR.. b. +,
Salade. Newringg9ld; Jacob Ulmer. Potts
vile; Samuel Comb, Mahoney City
VIM Sommers, Ashland
The wrecked train is still lying at the
bottom OF the river. The exac number
on the PASSENGER lust is not kpoEn and q
reporter who is still on the ground tele.
phones that he believes there are still
twenty five or more bodies underneath the
wreck or who were carried away by the
current.
The Associated Press agent has iusI
bad direct communication with the
representative at the wreck. who say,
that conservative estimates place the
number of killed at forty to fifty. 1t il
almost impossible to estimate the exac
number, and the full horror of the stu
alton will not he known until a late.
hour. At II O'Clock Mail Agent Greena
wald's body was taken out followed by tn
horribly mangled bodies of two Malone,
City firemen on the way home frou
Chester.
AT 3 o'clock this morning 300 men are
still at work. hut are making slow prog.
ress. Fifteen bodies have been taken
out. None OF the bodies have been taker
from the scene OF the disaster. Kahr
McDonough. Jack holland. VIM. John
son OF Shenandoah and John Strauss o
Schuylk;l Haven ale among the injured
1t is still believed that twentl
or more bodies are beneath
the wreck. Nothing definite will b,
known until the wreck is raised, whicl
will probably he tomorrow.
No more names can be secured. Til,
telephone Office has closed, and that wa
the only means of. getting the news.