Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-09-25

ilEApISd. Pa, s pit. ia terrible wreck
occurred on ths Reading railroad, near
hbotmakersrlile, 10 miles ebOve this point,
at alton, Gas oclocx tonight. The Assoc
clated Press agent has jus had direct COM
munleutiJu with his representative at the
eGane OF the Trsck and the latter says that
consHrvRiiye estimates place the number
OF killed ~ 40 10 bU. II IL almost impossi-
bic 10 estimate tho exact number, und the
full horror u tho situation will not DO
known before morning.
A. II O'Clock Mall AGENT Greenwald's
buay was taken out, followed by the horri-
by napglei bodies OF two Mahoney City
t,remen on iheir way home from the Chester
convention.
The 'rain which met with the disaster
left this city az Cos oclocg--10 minutes
late. 1t was running at tha rate Of at least
to 40 miles an hour. II had Oh board
sibiy l2i TO $50 assengera, and IL con
.eed OF engine, tenier, mall and express
cars and three passenger cars.
AnOve Shoemakersville, this county, about
10 miles above this C ~, there is a curve
where the railroad Is hbOnt IS 10 20 feet
higher than the Schuylkil river. here,
shortly before 6 O'Clock, IA freight train ran
into coal train, throwing several cars OF
thu latter on the opposite track, and before
the train hands had time to go back to
warn any approaching train OF the danger
the PUtsvi.le express came around the
curve aud ran into the wrecked coal cars
on It's track. Tue engine went down the
embankmcnt. followed by the entire train
with It's human freight.
The scene was one OF great horror, and
eau be- better imagined than described. The
cries OF th3 imprisoned passengers were
henrtrendiEg. IL was u scene nNver to be
forg item 10y those who participated anc
survived.
some OF the passengers managed TO
crawl out of their prison aud arouse the
nslghbothoOd. Word WAS telographed 20
this city and help summoned, but all In
formation was refused at this point by the
railroad officials.
Physicians and surgeons aud forcs OF
3JU wOl kmrn were taken to the spot by the
company, "A Il, with the aid OF a travelling
electric light plant, the work OF clearing
away the wreck WAS ut once proceeded
with. TIE wOrk was Glow, aud tine dead
and dying wers taken out with great dltt-
Guilty. Up to 10 o'clock to night SIX dead
and 20 W undsl had boen taken out.
Among the kiled were william d. Shomo
OF IL city, one OF the owners OF tho
Academy OF Music; another Is George
kaetchei, general solicitor OF the Philadel.
pnin y Rfallng rHitroGi.
Many 4 afppp returning from tho convan-
ton ut chester were Oh the train and they
mnEe up big proportion OF the I'M AIRED.
As fast as the killed and Injured were re-.
moved from the debris they were carried
on stretchprs to the too OF tho high bank
truck. The most seriously Injured were
placed IN the parlor Car. Help arrived from
Pousvlia, and some OF tho Injured were
taken 10 thAt place.
1're wrecked train consisted OF two bag
gage cErs, one pullman parlor, four day
COACHES and one sleeper attached to the en-
gus IN me order named. This train was
puesal, each car being literally crowded
with passengers, many OF them being per-
sens 3ho had visited the Bstks county fair
en- h..Ir hon ~
up ttp $ehlylkiil valley. Bur one stop-at
baasport--i mnda between here and Ham
burg, ABOUT IL miles north OF this city.
Near the village of ShGemakersv'ile the
train rnuling ut a high rate OF speed, with
out IL moments Yarntng, dAshe Il around Il
sharp curve into the rear of coal train
TINT mud been wrecked but few minutes
before.
rEere was crash; the engine leapsd
hiRh III the air, aud then toppled over and
rolled 80 feet down the steep embankment
into the dchuylklil rlver, dragging Win u
four cnrs. The coal train had broken Ia the
centre, and freight following struck the
loose ears.
at the same moment that the express
came around the curve the collldlng OF the
liains occurred the passenger engine being
Iuugsd beneath the water and the enRl-
rar, John White of Pottsvllle, and fire.
man, John Tamplin Of Pottsvile, were
were pinned beneath tho wreck.
The cars turnsd over three times, and
two were submerged. Al the first crash
the air was filled with shrleks; but in IL
moment manv voices were slleu' ed. Not Il
passenger escaped from The first Pullman
oar. There are ~ least eight bodies In IL
TINT cannot be reached bef re morning,
The cars were crushed into spllniets, and
do not beer a semblanee to their original
shape. Very few OF the Passengers escaped
without some tclury.
Rumors OF the accident spread like Wild
fire. In a few minutes there was Wild
ruah for tho main Philadelphia Il Reading
station. Within 90 minutes the crowd about
the Immense building was so great that II
was impossible 10 force n passsgeway
tuEough. There were many among the
crowd who had lear relatives Ia the
wrecked train.
READING, Pa, Sept. 20-When day
light dgwned On the soene Of last nights
wreck on the Philadelphia Il Reading
railroad, near Shoemakersville, tho full
realization OF the indescribable horrors
OF the night before ware first fully re-
vealed and tho sickening spectacle OF the
wrecked train and its victims was pre-.
scented in startling picture and terri
bic soene. There lay the engine in !
feet of water, while the body OF
the engineer. John White, was still
pirioued underneath the heavy iron
appealing manner above the water. The
eogine IL all battered out OF shape, and
lis ponderons machinery bent and twisted
like plaything. Next lay the tender on
its side, and then the baggage and mail
GAYS and passenger coaches in the success
sion ia which they left the track the tim
bers brokoa and the cars overturned
pinning tine unrescued victimD in death
embrace at the bottom of the ziyor.
An A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
The speed ut which the train was run
Aipe Gun be imagined when it is stated
that the distance from tho point whers
the engine left the tracks going down th'
steep Us foot embRGktnent and then dash
ing over the rocky bod of tie river II
fully $50 feet.
TAKING OUT THE BODIES.
The work Of searching for bodies con
tinued all night and up TO . O'Clock thu
morning number more had been takeI
out row making the total number re
covered st abou, 20. There is nov ~
longer any doubt Oh to the fate Of Geors'
II. Kearoher, general counsel OF thu
Reading railroad. His body wRs takei
out of the wrecked pa-lor car ea-ly thi
morning almost uure cognizablo ant
badly cis.igured. The scene on tins
banks OF tho river was CHASTITY one
There lay long row OF the dead which
were increased as ono after another
the bodies were brought out of the wHter
THOUSANDS AT THE soENE OF DISASTER
TIE force employed by the RAILROAD