Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-20
An Express Train Filled With Passengers
Thrown Into a River.

An Express Train Filled With Passengers
Thrown Into a River.
READING (Pa J, September 19th.-One of
the worst wrecks ever known on this sec
ton occurred tonight on the Reading Rail-
road, seventeen miles from here.
Near Shoemakersville there is q curve,
where the railroad is about eighteen or
twenty feet higher than the Schuykill
river. Here, shortly before six o'clock, q
freight train ran into q coal train, throwing
several cars on TO the opposite track. Be-
fore the train hands had time to warn any
approaching train of the danger, the Potts
vile Express, carrying about one hundred
and fifty passengers. came around the curve
at rate of forty miles an hour, and ran
into the wrecked coal cars.
The engine went down the embankment,
followed by the entire train with the
human freight. The scene was one of great
horror. The cries of imprisoned passengers
were heartrendiDg. Some of the passen-
gers managed to crawl out of their prison
and arouse the neighborhood.
Word was telegraphed 10 this city, and
surgeons and force of 800 workmen taken
to the spot The work was slow, and the
dead and dying were taken out with great
difficulty. Up to 10 o'clock tonight six
dead and thirty wounded had been taken
out. OF the latter some were brought 10
this city and others taken to the Miners
Hospital at Ashland.
The dead taken out so far are VIM. D.
Shomo, Reading John White, engineer,
Pottsville James Templin, fireman, Potts
vile; Harry Logan, conductor, Pottsville
David Augustadt, Mahoney City; E. ".
Logan, baggage-msster, Shenandoah.
Injured-Harrison Riland, Philadelphia;
Joseph SouthWood, Centralia James E.
Merkel, Bethlehem; John Thornton, Lees
port: Joseph Noll, Shenandoah Frank B.
Holl, Manager of Frank Mayos Dramatic
Company; John Carroll, st. Clair; Joseph
Asfield, Mahoning City; VIM. Glassmayer,
Port Clinton; Thomas Cooney, Philadel-
phia; Robert Collins, Pottstown; Samuel
Shellenberger, Hamburg; B. W. Githler,
Girardville; John Coolick, Mt. Carmel; w.
W. Johnston, Shenandoah; George Sanders,
Reading; Benjamin Franklin, Shenandoah;
James Bernhart, Shenandoah; John Hess,
Mahoning City; David G Young, Mahoning
City Lyman Dick. Hamburg; DR.. 3. F,
Salade, New Rlnggold; Jacob Ulmer Potts
vile; Samuel Coomb, Mahoning City; Wm.
Summers, Ashland.
The wrecked train is still lying at the
bottom of the river. The exact number on
the passenger list is not known, and the
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.
LATER-I1:30 An Associated Press
agent iast had a direct communication
with representative at the wreck, who
says that conservative estimates place the
number killed at from forty 10 fifty. 1t is
almost impossible to estimate the exact
number, and the full horror of the situa.
tion will not be known until a late hour.
AT II o'clock Mail Agent Grewnawalds.
bury Yves taken out, followed by the horri-
bly, mangled bodies of two Mshoning City
firemen on their way home from Chester.
At midnight thirteen bodies have been
recovered. The names of those known
are already given. Five bodies are exposed
to view in The wreck, pinned under the
timbers.
At 8 o'clock this morning 800 men were
still at work. but making slow progress
Fifteen bodies had been taken out. John
McDonough, Jack NOll and VIM. Johnson
of Shenandoah, and John Strauss, of Schul
kill Haven, are among the latest injured
1t is reported and still believed that twenty
or more bodies are beneath the wreck
Nothing definite will be known until the
wreck can be raised, which will probably
be secured. The telephone Office ha:
closed. That was the only means of get
ting the news all night. The only reporter
who got to the scene was one of tht
Eagle men, and he telephoned down nearly
all tha; wss secured to the Reading papers
Professor Mitchell, of the Lehigh Uni
versity at Bethlehem, is among the injured
at the Reading Hospital. Lawrence Barnes
of Philadelphia, had his arm dislocsted
The body of John L. Miller, of Cressona
was taken out at midnight.
PHILADELPHIA, September l9th-A spe
cial from Reading about the wreck says
that George R. Kaercher, prominent
railroad lawyer of Pottsville, is among th'
killed.
HEART REEDING SCENES.
READING, September 19th.-0ne of tht
passengers, who escaped with slight iniu
ries, said to an AssociatedPress reporter
Sat midnight when the crash came, | wa
hurled from my seat. One end of the ca
splashed into the river and ! was thrown
against the side of the car with force ths
partially stunned me. quickly recovered
myself and managed to climbed upon tht
seats on that side of the car which lay
against the embankment. l was prisoneI
in the car, and while | was nursing my
sprained ankle and wrist, out of joint,
realizeu that | was in a scene OF veritabl'
horror. Around and about me were human
beings struggling in the water, screaming
from fright, and some almost dragged ms
back into the water again. A few saved
themselves as | did, and the remainder
struggled in the water and then quietly
sank out of sight