The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-09-26

accident ON the Reading railroad neal
Shoemakersville, several persons killed ano
injured, among the missing, Geo. X. haer
cher, ESQ.,"
Soon it was rumored that several per
sons from Pottsville were ON the iatec
train, and relatives and friends hurried To
the depot. Many of the passengers hao
gone down in the morning to attend the
Berks County Fair, and it was thought
that many of them would return on thu
train. Various conjectures were formed
as to how the accident occurred.
no one being able to receive particulars
La tn martin a special train left Potts
vile for the scene 18th several physicians
and townsmen. IIonr after hour sped on and
still the impatient crowd surged to and
fro. Here and there we're groups of men
talking together, each one weaving in
some little description of the accident as
he had learned from different persons.
Strange to say in nearly every disaster
the newspapers e~xaggerate the number
killed and injured. but in this ease it was
different; every telegram increased the
number ofdeaths until the bulletin finally
read: eleven persons killed and twenty
nine injured. Among the killed are the
engineer, fireman and conductor. Death
| of Geo. Il. kaercher.h Then was the
greatest excitement, children of the unfor-
tunate victims were sobbing and crying,
and to lear some of the pitiful wailings of
the family of the poor engineer was sad,
sad indeed.
1t was a calm moonlight night, not a
sound disturbed the stiffness save the
hurried conversation Of the people. Now
and then the shrek of a locomotive would
be heard rounding the junction below
Pottsville to go up the mountain, yet IN
the stiffness of the night its sound echoed
| through the valley but brought no consola
ton to the eager, impatient Grove Every
one felt the suspense every one reaiized the
situations; but no one knew the suffering
and distress that was then going on twenty
three niles from Pottsyille, and no one
will ever know the indescribable anguish
that fell upon the occupants of that fatal
parlor and smoking car OF the evening Of
Sept. 18th, 1890.
Meanwhile the 9.17 train arrived from
Philada. on the Penna. Railroad and
although they passed within a few hun
bred feet Of the catastrophe they could
give but little information. They, of
course, saw a large number OF people on
the river bank with lanterns and torches,
but they gave no encouragement to the
impatient crowd.
Time sped on, bat even the Il O'Clock
stroke of the bell ON the Court House fail
ed to lessen the thronging crowds. For
t%unateIy they were not to lie kept i'll
suspense much longer, for at =. - a Read
ing train was seen to sweep around the
curve. 1t proved to be the relief train
that went down early in the evening. Peo-
pie made one rush for the train, and so
crowded was the space around the engine
that it required several policemen to keep
them back.
As many as cou d assisted in taking
care of the unfortunate victims; nothing
was left unCoue To make the injured COM
Portable. But when | looked at them that
was enough for me. | never saw such a
horrifying sight before. Pale as death,
bruised, scared, with the lurid glare of
the electric lights, made the scene anything
but pleasant. From one of the passengers
wing is his description:
"The first intimation | had Of the ac-
cident was a " hiStle from the locomotive.
| Suppose We were travelling at least 10
miles an hour, anyway the next moment
there was a crash aud the cars rolled down
an embaGkment in the river. ! happened
to be in the car that extended down the
bank, and so was not hurt seriously. When
the shock came ! grasped hold of Il scat
and saved myself from being injured
internally. For a while | was stunned,
but when | recovered ! made all haste to
get ont.
| shall never for ct it. The scene that
met my eyes when | got out of the
wreck was appalling. Many Of the i'm
pIiSbiltd passengers were screaming Tor
help, ~hile others proved to be heroes by
bearing their pain in silence and advising
others to brace up. There were scattered
all around splinteIed beams and boards.
chairs, seals, cushions, trucks wheels,
twisted and bent rods, all inextricably
mixed and locked together. The great
force of the impact was shown also by the
heavy axles that were bent like hairpins,
great beams splintered like match sticks,
shattered steel wheels and strong iron rods
and connections rent and snapped like
wisps of straw. The Kissing steam from
the engine mingled With the groans Of the
injured and shrieks from the panic stricken
passengers made up an aSful sight. Four
of the cars were splintered into thousands
of pieces. The terrific crash of the wreck
summoned hundreds of residents Of that
section, who hurried to the scene as the
shades Of night were gathering. They
began the work of rescue. lnjdrcd pas
sengers were piled one on top of another
amid the spin tered planks, b ans, iron
work, glass, car wheels, ear cylinders,
lamps, packages, bundles Of clothing,
baskets, hats, and a great variety of other
material, all smashed to pieces"
suppose it is not necessary to give an
account of tile cause Of the accident for
most of you have read that in the Phila-
delphia papers.
T~wenty-three persons were killed and at