Omaha daily bee., 1890-09-20
WRECK ON THE READING ROAD
A Freight Runs Into Coal Train and a
Passenger Follows.
EXACT NUMBER OF KILLED NOT KNOWN,
Six Dead Bodies Already Taken Out
and Thirty Badly Injured
Many Believed to BE in
the Schuylkili River.

tht
REAprSG, Pa, Sept 19.-One OF the worst
wrecks ever known in this section occurred
tonight on the Reading railroad, seventeen
miles from here.
Near Shoemakersville there is a curve
where the railroad is about eighteen or
twenty feet higher than the Schuylkil river.
Here shortly before O'Clock freight
train ran into coal train, throwing
several cars onto the opposite track Before
the train hands had time to warn any APP
preaching train of danger the Pottsville ex-
press, carrying about 100 passengers came
around the curve at the rate Of forty miles an
hour and ran into the wrecked coal cars. Tho
engine went down the embankment, followed
by the entire train with its human freight.
The scene was one Of great horror. The
cries of the imprisoned passengers were
heartrending Some of the passengers man
aged to crawl out of their prison and aroused
the neghborhood. Word was telegraphed to
this cityn and surgeons and force of 800
wOrlimen 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 here and
others taken to the miners hospital at Ash
land.
taken out so far are:
WILLIAM SHOMO, Reading
JOHN WHITE, engineer Pottsville
JAMES TEMPLIN, fireman, Pottsville.
HARRY LOGAN, conductor, Pottsville.
DAVID AUGSTADT, Mahoney City.
+. w. LOGAN, baggagemaster, Shenan-
doah.
INJURED.
HARRIsoN RMAND, PHILADELPHIA.
JOSEPH SoUruwooD, Centralia.
JAMES f.. MARKET, Bethlehem.
JOIN THORNTON, Leesport
JOSEPH NOLL, Shenandoah.
FRANK b. HALL, manager of Frank Mayo's
dramatic company.
JOHN CARROLL, st. Clair.
JOSEPH AsFIELD, Mahoney City.
WILLIAM GLAssMAYER, Port Clinton.
THOMAS CooNEY, Philadelphia
ROBERT COLLINS, Pottstown.
SAMUEL SuELLENBERGER, Hamburg.
b. w. CITmLER, Girardvile.
JonN CooLrcK, Mount Carmel.
w. W. JOHNSTON, Shenandoah.
GEoRGE SANDERS, Reading.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Shenandoah.
JAMES BERNnAT Shenandoah.
b,,JouN Hess, Mahoney City,
pose oflD G. You've, Mahoney City.
fellow coS, DICK, Hamburg.
.s.u-- ~. SALADE, New Ringod.
JAcscg UIMER, Pottsville.
SAMUEL CooMB, Mahoney City.
WILLIAM SIMoNs, Ashland.
The wrecked train is still lying at the bot
tom of the river The exact number on tine
passenger list is not known and reporter
who is still on the groand telephones that he
believes there are still twenty-five or more
bodies underneath the wreck or who We're
carried away by the current.
Later II ;30-The Associated press agent
has just had direct communication with
representative at the wreck, who says con-
servatve estimates place the number of
killed at forty to fifty.
1t is almost impossible to estimate the exact
number, and tho horror of the situation will
not be known until late hour.
AT II o'clock Mail Agent Greenawald's
body was taken out followed by the horribly
mangled bodies of two Mahoney City iiremen,
who were on their way home from Chester
one OF the passengers who escaped with
slight injuries said to an Associated Press re-
porter at midnight: "When the crash came
was hurried 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 the seats on that side
OF the car which lay against the nbanlSment
Twas prisoner in the car and while was
nursing my sprancd ankle and wrist | real
ned that was in scene of veritablc horror
Around and about me were human beings
smuggling in the water screaming in
fright, and some almost dragged me
back into the water again. -Four saved
themselves as did and the remainder strug-
g!ed in the water and then quickly sank out
OF sight
Prot Mitchell of Lehi university, Bethle-
hem, is among the injured at the Reading
hos pital.
Lawrence Barnes of Philadelphia had his
arm dslocated. The body of John L, Miller
OF Cresson was taken out at midnight
Az o'clock this morning 300 men are still
NJ work but making slow progress. Fifteen
noules have been taken out No more bodies
nave oeen taken from the scene of the dis
aster John McDonough, Jack Noll and
William Johnson of Shenandoah are reported
injured. 1t is still believed that twenty or
more bodies are beneath the wreck. Nothing
definite will be known until the wreck is
raised, whlch VIII probably be tomorrow.
NO more names can be secured The tee-
phone Office has closed. That was the only
means of getting news all night The onlv
reporter TO get TO the scene was one of the
Eagle men, and he telephoned down nearly
oil 1hat was secured by the Reading papers.
PHiLADELPHIA, Sept, ia special from
Reading to the Enquirer about the wreck
says George X. Kaercher, the eminent rail-
road lawyer of Pottsyille, is among the killed.
Accident on the Mexican Central.
Cry OF MEXICO, Sept ia terrible accl
dent happened today on the Mexican railroad