The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-25
TEN PERSONS KILLED.
Fatal Wreck on the Reading Road
Near Philadelphia.
CAUSED BY D1soBBYINe ORDERS.
A Coal Train Crashes Into an Ex.
press. Demoiishing Two Cars and
Injuring ManyWho Escaped Death.
The Wreck Takes Fire.


press. DemoIishing Two Cars and
Injuring ManyWho Escaped Death.
The Wreck Takes Fire.
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. 25.-A terrible ac-
cident occurred yesterday at the north
end of West Manayunk tunnel, on the
line of the Philadelphia and Reading
railroad. As an incoming express train
from Shamokin was approaching the
tunnel to the north of Manayunk, and
going at fair speed, it came in collision
with coal train just emerging. The
force of the meeting was terrific, for the
coal cars and coaches were jammed into
huge mass, with wrecked locomotive
pushed on top. The glowing Goals from
the fire box were scattered broadcast.
and within q few moments the debris
was on fire.
Where the Accident Occurred.
The crash occurred at point nearly
opposite Shawmont, on west side of the
Schuyllsill and just above Flat Rock dam.
From above Manayunk to Bridgeport the
track runs along the face of a precipitous
bluff. A steep embankment is between
the rails and the river road below, and
continues upward to the brow Of tho
cliff. This particular formation marks
the entire line of track between Mama
yunk and bridgeport, and is not affected
by somewhat sharp curve that is on
the road close to the fatal spot II was
south of this curve where the collision
occurred
The disaster was immediate and com
nlnta In1uri1onr 1,a -
the wreck when time and ca1mness could
permit of its being surveyed, the passen-
ger locomotive must have heen raised on
the tenders end and swung over on the
line of coal cars on the other track The
trelgnt locomotive was shot down the
declivity pulling couple of the cars
after it. The sudden check to the pas.
sengcr train and the swinging of the en-
gine upon the cars on the adjoining track
probably prevented the disaster from he.
ing even more appalling, 1t resulted in
the two coaches in the front part of the
train being detached from the others,
and it was TO these two coaches that the
fatalities Were practically confined
Eng ines a CongIomerate Mass.
In moment after the crash the
shrleks OF the dying and wounded could
be heard above the crashing of timber
express was comfortably filled with pas
sengers. The mad engines literally
plowed their way through each other
and rolled over on their sides in one con
glomerate mass of shattered machinery.
The front of the baggage car was
crushed completely in, and Baggage
Master Ephler and John Stief. the news
boy, were buried in mass of broken
tlmbers, from which they were subsc.
qucntly taken out dead. The rear of the
baggage car and the forward end of the
smoker crashed together.
The greatest force of the collision oc
Cured with the smoking car and the
passenger coach next to it, and the scene
presented here gives some indication of
the speed at which the train was moving
and the terrific shock of the collision.
The smoker telescoped its way into the
other coach fully one half its length, aud
how anyone who was in either cal cs.
capped death is mystery.
The baggage car was literally smashed
to kindliDg wood and thrown over on
the porthbonnd track in a heap with the
engines 1t caught fire and was soon
burned up. The next two cars kept the
track, Notwithstanding that they tele
scoped together and were almost com
plotely demolished.
The next passenger coach and the Pull
man car were badly damaged, but not to
such an extent as to prevent of their
being drawn away from the rest of the
train directly after the accident oc
Cured. Except for scratches and bruises
tho passengers in tho last two cars al
escaped unhurt.
There were several narrow escapes.
Rev. S. Madison Kane, of the First Bap
tist church at PhGenixville, ESCAPED un.
ininPp1 althor1ob ftt-r -.
him were killed.
j. II. FurInan, of this city, and Ber
Hagenbuch, of Mahanoy City, had jus
left the smoker and taken seats in tho
rear car. The man who took Furman',
seat was killed and the man who tool
Hagenbuch's seat was badly injured.
Joseph w. Erwin and Colonel William
L.. Durant, of Collegeville; w. T. Tor.
rell assistant master car builder of the
Reading, and William Scatchard, Of
Germantown, We're among the passen.
gers who escaped injury.
Who Was Responsible?
There il considerable mystery con-
nected with the cause of the disaster
General Superintendent Bonzano said
that the train dispatcher at Pencoyd had |
been notified to give the coal train or.
ders to wait there until the south bound |
express had passed. The coal train did |
wait at Pencoyd until the accommoda. |
tion had passed, as was the usual Gus.
tom, but then pulled out. Whether or
not the train dispatcher delivered the |
order for the coal train to wait for the |
express is mystery, but it is thought |
LIE did not.
q. f Bellig, the engineer of the freight |
train, whose home is in Tamaqua, was |
found in Manayunk. Being asked about |
the collision he said: "Our instructions |
required us to go to Bridgeport after the |
passing of the accommodation train. |
Accordingly, when the latter had passed |
we pulled out and proceeded toward our |
destined point on what we concluded. in |
the absence of orders to the contrary |
was clear track. We followed our or. |
ders."
The Killed and Injured.
The dead are: Thomas j. Welsh, of |
Auburn, Pa, fireman of the passenger
train; Jacob Kilrain, SO years of Tama |
qua, the fireman on the coal train;
john Steiif, of Reading, newsboy ON !
the express, aged l6 years; Mrs. Dr. |
Reed, Pottstown, 30 years old; unknown
woman, 81 years of age, supposed to be
Annie Atkinson, of Minersvile; David |
s. Herr, member of the legislature from /
Dauphin county, aged SO years; J. Clay
ton Epler, Pottsville, baggage master OF
the express train; James Il. Boynton. |
30 years. of Reading; Margaret Devine |
so years. of Minersville; unknown man,
supposed to be brakeman Of the coal
train.
Over twenty were injured, some of
whom, it is feared, cannot survive their
wounds.