Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-25
RAILWAY DISASTER.
.veN PERSONS KILLED OUTRIGHT
s''N AND MANY iNJuasD.
. Train Crashes Inso Train Of
cos, Cars-crowdcd Passenger
Coaches Teicscoped
~. ,nlnrr.pa % .ne pispatch.l

uv,elegraps 70 the Dispatch.l
,rv,PuA. Pa. October 2A-.The
'otin iH'l express on the philadelphia and
sh"'l.' -, ,a,lroad. which is due in this city
h'So'1, a. ',clock A. NJ, collided with train
h-,,,y co.l.cArs, short distance north
o, t, H. west Mauay unk tunnel. about eight
o. ~, oorth Of this city, at q few minutes
".., I O'Clock this morning. Seven persons
70 killed outright, and these probably
,.,se the full extent of the fatalities.
,,..,.,sn persons injured were taken. to 81:
Nin',hv,s Hospital, at Roxborough. and
Iuotel others we're treated stother places.
THE KILLED.
,.uo8. Thomas Welch. of Auburn, Pa,
.'an ot the express train James kil-
~, 5g years, of 1amaqna, forward Dfake-
ia..,' ~ coal tram: Frank Stief. Of Read.
u.s. ,sosboy ON express train, Killed IN
ig.' -, are-car 4 Mrs. Margaret Devine.
lD' t6 wears. killed under stove on ex-
ss.ss. tysiu DAVID S. Herr. aged 80, mem
80 tne legislature from Harrisburg;
T,,,., RoyntOn. machinist OF Reading;
't,.gu Young woman. supposed TO De
,I-'s smith, of PhoeniXville.
v,,sinc: Baggage Master J. Clayton Ep-
T., o. pOttsviite.
THE INJURED.
st,se hospital s. ID. Rhoades. Of Phoe-
,'trl,. Pa. express messenger. jaw frac-
'g-sl aud suffering from conclusion OF the
49,, condition very serious; M. ID.
G'',, Harri5hurg, city engineer, con-
-. lr.: MorItz q. beppert, both legs
i,,.,n: Mrs. NJ. g.. Leppert, leg broken /:
IN, peune. Philadelphia, lacerated wound
=, ,nrh Annie Kemp. Hamburg, Pa,
,-.e.u-. Of leg; Miss Mary Tees, OF Valley
-. Pa. fracture of leg; Annie K. Sides,
ifu,. Ia, leg broken Miss Pretzman,
T...tIwu. Pa. confusion OF ankle; Will
is~ Fmbrey. Reading, hurt--not dam
.s,o7. James +. Burfeld. Remove. Pa,
,as,mqn on coal tram, scalp lacerated; I;
~ prutz Reading. conductor of pas
., ..r ,ra.n, fractured thigh; Thomas
I-ct. engineer of express, confusion OF
i,.,r and head-yery seriously injured; (;
u,r,r e. ttshall, Reading, compound frac-
,r-- N both legs; Or. Joseph K. Wright,
is,esxyi.e. Pa, both legs broken; w.
y l,.Ler. PottstOwn. Pa. leg broken
iarc, "A CmlsOn. Reading. Pa, plum Der,
smrl1yei by company, hurt about body !:
~ ~ ucoop. Port Kennedy Pa. hand
s,i forearm crushed and afterwards am
rr,atad: William Halsey, Allentown, Pa.
c5a.u>ci log-total, ~.
OTHERS INJUPED.
Others injured were w. r. Gerlacher,
T.u,.va. conductor of coal tram. scalp
eGgnis and bruised; Charles Billig. Ia
r.gul. engineer OF coal train, head cut !;
p.-r9rl Gallagher, iii eman of coal train.
vr,t ,malEed and bruised about the
l.J.. Rev. J. NJ. Hare, PhGnixyllle. right
sake spraIned; Is. L. Shreck, rakemen
Il, coz. tfain, head and anklo injured !;
V.. l7z.c smith. of Ph9nixyille, right
ig, prokeu: 4. ROsefelt. New YORK, two
ft,ers ol riqht hand broken by Jumping
tll tbe train.
A number of other persons who were
o.l, slrntly burt proceeded 10 Phiiadel-
rtayItnou. having their injuries attended
IT,
HOW IT OCCURRED.
The Shamokn express is made up at
plrsyl.e. and left that CITY at I O'clock.
The tram arrived at Phoenixville on time.
Al Nth.s place orders dated Reading were
f,eyed u run on the north-bound track
ron Vest Conshohockin TO West Falls,
dsance y only few miles, regardless Of
uotL4rtralns. From West ConshohOckin,
N pursuauce of these orders, the ILL fated
,su took the north-bound track. II was
composed of FIVE cars. the baggage-car, a
,rohpg-car, two passenger cars. and the
Harrsturs Pullman parlor-car Crest
lne" Ire south bound track was blocked
With freieht-cars and TO this tact is pri-
manly due the catastrophe. Tram No. 538
O. empty coal-csrs started north from
Nes, Mauayunk on the north-bound track
SHORTLY before 9 o'clock.
THE BEsPoNsrBuITY.
There IS q conflict of opinion as TO the
Criers given the crew OF this train. The
crew contend that they had received no
orders 70 stop. while the railroad officials
ts what may be regarded as the most
likely story. and that Is that positive in
gructous had been given that the coal
tram should lie up at West Falls, south of
where the collision occurred. until the
slsm0kin tram had passed.
TIE TERRIBLE CRASH.
The two trains came together right on a
curve al lwo minutes past 9 o'clock with q
terrible crash, and the shrieks of the dying
6ll wounded could be heard above the
c'aslDg Of timber and the noise OF
escaping steam. The express was COM
triAb,y flied with passengers. The en-
Cnes literally ploughed their way through
Zach other and rolled over on their sides
N one cOnglomerste mass Of shattered ma
cauery.
Ile front Of tie baggage-car was
crushed completely i'll. and Baggage-mas-
teI bppier and John Stief, the newsboy.
v5re buried IN q mass of broken timbers
:fom which they were subsequently taken
o1t dead The rear OF the baggage. car
tld the forward end of the smoker
crashed together.
WHERE / WAS WORST.
The greatest force Of the collision oc-
cured w.Ih the smoking-car aud the pas
srgeI-coach next 10 il, and the scene pre-
'elir1 here gives some indication OF the
spee1 4t which the tram was moving and
he terrific shock of the collision. The
smoker ,elescoped Its way into the other
coach fully one-haif its length and how
tl' one who was in either car escaped
Death j. a mystery.
Tie baggage-car was literally smashed
Lnd!mg wood and thrown over on the
lfth-touud rack in heap with the en-
glpe.
BAGGAGE-CAR BURNED.
II caught fre and was soon burned. The
Lt1i two cars kept the track. notwith-
Nal.hng the fact tnat they were telescoped
N9t'1,r and were almost completely de-
l0ilslei
Tie next passenger-coach and the Pull
Mll-car were badly damaged, but not TO
a4yh an extent az TO prevent their being
UsNh away from the rest of the train d.
!','t sitter the accident occurred. Except
~ scratches and bruises. the passengers
'At last TWO cars ali escaped unhurt.
COAL TBAIS-MEN JUMP.
rAs iae engines approached each other,
AAs.nsef Billing and Conductor Gerlacher,
'ue coal tram. both jumped from the
50 ana what injuries they sustained were
..yu'ed IN falling. Gallagher. the fire.
I-u' was coeling up at the time. and by
,IIr LlraculOus circumstance saw the im-
,Ilug danger 10 time 10 jump from the
.-aA' lie Only injury be sustained was
sWain'd wrist. No one was IN the pas
slser engine but Engineer Fitch and
,,Ilah "elch. They were gwen no time
ALk ot their own safety. and were
S.s S.l'fa . the ruins before they knew what
oosDUcToR's cooLSYss
nhen ihe collision occurred Conductor
~Dloh was IN the third passenger
The one next 10 the Pullman. With
tmaf kaole exhibition of GOODNESS be
4uel his attention at once to the dead
~ wounded. and collecting q staff OF
spSi'' soon had the former out of the
~ ~ The injured were quickly taken
~. ss,, ana soon seven dead bodies were laid
,g -. VI he side Of the road. battered and
nO1. OAu 'Ne nope Vi ioeos'''
SURGICAL AID PROMPT.