Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-10-26
AN AWFUL WRECK.
Mistake OF an Engineer Causes Disaster
on the Reading Road.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24.-The fast train
from Shamokin, on the Reading Rail
road, due here at $50 O'Clock this
morning, ran into q coal train at the
West Manayunk tunnel and 8 frightfUl
smashup resulted. The cars caught fire
and are now burning.
The wreck occurred this morning
about 9:10 O. clock. The scene of the &C
cident is at West Manayunk, suburb
of this city, about ten miles distant.
1t seems that the Shamokin
express due here at $50, and
carrying large number of
passengers, was the Inflated train. This
train usually leaves the upper coal re
gions on Monday morning, loaded with
workmen and laborers who are en-
ployed along the line, and who take adj
vantage of their Sundays rest to go
home on Saturday nights and spend
the holiday with their families.
The first rumor to reach the city was
to the effect that eight persons had been
killed and number injured. This was
followed later by the more alarming
statement that not less than twenty
eight lives had been lost, and later still
the figures arose to the appalling total
of fifty-two killed.
Inquiry at the office of the officials of
the road at Broad and Callowhill streets
met with no satisfaction whatever. The
officers admitted that there had been
wreck, but refused to give any further
information or even the slightest de-
tail.
At noon, President Mcleod, Of the
Reading system, received a telegram
from his representative at the scene Of
the wreck, stating that as near as could
be ascertained, ten persons were killed
and fifteen injured.
The Inflated train was known as pas
senger No. 3, which leaves Shamokin at
5 A. NJ, Pottsyille at A. NJ, and Read
ing al hour later, and is due at the
Broad Street station of the Reading
Company at $50. The train is an ex-
press, and makes but few stops between
Reading and this city. It was running on
the north bound track, the south-bound
track being in use between Conshocken
and West Falls for other traffic. The
track had been ordered clear for No.
2, and that train was rushing southwark
to Philadelphia, when. at a few minutes
after 8 o'clock, it crashed into engine
53S, running north just west of the West
Manayunk tunnel.
The first report received here was to
the effect that the collision had oc-
Cured in the tunnel, but later in
formation proved this rumor to
have been false. The engineer of
engine 538 had been ordered to
lie at Pencoyd station, a short
distance south of the scene of the acct
dent. and it was due to his disobedience
of these orders that the accident oc-
Cured. Had he remained at Pencovd
a few minutes longer, the loss Of nearly
q dozen lives and the injuring Of nearly
q score Of persons would have been
averted.
Both locomotives were badly wrecked
and both tracks were blocked. In ad-
dition, portions of the wreckage was
thrown against telegraph pole, caus-
ing the breaking of the wires and rem
dering communication between the
main office here and the scene of the
wreck difficult.
A few minutes after the smash-up,
the wrecked passenger cars caught fire,
thus adding to the horror ofthe occasion.
An alarm brought out the fire engines,
but it was some time before the flames
were extinguished. Undertakers' wag-
ons and other vehicles from Manayunk
were soon at the scene OF the accident
and willing hands quickly extricated
from the mass of wreckage the dead,
diving and manned passengers. Up to
noon fifteen Injured persons had
been removed to st. Mary's Hos
pital at Roxborough, short dis
lance away. Ten dead bodies
had been taken charge of by under
takers, and this was reported to be the
extent of the casualties resulting from
the disobedience of his orders by the
engineer Of No. 53S.
At o'clock Information was received
by President Mcleod that but five per-
sons had been killed.