Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-25
SEVEN SACRIFICED,
A Frightful Collision Between an Ex-
press and a Coal Train.
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Disobedience of Orders the Cause of the
Accident.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE OF PASSENGERS.

kin express on the Philadelphia and Read
ing Railroad, which is due in this city at
$50 A. NJ. collidcd with train of empty
coal cars, short distance north of West
Manavunk, about eight miles north of this
city, at few minutes past o'clock this
morning. Seven persons were killed out
! right, 19injured persons were taken to St.
Timothy's Hospital, at Roxborough, and
several others were treated at other places
Following is a list of the killed:
THOMAS WELSH, of Auburn, Pa, fireman
Of the express train.
JAMES kILRAIN, % years, of Tamaqua,
L forward brakeman on coal tram.
4 FRANK STIF, OF Reading, newsboy on ex-
4 press train. killed in the baggage car.
.FMRS MARGARET DEVINE, aged 60 years.
i kilIel under stove on express train.
| DAVID s. HERR, aged 50. member of the
i Legislature from Harrisburg.
| JAMES BOTNTON, machinist of Reading.
ANNIE ATCHIsoN. % years, of Minersville,
MISSING, Baggage Master J. Clayton Epler,
| of Pottsville.
! Those Who We're Injured.
The following were among the injured: d.
| Rohdes, of Ph1nixville. Pa, express mes
| senger, jaw fractured and suffering from
! concussion OF the brain, condition very se-
rious; NJ. D. Cowden 40. Harrisburg, engi.
neer,. confused Icy: Morltz g. Leppert. both
| Ie.rs broken; Mrs. NJ. G. Leppert, le:, broken:
| Ella Devire, Philadelphia. lacerated wound
| of thigh: Annie Kemp, SO, Hamburg, fracture
of leg; Miss Mary Tees, OF Valley Forge. frac-
| ture of leg: Annie f. Sides, 49, Reading, leg
| broken; Mary C. Pretzman, 26 Pottstowr,
! confusion OF ankle; VIM. H. Embry, SO,
Reading, not dangerous; James Z. Burf1eld,
20. kenoyo brakeman maj. on C. coal train train, SCALP
ductor of passenger train, fractured thigh;
Thomas Fitch, engineer OF express, concus-
,sion OF brain, and head fractured, very seri-
pound fracture both legs; DR.. Joseph Z.
Wright. 80. Ph9nixville, both legs broken;
W. IL. Erecker. 81, Pottstown, leg broken;
James H. Chiilson, 27, Reading, hurt about
body; John L. Wyncoop. 40, Port Kennedy.
Pa, hand and forearm crushed and after
wards amputated; William Halsey, 36, Allen
town, CONFUSED logs.
The Others injured we've W. IT, Gerlacher,
Tamaqua. Pa, conductor of coal train, scalp
wound and bruised; Charles Billig. Tama-
qua, engineer of coal train, head cut:
Bernard Gallagher. fireman of coal train:
wrist sprained and bruised about the body;
Rev. j. NJ. Hare, PhRnixville right ankle
sprafned: B. F. Sheck, brakeman ON coal
train, head and ankle injured; Miss Lizzie
Smith, Phanixville, right leg broken; H.
Rosefelt, New York, two fingers broken. A
number o. other persons. who were only
slightly hurt, proceeded to Philadelphia
without having their injuries attended to.
Orders Were Not Obeyed.
The Shamokin express is made up at
The train arrived at Phenixville on time.
At this place orders dated Reading were re-
ceived to run on the north-bound track from
West Conshohocken to West Falls dis
tance OF only few miles, regardless of all
other trains. From West Conshohocken,
in pursuance Of these orders, the ill-fated |
train took the north-bound track. 1t was |
composed of five cars, the baggage car, two |
passenger cars, and the Harrisburg Pull |
man parlor car "Crestline.
The south-bound track was blocked with |
freight cars, and to this fact is primarily |
due the catastrophe. Train No. 53S, of |
empty coal cars, was started north from |
West Manayunk on the northern track |
fict OF opinion as to the orders given the |
crew of this train. The crew contend that
they had received no orders to stop, while
the railroad officials tell what may be re-
garded as the most likely story, and that is,
that positive instructions had been given |
that the coal train should lie up at West
Falls, south of where the collision occurred,
until The Shamokin train had passed.
The two trains came together right on>a
curve with a terrible crash, and the shrieks
of the dying and wounded could be heard |
above the crashing OF timber and the noise
of escaping steam. The express was COM
fortably filled with passengers. The en-
gines literally plowed their way through
one conglomerated mass of shattered ma
chnery. The front of the baggage car was
crushed completely in, and Baggage Master
Ephler and John Stif, the newsboy, were
buried in the mass of broken timbers from
which they were subsequently taken out
dead.
The Dead Promptly Taken Out.
The baggage car was literally smashed to
and thrown over the north
bound track in heap with the engines. It
caught fire and was soon burned up. The
next two cars kept the track, but were al
most completely demolished. The next car
and the Pullman car were badly damaged.
but not to such an extent as to prevent |
their being drawn away from the rest of the
train directly after the accident Except for
scratches and bruises, the passengers in the
last two cars all escaped unhurt.
As the engines approached each other,
Engineer Billing and Conductor Gerlacher.
of the coal train, both jumped from the
cab, and what injuries they sustained were
received in falling. No one was in the pas
senger engine but Engineer Fitch and Fire.
man Welsh. They were given no time to
think OF their own safety, and were buried
in the ruins before they knew what had hap
pened. When the collision occurred Con-
ductor Hamilton was in the third passenger
one next to the Pullman. With
q remarkable exhibition of GOODNESS. he
turned his attention at once 10 the dead and
wounded, and, collecting about him staff
Of helpers, he soon had the dead and
out of the wreck.
Word was Immediately sent in several
directions for medical aid, and in a short
time staff of physicians was on hand
looking after the injured who could not be
removed in the ambulance.
As soon as the wounded had all been at
tended to they were removed in ambulances,
those who could go home or come to the
city going to trains and the other adjacent
hospitals. The dead were taken to the citv
police station at Manayunk.
Superintendent Bonseaue is vet unable
to positively place the blame on anyone.
He says that orders were sent to Pencoyd
TO hold the freight there until the passenger
traln passed. Whether these orders were
delivered he does not know, but rigid in.
vestgation as to where to place the blame
Tor the accident will be made. Conductor
William Gerlosh, of the freight, says that
ne received no orders to hold his train at
Pencoyd or orders Of any kind directing
,in mt IN oopf;nu. ~, ,,,> l..