The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-10-25
CoLLIDED AT FULL SPEED.
SEVEN KILLED IN A sMAsH-UP ON
me READING RAILROID.

NdelPhlA-HH Disre e ards Orderss ana Hths |
Train Dashes into nn Express.
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. 24.-seven killed. two
mortally injured. and twelve severely injured
10 tho result OF a wreck on tho main line OF the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad at OILS
o'clock this morning. in West Manayunk. n
suburb Of Philadelphia. The cause was the
carelessness and disobedience OF the inoxpe-
rienced crew OF a freight train.
The Shamokin express Is n fine train that
runs down tho main line OF the Reading road
every morning from Shamokin to Philadel-
phia. 1t makes only q few stops. among them
one at Reading to take up q parlor car from
Harrisburg. This morning Mt Ncnding its
conductor. George W. Hamilton. got or
ders to leave the south bound track at
West Coshooton and switch into tho north
bound track. Tho south-bound track was
choked with freight oars. and the railway
officials had issued orders clearing the south
bound track for the express. 30 the Shamo-
kin express rushed into the north-bound track
at West Coshocton and hurriei on toward
Philadelphia at the rate Of nifty miles an hour
with its train OF four day coaches and the
Harrisburg Pullman. Crestline.
About the time It was leaving Bridgeport q
coal train with o crew that had just been
transferred from another division OF the road
and was under the direction OF o pilot. arrived
Ou Wig hOl
way toward Bridgeport
The station agent, who had got the general
order clearing the north-bound track. told the
conductor to 60 ahead one station. and then to
leavs the north-bound track for q siding. The
conductor, W. II. Gerlacher. either misunder-
stood this order or thought he could get on
further. for the conl train did not take the sid
ing at the next station. but pushed on through
the Manayunk tunnel. and. still on the north
go -, 1890 Ao.o,,nA kha ohorp ci,rya
Just beyond.
As the coal train engine rounded this curve.
the engineer. Billy. saw rushing toward his
train, and not six car lengths away the great
locomotive OF the Shamokin express The ex-
press engineer reversed his lever and jammed
on the DIR brakes. The engineer OF tho coal
train reversed his lever also. but the two en-
| cines leupcd each at the other with hardly
lessensd speed.
Billic andhis fireman jumped. Fitch OF the
express engine held on to his lever. The big
engine smashed tho smaller with one ire
mendous blow. pushed it aside. and lcaped
upon the coal cars. splinter!ng half a dozen
OF them before 1t stopped. q ruin In the midst
OF ruins.
Its cars had rushed in after It. The jar
stopped them. and then the baggage car new
in pieces and tho smoking car ran twenty feet
into the first day coach behind 1t. converting
both into an indistinguishable mass OF splin-
tered wood and twisted iron.
And now. above the noise OF escaping steam
and cracking wood and iron. rose screams and
Pullman. which WAS uniniured; ran 9ut to IND
the rest Of the trainbIoEen: and hmid tne .raG-
ments dead and dying. mangied. battered.
0i From the ruins fsS Where the engines lay putting
rose a great flame that was advancing along
the debris to burn the dead and the Injured who
were p%inioned SO that they could not ESCAPE:
tse DEAD 1T li tes rubbish out tn. dFsaE yins s H"i
HAT that w none mic SeG BE- se left for the flames. So
successful were they that only one Or two OF
re- dead ss vngu slish ,1dm sc Msns%on Py c sas tine the
ruins were half DESTROYED.
The burden OF ths collision had fallen upon
day coach. In these two the teleseoping had
crushed IL the ends: had iammed the seats
the broken seats Or yinion.d 70 the floor. ,.,
lcaped Tor the iron work OF the lamps when he
saw what was happening and held to 1t with
legs. and both Of them were broken, But the
| other people had sat dazed and helpless. and
had died, or been injured or escaped injury
Those who were taken out dead. and most
of them were mangled so that their blood was
shattered over every one else in the cars,
were:
Hon. DAVID Hxns of Harrisburg. member Of tho State
TnosAs 4. WELSH. Auburn. Pa. fireman of the express
J.srs K,LnArs. TamAqua. Pa. brakeman on tho coal
joRx srx,rr. uew,boy Of the express. 10 years old.
killed as be was sorting his papers
JAMES }. BorsIos. Reading. a brakeman on the coal
Mrs MAKeARrr Drr,ss. Minersvil!s.
| Miss ASSIk ArEiNsOS OF Minersville.
Those who will surely die OF their injuries
are:
,. 34Sr;., Torn r.,c .sa f S2s.ass. an. n1 X. .sa sT iP.s'a. .Ge"Fn. Pa
= D. RHoAps., fnrniNyi!ls. express inss.sngsr con-
Those who are SO seriously injured that they
cannot leave st. Tinothy's Hospital. Ro1-
borough. where all the Injured were taken.
5 5rek sS!' Mrs - M hSEts1Gii .. Esp"srt. leg 'S 9rot ;s5;
Mrs. Ellen schmitz. daughter Of Mrs.
Annie Kemp., Halnnurg. Pa, leg broken; Miss
Annie, 7. stiles. Heading. leg broken: Mrs:
Rsry T sssa vslisy ., t tSs ssp lss f frsin. Hea AlfsIt
fractured thigh: Hiram Gottschalk., Heading:
both logs broken; one Of them 40 buddy Injured
Vile. serious internal, injuries and external
,iietatSi oth les ~; ISp pokeen: ii wwi MlIis'H'fH H.. iI HerRSr.
Pottstown. leg broarn. and John T.. .Wyncoop.
Port Kennedy. hand injured 80 that it was am
Besides these there are a dozen who have
such severe cnts and bruises that they will not
There were about u score more with slight in
jnries.
tracks oftho Healing that tho road will not 10
cleur before o'clock Tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile business will be done by the COM
pany's. tracks on the opposite bank OF tho
Srluylkill.
The Coroner WAS at the scene nbout noon.
He returned to Manayunk and ompancl!ed a
jury. which views.l the dend ms they lay in the
police station. The innnest will be held in
Within un hour after the collision the ambn-
lanccs. the hearses. and the carriages brought
by the railway officers had taken away all tho
dead and injured. had sent such, Of the Injured
as could go on TO their destinations. ana had
the others safe in hospital.
The thousands who poured down to tho
henps OF ruined rolling stock. About noon the
company issued an oliicial bulletin laying tho
blame upon the englnecrG Of the coni t,nin who.
dangerous cut in the head.
There was small, difficulty in identifying tho
dead, and soon teieRrarns were l%riugin. relu-
t,yes to look after them. Toward evening ono
alone remained unidentified. She was u Eeau-
tiful young girl. with gray eyes and fair hair.
Her face had not been injured. Tut her body
was crushed into slnrel.~ssicss
Cha toH n plnip gold ring on ana nf lnr