Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-25
THE READING DISASTER
Mystery Surrounds the Cause
 of the Wreck.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY NOT KNOWN

The Dead Number Seven, Two Are Fla. tally Hurt, aud Mure Than Twenty Are
 Injured, Some Seriously Coroner's In,
 quest to be Held at NOrrisiown.
 PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 25.-There is con. siderable mystery connected with the awful disaster of yesterday on the Read ing railroad near the West Manayunk tunnel. General Superintendent Bon, zano says that the train despatcher at Pencoyd had been notified to give the freight train orders to wait there until the south-bound express had passed. The freight did wait at Pencoyd until the accommodation had passed, as was the usual custom, but then pulled out.
 Whether or not the train despatcher delivered the order for the freight to wait for the express Is not known, but it is thought he did not. The Sunday rush of coal trains had blocked the south bound track, and all trains were running over the north bound track
 The coroner's jury, which will begin the inquest at Norristown as soon as matters can be arranged, will fix the re- sponsibility, and until then it is be- lieved the person responsible will not be directly known.
 A correct list of the dead is:
 BoYNToN, JAMES T., 50 years old, Read ing.
 DIVINE, MARGARET, 60 years, Miners vile.
 HERR, DAVID S., 59 years, of Harris burg, member of the Legislature from Dauphin county, and a Republican can didate for reelection from the Harris burg district. KILRAIN. JABoB, 36 years, of Tamaqua, , fireman on freight train. STIEFF, JOHN, aged 16, newsboy, Read ing.
 UNKNOWN WOMAN, 21 years old, SUD- posed to be Annie Atkinson, of Miners vi4le.
 WEIGH, THOMAS 36years, Auburn, Pa., fireman on express. a,e
 The fatally injured are:
 Thomas Fitzpatrick, Auburn, Pa., en. gineer of express; fractured skull and concussion of the brain; at St. Timothy's hospital.
 s. D. Rhodes, Ph@nixville; jaw frac- tured and concussion of brain.
 The injured, who were taken to St. Timothy's Hospital Peterborough, are:
 William H. Becker, aged 32, Pottstown, Pa., leg broken.
 Joseph E. Burfeld, 29, Renova, Pa, scalp lacerated.
 James H. Chillson, 27, Reading, con- tused leg and lacerated head. M. D. Cowden, 40, Harrisburg, con tused leg.
 Ella Devine, a7, Philadelphia, taxation of thigh.
 Wm. H. Embrey, 33, Reading. lacer- ated scalp, wound severe. J. Clayton Epler, baggageman, Potts. vile, 27, concussion of skull, face cut. Hiram Gottschild. 42, Reading, com pound fracture of both legs, right leg amputated.
 Rev. Charles Hare, 31, Phonixville,
 William Halsey, 36, Allentown, leg crushed.
 Annie Kemp, 33, Hamburg, Pa, leg fractured.
 Moritz G. Leppert, Phenixville, both legs broken.
 Mrs. Leppert, 52, wife of the above, leg broken.
 A. c. Printz, 27, Reading, conductor of express train, fractured thigh.
 Mary E. Prettyman, 26, Pottstown, 1 confusion of ankle. Annie K Sides, 45, Reading, broken leg Mrs. Mary Tees, 50, Valley Forge, leg l fractured.
 Dr. Joseph E. Wright, 30, Phmnixville, both legs crushed | John k. Wyncoop, Port Kennedy, hand | crushed, afterwSrd amputated. Other injured were brought to this city | and cared for. The horrible occurrence is told in de- tail as follows: | The wreck Of the Shamokin express | three-quarters of a mile north of the | West Manayunk tunnel, w ith it's attend | ant list of dead and wounded, the burn | ing of cars, the hours and hours of pain | and suffering to which the injured and imprisoned passengers were subjected, l together with the details of the unceasing labor of the rescuers in the face of almost | overwhelming difficulties makes a most appalling tale the like of which this vicinity has not known for years.
 The express train which left Shamoki n at o'clock in the morning was composed ! of an engine, a baggage car, smoking car, l four day coaches aud the Pullman parlor car ''Crestaline" the latter being attached at Reading. It was from Harrisburg. | A singular fact is that all of the parlor car occupants escaped injury. Thomas Fitzpatrick was at the lever of the express and Thomas Welsh was the fireman. Harry c. Printz was the con ductor.
 Owing to the accumulation of freight and coal trains on the south bound track Conductor Priutz had received orders to take the north bound track from West | Conshohocken to West Falls, and ignor- ant of any impending danger he did SC and the train rushed along at the rate o1 about forty miles an hour.
 At Pencoyd, train made up of empty coal and freight cars drawn by engine No. 53S, and manned by Engineer Chas
 Sellig and Fireman Bernard Gallagher remained on a side track until the ac commodation had passed, and then, ir accordance with it's usual custom, pulled out for Bridgeport at the rate of 15 mile: l an hour.
 As the freight emerged from the Wes