The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-23
VICTIMS OF THE RAIL.
Four Killed at a Grade Crossing
in Philadelphia.
A MAN AND WIFE DEOAPITATED.

n MAN AMI WIZ Il bbOA1 IL N 1bbs
Their Little Son. Ignorant of His Parents
Fate. waiting at the Hospital For
Their Coming-Many Persons Seriously |
Injured-The Engineer Responsible.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. s.-Philadelphia
was the scene yesterday of one of the most
appalling railroad calamities in Its history.
The first section of the train carrying Pres
ident Harrison and his party to New York
crashed into local train, bound from
West Chester to the temporary station OF
the Baltimore Central railroad at Thirty
first and Chestnut streets. President Har-
rison was on the second section, and was
therefore not in the accident His section
was, however, delayed by the disaster.
Among the passengers on the first sec :
tion were Congressman Robinson of Penn
sylvania, Boutelle of Maine, Durborrow of
Illinois and Belknap of Michigan, besides
host of Washington correspondents on
the way to the flag raising OH the steamer
New York In New York harbor. After the
tragedy nearly all returned to Wash
tngton.
The local train consisted of four coaches
one mail car, smoker and two passenger
cars in the order named from the locomo-
tive This train is due at Thirty y-iirst and
just left South street on the Philadelphia.
Wilmington, and Baltimore track, and Is
said to have been proceeding slowly.
The mall and smoking car had crossed
the intersection known as the South street
crossing, where the Baltimore Central
tracks cut across towards the main track
into Broad street, and the third car was
on the crossing, 1t was there that the
collision occurred. The locomotive Of the
nj had of n abupt utfYla uu ira q
the third cur, and ground 1t almost 10
splinters.
A Scene of porror.
The car was almost entirely filed with
passengers, a large proportion being %o-
men. The scene was horrible and tnde-
acribahle The car was lifted into the air
and dashed some yards from the track q
broken mass of woodwork and iron. From
this mass the groans and cries OF the
wounded arose in fearful chorus, The un-
fortunate passengers were pinned beneath
the splintered car so firmly that 1t was
found very difficult to eXtricate them
afterward
The work of extricating the bodies of
the killed and removing the wounded to
neighboring hospitals was at once begun.
The number of the latter will probably
never be known, for many were carried
away by their friends
The killed were: Rev. James Walker.
OF Rockdale, Delaware county; E L.
Mintaer, Media; Mrs r. L. Mint2er,
Media; Mrs. Maria r Reeves, Media.
Man and wife Decapitated.
Edward l.. Mintzer, Jr, who was in.
stantly killed, was about IS years of age,
and was the trust office OF the Real Estate
Investment company of this city, with off
ces at 72l Walnut street. The death OF Mr..
Mintzer was outright, his head being
Il L 1,1
Mintzer, who was sitting by his side in
car, was also deoapitated, her head being
left on the roadway. The very sight Of 1t
frightened people away. Congressman
Eeknap tenderly picked 1t up and placed
Il by the body.
Rev james Walker was the rector OF
Calvary Protestant Episcopal church, at
Rockdale, Delaware county near Lenni
station, where he had bern located for q
dozen years past. He was So years of age
and was we'll and favoraoly known by the
ciefRymen OF The diocese. Mr., Walker
and his wife occupied seat in the center
Of the passenger coach on the side wher;
the collision occurred, with Mr., Walker
occupying the seat next to the window
and when the crash came he was Instant,
killed by silver in the front OF the stom
ech, disemboweling him Mrs, Wake
wns thrown from her seat and received
severe scalp wound. 1t was stated at th
University hospital that size had alst
sustained internal injuries.
Miss Maria r. Reeves. of Media wa
taken ont of the wreck alive and placed ii
All ambulance, but she died before reach
ing the hospital
List Of the Injured,
The injured who were taken to the Uni
versity and Presbyterian hospitals are a
follows:
-; ;f,bt IL, f,n
tnred and arm iniurcd. Miss Geneviey
Zane, West Chester, a student of Swarth
more college. flesh wound in leg; Rev
James Widman, Clifton Heights, seal
wound; Mrs. Rachael w. Hiiborn, Swartf
more, scalp wound; Mrs. James Walker
scalp wound and severe fracture of arm
Miss Kate Nj. Karcher, Morton, spraine
wrist; Mrs. w. H. Lindemuth, Mortor
scalp wound J. f. Humphries, Swartt
more scalp wound; Miss Lille NJ. Lewis
Nallingford, broken nose; George Turne
Wallingford, scalp wound; II. w. Pu
chase, Lansdowne, injured In the hip, han
and internally; Mary q. Armor, Mortol
fracture Of the arm; Anna n. Armo
Media, fracture of arm; Francis McAlees
Clifton Heights, leg fractured; Harry Sc
yer, lacerated wound of leg.
Little Edward Mintzer, the 10 0year-ol
son of Mr. and Mrs Mintzer, who wei
decnpitated and instantly killed, told ,
the University hospital, WHITTIER he WI
y taken after the collision, how he escape
uninjured.
"Aiamma and were sitting side by sit
in II seat and | was talking to her 81
had a book hut she wasn't reading, ltw'
lying III her lap. And then all at once u
locomotive came IN through the windo,
And-was'nt it nicer l was not hurt
bit found myself lying right out on Il
ground, and mamma and papa were II
where to be seen. | don't know where tn!
are now, but / guess they will be he
pretty soon." The child WAS not otinformt
OF the awful fate of his parents, of whit
he has as yet no suspicion.
The Express Engineer Responsible.
The responsibility for the accident seei
TO rest upon Engineer Thomas Jones,
the express. Charles Bockius, the toWt
man, says that he had the danger sign
up for the express to stop, but that it W
ignored Jones, who is one OF the most {
pericnced engineers on the road, was col
.pletcly Frustrated by the terrible results
the collision, and after rendering what q
die could In removing the dead a
wounded he went to his home In this eli
JONES could not be seen last night, but
wife said that her husband told her th
he did not see the danger signal display
until he was almost up to the accommot
aion. He then did everything in his pow
ITO stop his train, but the heavy ea
slipped on the icy tracks and the engi
Invent through tbs car of the accommoe
tion.
The Mob 0yerawed.
FoRT seoTT, Kan, Feb. 23.-A mob We
to the residence of Rev c, Coins, a coiol
Baptist preacher and ex-memher of
board of education, with the intention
l. 'l,n,, t,nt ~ 4