The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-14
DEATH At THE SWITCH.
Signals Read Closed But the Switch
Was Open.
FIVE ARE DEAD AND MANY OTHERS
INJURED.

''s~S go NA<o
An Open Switch Sent an Express Fly
ing Against a Freight---In One Car
Only One Man Escaped Uninjured---
The Engineer Says the Signals Were All
Right.
NEwBURe, July 13.-The West Shore
day express, due here at II. Cd noon. was
was wrecked in the West Shore yard in
the southern part of the city today.
Five persons were killed and Is or 30
injured. Two of the dead had each an
arm torn out.
The train consisted of engine, baggage
car, three day coaches and Wagner
car. The tain was well filled with pas
sengers. Car II, in which nearly all the
casualties occurred, had every seat
filed.
The train was few minutes late at
Bornwall, and made the distance from
that place to the southern limit of New.
burg at very rapid rate. 1t crossed
Quassick creek, a mile south of the sta.
ton, ran few rods further, under the
Pennsylvania coal company's bridge.
West Shore yard. In that yard a freight
train was standing ready to pull ont on
the main track. The day express en-
gine struck the freight engine with ter
rifle force.
The engineer jumped, but little late,
and was slightly hurt. The fireman al
so jumped and escaped uniniured.
The train crashed through the freight.
and all the passenger coaches were more
or less smashed. Day coach No. II. fol-
lowing the sleeper. had its side torn off
and the trucks torn out. The scene in
the car was terrible. Several persons
were killed outright, and nearly all the
rest were more or less injured.
Those who were able to walk started
out on foot for the station, and were
seen with bruised and bleeding faces
making their way painfully and slowly
in the hot sun.
VIM. FL. Callahan of the PENNSYLVANIA
coal company office force, near the scene
heard the crash, and upon learning the
cause sent word to the central telephone
office to notify every physician in the
city to go to the scene, and within half
| an hour there were dozen doctors at
tending the wounded. Several clergy
men, among whom was Rev. James B.
King, were also present to offer consola-
ton to the severely injured.
The dead are:
Mrs. ELIZABETH CLAN, Highland
Falls.
Rose REILLY, West Park.
Mrs. B. WRIGHT, Brooklyn.
An unknown woman.
A child about 20 months old,
Unfortunately, in the confusion. arti-
cles that might have aided in the identi-
tication of the dead were separated from
the bodies and it was impossible to get
the names until the coroner made his
investigation.
In purse wa4 found an envelope
containing the address ''Miss Jane j.
Cooke, 13 Hilliard street, Cambridge,
Mass
A railroad pass bore the same name
name and visiting cards and other pa
pers also bore the name of Cooke.
In another lot was found library
book belonging to the Working Girls
Club of Newark, N. J. On the card in
book was the name Miss Mary Maylan-
der.
The engineer of the express says the
signal was all right showing that the
switch was closed.
The coroner's jury this afternoon
viewed the wreck and adjourned until
tomorrow. 1t is conjectured by some
persons that the express when it
ject which caused it to jump upon the
frog and leave the track. The engine
ran upon the ties distance equal to the
length OF the train before it crashed into
the freight train. The express engine
was evidently farther off the track than
the remainder of the train. When 1t
struck the freight engine, it was thrown