Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-01-16
In a Rear End Collision at HObOken,
New Jersey.
THE DOVER EXPRESS WRECKED.
The Engineer Had Slackened His
Speed tor the Hackinsack River
Draw Bridge, and the Train
Following, in an Effort TO Make
Up Lost Time, Crashed Into the
Smoker-Over Thirty Injured.

winds its narrow way through meadows
OF that name, there went up to-day the
souls OF half-score OF human beings
as a monument to the insecurity and
uncertainty OF mans devices.
Another horror added TO the already
crowded annals, another something to
talk OF and shudder at, and then pass
into almost unforgotten history; but
voices will struggle through sobs in
years to come, repeating the unwritten
history Of to-day and telling again OF
the loss of some loved one.
A veil OF fog was drawn across the
face of the sun and it hung in clouds
over the meadows, enveloplng all OBJ
jects In shrouds OF grey. Thick, almost
tmpenetrable, IL soaked into the timbers
OF the narrow draw bridge that spans
the river at point mile east of Ber-
gen tunnel. The iron danger signals at
each side of the bridge, dripped
and ran with moisture, their painted
sides glistening in the mist surround
ing them, but ten feet distant their
glistening colors were swallowed up Ia
the fog; all was grey, no warning could
be seen.
1t Is the rule OF the road that all
trains shall slow up for bridges, and as
the Dover express approached the bridge
IL slackened its speed as usual.
The engineer strained his eyes
through the mist to catch glimpse OF
the familiar mark which would tell
! him whether TO proceed or stop.
IL was in vain. The fog was as a
wall between him and the object OF his
search. lie continued TO decrease the
trains speed, still straininR his eyes for
the signal, and then--a crash. that
/ slckening crash, once heard
NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN.
A rush OF passengers from the unin-
| jured coaches TO the rear OF the express
| brought the horror TO view. The South
! Orange local, coming at over-speed, had
! crashed into the rear OF the express and
! a tangled mass OF iron and wood, mutt
lated corpses and dyfHg shrieks and
| piteous moans were left to mark the
conservatism OF one man and the reck-
lessness OF another.
The combination baggage car and
smoker OF the express was telescoped
| by the engine Of the train behind. The
engine and baggage car had swung
about on the track, twisted the two
cars in froDtof the baggage car to one
side, ground one OF them into kindiing
wood and smashed the rear end OF the
car ahead.
The engineer OF the South Orange
train was evidently trying to make up
| for lost time. and was running at a
speed said TO be unwsrranted. The en-
! gine had ploughed It's way through the
crowded seats OF the smoking compart-
ment, containing, trainmen estimated,
at least forty persons. Not one OF
these escaped uninjured. After the
accident dig bunches Of flowers were
! strewn along the track, and this gave
/ rise, at first, TO the impression that
there were women among the dead aud
| injured,
BUT THEY WE'RE ALL MEN,
who may have been carrying these
flowers to deck happy homes, now turn
| ed into abodes OF sorrow.
When the wreckinR car lifted the
smoking car from the track II parted
and divided into three pieces, and then
/ there was cause for wonder that any
I of the occupants escaped alive.
The dead had most aRonizing eI-
/ preston, and a. the car lifted from of
| the bodies, 10 was a slckening sight.
| One man had almost been beheaded,
another was doubled up and his face
plctured the horror OF the
/ moment when death struck him.
| Others had their heads crushed and be-
/ scattered with blood. Flesh was twist
ed Or hung upon the splinters OF wood
| and iron and piteOus cries completed
| this heart rendering spectacle. An
/ hour after the accident a thousand
curious people, or seekers after loved
ones, we're on the ground. willing
/ hands lifted she dead and tenderiy
| cared for the injured, and as the gloom
| Of night was added 20 the enVeloping
| fog. all that was visible was the splint-
cred cars, the tangled iron aud the
crimson spots fast melting away la the
| heavy mist
DETAILED STORY or TIE WRECK.
About two miles from HObokeD ana a
| few hundred fee: from the draw bridge
across the Hackensack river, At 500 a.
m.. the Orange accommOd dalton crashed
| into the rear Of the Dover express on
the Morrison and Essex branch OF the
Delaware, Lackawauna and Western
railroad. The scene Of the accident
was on tho long meadows, through
which flows the Hackensack river.
At least nine lives paid the penalty
Of some ones carelessness and
rho IIHI OF hUVNu Aua auAtA ~ hulENV~
| seven. some Of whom viii probably die.
As far az learned, one cause OF the accl-
, dent is the heavy fog which prevailed.
Roth trains we're we'll filed with pass
enaers on their way 20 their daily voca-
tious and 10 seems a miracle that the
death list was not increased many fold.
The Dover express had slowed up 90
make sure that the draw bridge was all
right. The Orange accommodation en-
Qineer, who should have done likewise,
failed 20 take this prccautiOD, and
crashed into the rear Of the pre-
cedinR train. The last car on
the express was a biatiOn baggage
and smoker, and into this plunged the
huge engine, cutting through she wood
work. and sending splinters 10 all direc-
tlons With a force that showed the
tremendous speed 50 which the train
was travelling. The coach ahead OF
the smoker was telescoped by IL, the
roof torn OF, and the seats torn and
| trisLess fugh they we're made Of