The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-16
DETAILS OF THE WRECK.
The Smoker of the Express and Two
Other Cars TeIescOped.


About two miles from Hoboken and few
hundred feet from the drawbridge across
the Hackensack river. at $40 n m, the
Orange accommodation crashed into the
rear OF the Dover express on the Morris &c
Essex branch Of the Delaware. Lackawanna
& Western railroad. The scene Of the ac-
cident was on the long meadows through
which flows the Hackensack river. So far
as learned one cause of the accident was
the heavy fog which prevailed. Both trains
were we'll filled with passengers their
way TO their daily duties, and IL seems
marvellous that the death list was not in
creased many fold The Dover express had
slowed ID to make sure that the draw
bridge was all right The Orange accom-
mediation engineer. who should have done
likewise. failed to take the precaution and
crashed into the rear of the preceding train.
The last car Oh the express was a COM
bination baggage and smoker, and into
this plunged the huge engine, cutting
through the woodwork and sending splin-
tiers I'm all directions with a force that
showed the tremendous speed at which the
train was travelling. The coach ahead of
the smoker was telcscoped by il, the roof
torn out and the seats torn and twisted as
though they were made of paper. The
roof was thrown ahead and partially tel
escoped the third car. For moment the
passengers did not realize the awful sltu-
alton, but in the next the shrieks OF the
wounded and dying, and the noise OF es-
GAPING steam told them that calamity
had occurred Those who were not injured
were quickly at work removing their less
fortunate fellow passengers. Along the
track the dead, and dying, and WOUNDED
lay strewn. Some of them had rolled 20
the bottom of the fifteen-foot embankment
on which the accident occurred. snort
distance from the scene was rallroad
Telegraph office and from this hurried
call was sent for assistance Keller trains
were Immediately started and almost pc
fore those on the train had realEed the
situation, they had arrived and crowd
had already gathered. Ambulances ana
physicians We're also sent by the ponce
from both Jersey City and here
The first six bodies recovered were men.
The engine of the Orange local. which was
known as No. 80, was hard and fast in
the debris Of the rear OF the car, ami had
nf11e1 down several victims. a few cf
whom were released by the use of crow bars
occupied. and it is estimated that of the
FORTY passengers in the car not one escaped
uninjured - :,
given by the bagSagemaster OF the Dover
express. who was in the last car "a mo
ment before the collision. Happening 10
glance through the window he saw, barely
twenty-five feet away. a big engine coming
toward them at a terrific speed Quickly
turning to the side door ne ODeneu IL anu
!eaped out just as the crash came. He
said: II think the accident was due, In
part, 10 the reckleSsnesS or the engineer
on the South Orange accommodation our
train was moving at the rate OF about nve
miles an hour and was pushed three nun
dred feet before 1t came to stop; Fhe
engine of the accommodation crashed into
the rear car about twenty feet. This car,
q combination baggage and smoker, tele,
scOped the second car from the rear and
tore the roof of that car completely from
the sides. Four men were playing cards 1T
the last table On the smoker and three OF
those were among the number Killed;
saw some men rushing through the aisle
Of the car, having just looked up when the
In at an angle Of about forty-five degrees.
and the men who were forward to the left
caught the worst of It, The side or the
car plOwed right through them"
After few minutes something like order
was followed in the work OF rescue, and
the victims were rapidly taken out from
among the twisted iron and splintered tim
bers. The dead were covered with dust
and blood that 1t was almost impossible
10 identify them The cries and means of
wrecking train arrived such heavy parts as
could be easily removed were lifted from
the track, and then the work OF rescue was
soon completed The wounded and dead
were placed on the train and taken TO Jer-
sey City, where many friends and rela-
tives, who had heard of the accident, had
already gathered. AmbulanceS were there
in readiness. and those of the wounded who
were unable TO go home were taken to the
hospitals. The dead were taken to the diff
ferent morgues to await Identification.
Mr.. A. Reasoner, the general superin-
tendent of the road, was seen this after
noon but would not or could not give any
explanation OF the cause of the disaster.
He said that the engineer of the Orange
accommodation was so badly injured that
It was impossible for him to give &C
count of the accident.
There were many hairbreadth escapes
from death. Mr.. Sumner, of Summit, n. j.,
who was the wrecked train, said: II
do not know how 1 ever got out of Ii
alive I was In the coach next the smoker.
and when the crash came could see the
roof of the car caving in on top of me.
was wedged in among the falling timbers,
but managed to crawl through the small
space and out of the debris without a
scratch" Mr.. Summer then told harrow
ing tale OF the wreck and of the scene OF
Aaatb and destruction