The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-01
That Number of Bodies
Has Been Recovered.
Jurymen Visit the Scene of
the Awful Fatality.
Evidence Shows That Danger Sig
nails Were Disregarded.

Atlantic city, Aug. 1.--Forty-seven
dead and 43 injured. Those are the
figures on the appalling disaster on the
Meadows, Thursday evening. OF these,
40 have been identified. Three of the
unidentified were men and three women.
The odd one consists OF an arm, to which
no body has been found. OF the injured,
1t is more than probable that four or five
will die.
The investigation into the cause of the
collision, and the fixing Of the RESPONSE
bility, began yesterday. Coroner Nc
Laughlin impaneled a jury, consisting
OF six of Atlantic City's most influential
citizens. After formal organization in
the coroner's Office, the jury visited the
old excursion house, which has been
utilized as morgue. The dead had all
been taken there and placed in iceboxes.
The jurymen viewed the bodies, and
later visited the scene of the wreck.
The relief gangs had done effective
work. Both tracks were cleared, and
articles of clothing which belonged to
the victims had been taken to police
headquarters. Beside the ditch, there
still lay great mass of broken timber.
a little beyond, lay what remained OF
the Reading engine. The battered head
lay toward the direction whence IL came,
the wheels i'm the air. The force Of the
collision was so great that the engine
was not only turned upside down, but
also completely around. There is a very
general impression that under the mass
of debris at least six more bodies lie.
The jury made an exhaustive exami-
nation OF the ground and devoted con-
siderable time 10 the inspection of the
signals, which still remain as they were
at the moment OF the accident, that
facing the Reading being the red. OF
danger signal. and that toward the
West Jersey meaning Come ahead"
As soon as a train strikes point I'm the
tracks a few feet beyond the signal
tower, stationed at the junction of the
two roads, an automatic arrangement
rings bell I'm the tower house. and the
train which first rings this bell is given
the right OF way. Thursday night, this
privilege belonged to the West Jersey
train. But in spite of this, and the fact
that the danger signal was against the
Reading, that train continued on at full
speed, and the collision followed.
George +. Hauser, who had charge Of
the lever, and who Is now under arrest,
has made several statements to the
police. He told them he saw both trains
coming when both were sufficiently far
away to admit OF the full display Of
signals, but as the West Jersey was the
nearest, he gave the Reading the red
light, and signaled the other train to
come ahead. The Reading however,
never slackened speed, but came on. The
man in the cab either thought he could
easily clear the point in time, or the
brakes failed TO work, and they coulo
not stop I'm time. The only living man
who positively knows this is Fireman
O'Houlihan. who saved his life by leap
ing from the cab, and he has been miss
ing ever since the accident. The author
tiles may know where to lay hands on
him when the time arrives, but the most
rigorous search by outsiders has failed
to reveal his whereabouts.
Every person here connected even in
the remotest way with either of the rail
road companies, has steadfestly refrain
ed from making any statement or ex-
pressing any opinion in the matter.
The center Of interest yesterday was
the improvised morgue. and strange
spectacle for this city OF proverbial
faiety, was the continual procession OF
undertakers' wagons bowling along At
lantic aveunA, the principal thorough
fare. Inside the morgue, tragic scenes
were being enacted throughout the dag.
One incident there will suffice To picture
the geIAral happenings of the dreadful
task Of Identification.
A yoursy man named Morris Peters,
with his father, Joseph, were on the ex-
cursion trein from Bridgeton. Both were
killed Yesterday the mother and
daughter came down TO look for their
loved ones. when they found them, the
scene was so pitiful, that every heart in
the giooomy place throbbed with grief
asd pain. The body OF the youth was
reached first. Both women stared at
the lireless form for a moment silently,
then the pent-up rivers OF the eye found
vent. and they sank down, sobbing
wildly. The attendants tenderly asked
them to come TO the body OF the father
but with all the little strength left to
them, the women refused. II was neces-
sary TO the work OF Identification. how
ever. and the shuddering women were
led To the other corpse. This was the
last straw. The women collapsed en-
tirely, and II was necessary to have
them borne from the place and taken
away in a carriage
Such scenes as this occurred at the
morgue all day, and scenes OF a like
character were occurring at the same
time the santarum, where the in
jured lie. some In their death struggles
A pathetic fact which has come TO
light Is that the run" which ended
Engineer Farr's life was TO have ended
his career as rallroader, and estab-
llsh him as a storeSeeper For five
years he and his wife had scraped and
stinted their income 10 save enough to
set them up in business. The wife wanted
him 20 leave railroedirg, because OF its
perils. They had taken q little store.
and stocked Il with notions, patent medi-
cines, cigars and like commodities. Yes
terday they were 10 open It, The man
who accompanied Farr on the last run.
and who was also killed. was TO have
succeeded him on the engine. and was
taking a preliminary lesson. The state.