Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1896-08-06
THE SIGNALS EXPLAINED,
ATLANTIC CITY, July 80,

ATLANTIC CITY, July 30.
The story of the accident in detail is as
follows:-The excursion train left the
West Jersey depot at $50. 1t was made
up OF cars filled with people from Bridge
ton, N. j. 1t was the Red Mems excur-
sion, and four tribes were loaded on the
cars. They were the Cohansick. the
Ahwanetah, the Niagara and the Tewah
tribes. After this train had left the
depot it stopped for several minutes.
The engineer was not certain as to
whether or not the way was clear, but in
the signal tower the white light said go
ahead,' and the red light said to the
Reading engineer stop.
So the Bridgaton train, on the Pennsyl-
vania road, pulled. The Reading ex press
had gained fearful headway when
the engineer saw the signal. He either
did not understand it, owing to some dis
crepancy in the light system, or else he
could not stop his train. 1t hurled along
nd smashed clear through the third car
OF the Bridgeton excursion. Tonight
they pulled the engineer who ran this
fatal train from under several tons of
iron, piece by piece, and his hand was
tightly clenched around the throttle. He
was Thomas Farr, of Atlantic City, and
he leaves family
The express engine was thrown to the
right on its side, and no less than five
people were buried beneath it. They
were the engineer and an unknown man
who was riding with him, the baggage
master of the Reading train, and three
Brldgeton excursionists who We're car
ried bodily through the side of the car by
the engine and crushed under it amidst
falling timbers and iron beams and es-
Gaping steam.
Cars Dashed to Pieces.
The car struck by the engine was
smashed to splinters, and it was in this
one that most of the fatalities resulted. 1t
was thrown over alongside the engine, in
mass, and in few minutes was ablaze.
The second car of this train and the third
were partially telescoped, and the bag
gage car of the Reading train was also
wrecked. Nearly all the baggage and the
United States Express Company's cargo
was destroyed. The Reading baggage
master, when he saw the two trains about
to collide jumped to save himself. He
landed in ditch just one second before
the locomotive did, and it crushed the
life out of him. His name is Samuel
Thorn, and he resides in Atlantic City.
His death was one of the great number,
and when his poor, torn body was
brought to light by the frantic workers
tonight, several of them tainted.
In fact such incidents were frequent all
night long. A number of women were
sent from the scene sick and hysterical.
Even the men who worked the hardest
are going about with ashen faces. Along
side OF Thorne was the body of stout
woman, who was scalded into shreds.
She was removed to Undertaken Cham
plon's establishment. The people killed
and fatally injured were all in the second,
thlrd and fourth cars of the excursion
train, and the engine and baggage car of
the Reading train.
Every car of both trains, however, was
damaged, and there were dozens injured,
more or less severely, in all parts of the
train. Men who have been through
many accidents say tonight that this is
the worst they have ever seen. Not
soul is at rest in this city, and fully ten
Thousand persons are anxiously awaiting
news from the scene of the disaster, fear
1ul that some loved ones, or perhaps
friends, are among the victims. The City
Hospital, the Sanitarium, the private
hospital at Connecticut and Pacific ave-
nues, both railroad depots, the under
takers offices, the police and fire stations
and several private houses are being
uzilized for the accommodation of the in
jured and the disposal of the dead.