The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-04

and Mrs. Frank Bell, of Bridgeton.
Their daughter was in another a
further back and was not hurt. l don't
know who is to blame. When we were
about two miles out of Atlantic City
we came to a stop in the meadows and
stayed there for several minutes, but I
don't know why, I think there must
have been eighty or a hundred killed.
The only person with me was my six
year-old son, and he was not hurt,
thank God"
The scene vas wildly pictur esque;
canopied by a star-lit sky with a blood
red moo at the full, shining in the far
back ground and the brilliant mass Of
lights glimmering from the city be-
yond, the gayety of which has been
suddenly eclipeed by the most awful
catastrophe in its history. Staggering
in and out bitches and stumbling over
masses of broken timber with only a
few ftful lanterns to help their strain
ing eyes, the rescue gang set bravely
to work. Axes and shovels were placed
with the greatest vigor, and almost at
every half dozen strokes a mans form
was dug up and laid tenderly on the
waiting pallets. 1t was a gigantic and
and sickening task and the strongest
of men turned faint from a revelation
Of the work of the spades.
A heap of blood stained timbers
turned aside by n of the rescuers
brought to sight a woman's arm. 1t
had been wrenched off, almost by the
roots, and nothing remained but a
dripping stump, even the. hand being
gone. 1t had been clad in a dainty
white linen glove. the sleeve of which
still chung to it. Not five minutes, later a
chance blow from a pick revealed a
still more CHASTITY remnant, a human
heart that only a few hours before had
been throbbing with life and love.
One woman whose body was recov-
cred still held in her dead hand a plate
bearing a picture of Atlantic City. 1t
was unbroken. Scattered about the
ground near the wreck were many
pieces of clothing which had been torn
from the bodies of the victims. Hats,
dainty p~arasols, fans and gloves.
Just as one of the relief trains reached
the Pennsylvania depot, with its ter
rible load, n man who lay ip a corner
horribly injured regained his senses
for a moment and clasping his hand to
his head cried in heartrending agony
who did this3 Ny God: where
are my wife aud chIldren?"
A late report says that fourteen OF
the injured have since died at the SAM
tarium.
Superintendent N, Sweigard, of the
Philadelphia and Reading Company,
places the number of dead at thirty.
seven and the injured about the same
number. He sent a telegram to Phil
adelphia this evening which said:
"There was 81 persons killed as fol.
lows: Twelve women, twenty n men,
two boys and two girls. About the
same number injured"
Just where Mr.. S veigard got his iG-
formation cannot be learned, as it will
be impossible to give the correct mum
Der, or even an approximate estimate
of the dead, until the debris is removed,
This Will consume several hours. Work
is etill progressing and the escuers
will remain at work until the last body
is taken from the wreckage.
Seventeen unidentified women, four
men and a female child, all dead, were
brought to the excursion house after
midnight. Fireman Keller, of the Read
ing train, was fatally injured.
1t is said that the red signal was dis
played and that the whistle of the train
was sounded. The excursion train bore
five tribes of the Order of Red Men, the
Bridgeton, the Niagara, the Iowa, the
Ahwanetah and the Gohansick, with
their wives and children.
The ringing of the fire bells gave the
Atlantic City public the first intima
ton they received Of the disaster. The
utmost excitement prevailed. The
broad walk was deserted and the
crowds that surged about the two rail
road stations rendered the streets il
those sections almost impossible. Mrs
Edward Farr, wife of the Reading en-
gineer who was killed, when informed
of her husbands death, threw up hel
hands with a frantic shrek and fell
dead at the feet of her informant.
What Republican will question the
hones5y, integrity, or rcp1blicanism o.