The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-06

hilleu lHey were MT. ana MIS-.
Frank Bell of Bridgeton. Their daugh-
ter was in another car further back and
was not hurt. l do not know who is TO
blame. When about two miles out
from Atlantic City we came to stop
out in the meadows and stayed there for
several minutes, but do not know why.
think there must have been fully
eighty or hundred killed. The only
person with me was my 6-year-old son
and he was not hurt thank Cod
An Associated Press reporter was on
one of the first relief trains sent out and
he was the first newspaper reporter on
the scene. The train was in charge of
a number of railroad officials and Prose
cutor Perry of Atlantic county. 1t drew
up i'll the darkness few feet this side
of the fatal spot. The scene was wildly
PICTURESQUE. Canopied by starit sky
with Il blood red moon almost at the full
shining in the far background and the
brilliant blaze of lights glittering from
the city beyond, the gaiety of which has
been suddenly collapsed by the most
awful catastrophe in its history
Staggering in and out of bitches and
stumbling over masses of broken lumber
with only n few ttful lanterns to help
their straining eyes. the rescucrs went
bravely to work. Axes and shovcls
were piled with great vigor and almost
every half dozen strokes Il mangled form
was brought up and laid tenderly on
the waiting pallets. 1t was gigantic
and sickening task and the strongest of
men turned aside faint from a revelation
of the work of the spades. \ heap of
blood-stained timbers turned aside by one
of the rescuers brought to sight Il
wOman's arm. 1t had been wrenched
off almost by the roots and nothing re-
manned but a dripping stump. Even the
hand was gone. 1t had been clad in Il
white linen glove, the sleeve of which
still clung to the arm. Not five minutes
later chance blow from pick re-
vealed a still more CHASTITY rcmnant-a
human heart, that only few short
hours before had been throbbing with
life and love. One woman whose body
was recovered still held in her dead hand
plate bearing 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
parasOls, fans and gloves.
Just as one of the relief trains reached
the Pennsylvania depot with its terrible
load one man who lay in a corner hor-
ribly crushed regained his senses for Il
moment and clasping his hands to his
head cried in heart-rending agony,
WHO did this? My Cod! where are
my wife and children?"
A late report says fourteen of the in
jured have since died at the sanitarium.
Superintendent |. n. Sweigard of the
Philadelphia and Reading road placed
the number Of dead at thirty-scven and
the injured about the same. He sent Il
telegram to Philadelphia this evening
which said:
There were thirty-scvcn persons
killed, as. follows: Twelve women,
twenty-one men, two boys and two girls.
About the same number injured
Just where Mr.. Sweigard obtained his
information can not be learned. as it will
be impossible to give the correct number
or even an approximate estimate of the
dead until the debris is removed. This
will consume several hours The res
cuers will work until the last body ';
taken from the wreckage.
The known dead are:
p. 5. Murphy, Millvillc.
j. ID. johnson, Bridgeton.
Charles ID. Bounoughas, Bridgeton.
G. b. Taylor, no address.
L. III. Goldsmith, Bridgcton.
Samuel Thorn, baggage master Read
ing train, Atlantic City.
$. f. Ward, shipping clerk, PhiIadel-
phia.
John Greiner, 9ridgetoH.
Charles s. Eakier
Charles McGear Bridgeton.
Franklin Dubois, Woodruff.
Mrs. Joshua Ernest, Bridgetum.
Middle-aged woman, sc to W. initials
on ring.
Boy. years old.
Frazer Bell and wife. Bridgeton.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Trenchard,
Bridgeton.
Edward Farr, engineer of the Reading
train.
The Seaview excursion house was
thrown open to the injured. The list of
injured follows:
Howard Woodland. Bridgcton broken
arm; Samuel Mutawa, Bridgeton, scalp
wound. internally injured; w. II. Spaul-
ding. Omaha. internal injuries and head
hurt: Mary Shrimp, Freesboro. head cut:
William Baugh. Bridgeton. back hurt
and head severely cut; Charles c.. Renick.
Bridgeton. badly cut about the head:
Violet Alfred, Bridgeton, face cut and
nose fractured: Howard Smalley.
body bruised and head cut;
W. G. Hemslay, Bridgeton, badly in
iured; Lizzie G. Hemslay, body badly
bruised; Mrs. Rhodes, Bridgeton. lower
limbs and arm broken Lizzie Smalley,
and Carolina Spalley. arms
and legs severely injured; G. ID. Frazer
and wife, Bridgeton, badly cut on head;
Irwin Dubois, II years of age. head cut
and badly injured; Mrs. NJ. X. Eiger
Elmer. n. j.. back badly hurt and head
cut; Jacob Johnson, Shirley. \. j.,
head cut; his wife supposed to he dead
and child badly hurt; Stanley Wensolee,
n. j.. scalp nearly torn off;
Fred Sheny, BridgetOn, back hurt and
injured; Mrs. Susan johnson,
Il I i.