Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-06-24
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
At ABSECON.
"A Sunday Morning Tragedy
on the C.. s. n.
THREE MtA killed and ONE BADLY WOUNDED.
THE CAMDEN & ATLANTIC EXPRESS CRASHES
INTO WAGON AND KILLS IT'S OCCUPANTS
HUMAN BEINGS GROUND TO PIECES AND
MANGLED BEYOND RECOGNITION

A dreadful accident, by which three
human beings were instantly hurled
into eternity, and q fourth badly injured,
occurrd at Absecon about nine clock
Sunday morningwhen the fast Sea- shore
express train leaving Camden at 8 o clock
A. M. ran into a wagon just crossing
the track between the Rockingham Hotel
and the residence of Richard Doughty.
The wagon contained George Huber,
ofGermania Fred. Huber, his son; Henry
Gessinger, of Philadelphia, and Joseph
Sahl, of Galloway Totnship, member
of the County Board of Freeholders.
The party in the wagon either did not
see the train or hear the electric bell
signal, or else the horses were uncontrol-
able. The train was coming at fearful
rate of speed about mile minute =
and the GRO ossing being asomewhat" blind"
one the engineer could not see the team
until q moment before the train struck
it, and too late to stop even if he had.
The crossing is q grade one and very
dan gerous, and only few yards from
the station. The team was big two
horse wagon and the engine struck it
with terrific force. One OF the horses
was hurled bodily upon the platform
OF the station and the other thrown
or dragged nearly two hundred yards.
George and Frederick Huber, father
and son, were literally ground to pieces
beneath the driving wheels OF the huge
Locomotive and the remains OF their
bodies were found scattered in small
pieces for three hundred feet along the
track. Scarcely any part of their bodies
could be found that was more than q
loot in length. Geissengr was hurled
several feet in the air and struck the
side OF the station about eight feet above
the ground blood, brains and hair
marking the place where his head came
in contact with the boards. Sahl was
thrown some twenty feet and when
picked up was supposed to be dead,
but he afterwards regained conscious
ness. He is terribly hurt, having his
arm and several ribs broken and being
otherwise injured. He was alive at the
Atlantic City hospital Tuesday, and
he will recover. The station was literally
drenched with blood and human and
animal remains an the engine, cars and
tracks were in the same condition.
The head OF one of the victims was taken
from the fancy wire netting OF one OF
the parlor cars, and it is said that some
OF the passengers were sprinkled with
blood. The engine and four OF the cars
were somewhat damaged, but not SER
iously. The only wonder is that tie
whole train was not derailed and the
country shocked by one OF the worst
accidents on record.
Coroner Mclaughlin, on Tuesday
afternoon, appointed a Coroner 8 Jury
consisting OF Franklin Garten, foreman; ;
Joseph W. Clark, Charles Loper, Daniel
Walters, Jr., D. j. Champion, and Edwin
Robinson. Constable J. Leeds Clark
was in charge.
The testimony taken show that,
apparently, the driver saw the train
coming and thought he had time enough
to cross the track ahead of it. All who
saw the accident, and all the train hands
testified that thewhistle WAS blown
as usual, and that the electric bell was
ringing at the crossing and those who
saw the accident from the Rockingham
House say theteamranintothe train the
horses striking it Just back OF the cylinder
OF the engine.
The inquest was adjourned until next
Friday afternoon when further testimony
will be taken and probably verdict
rendered.