Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-08-03
SCORES. OF LIVES LOST.
Frightful Accident on New
Jersey Railway.
A lightning Express Ploughs Through
an Excursion Train.

sickening in its results, occurred this
evening just outside Of this city, and as
a result about 100 persons are either
killed or injured.
The Reading railroad express which
left Philadelphia at $40 O'Clock this
a Pennsylvania railroad excursion train
at the second signal tower about four
miles out from here The Pennsylvania
train was returning to Bridgeton with
a party of excursionists from that place,
Melville and neighboring towns. 1t
was loaded with passengers. and rough
estimate of the killed and injured at
late hour places the number at 100.
1t is hoped that this is an exaggera-
ton but the number is undoubtedly more
than fifty.
Some of the Dead.
The known dead are:
F. S. MURPHY, Millvile.
!. D. JOHNSTON, Bridgeton.
CHARLES d. D. BOUNOUBHAS, Bridge
G. B. TAYLOR, no address
Z. H. GOLDSMITH, Bridgeton.
SAMUEL THORN, baggagemaster OF the
Reading train, Atlantic City.
D. E. WOOD, shipping clerk, Philadel-
John GRIENER, Brdgeton.
CHARLES EACKLER, Salem.
CHARLES M'GEAR, Brdgeton.
FRANKLIN DUBOIS, Woodruff.
MRS. JOSHUA EARNEST, BridgetOn.
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN, with ring &c.
to W. initials
SMALL BOY, about years old.
FRAZIER BELL and wife. Bridgeton.
MIR and MRS RICHARD TRENCHARD,
Bridgeton.
EDWARD FAIR, engineer of the Reading
train.
PIoughed Through the Excursionists.
At the second signal tower, the tracks
of the two roads diagonally cross. The
Reading train was given the signal, but
it either failed to work or the speed of
the express was too great to be checked
in time It caught the excursion train
broadside and ploughed through, literally
cleaving it in twain. The engine of the
Reading train was shattered to pieces.
Every car was damned to its fullest
capacity rs soon as the news reached
Atlantic City, the utmost CONSERVATION
prevailed, but the authorities were equal
to the emergency. Relief trains were
dispatched to the scene loaded with cots
and bearing staffs of surgeons. AS quick
as the bodies were recovered they were
carried into the local hospitals and I'M
dertakers shops.
A general fire alarm was sounded and
the department promptly responded, aid
ing in the heartrendering work of digging
for the victims. Fear grew into despair
and horror as the vigorous work OF the
relief gangs revealed the awful extent of
the disaster.
The first Reading relief train bore into
this city twenty-Seyen mangled corpseS,
men. women and children. The next
train not an hour later carried fifteen of
the manned and wounded and two OF
these died soon after reaching the city.
AS train after train went to the scene
of the wreck and came back with its
CHASTITY load, the city hospital quickly
found it's capacity overtaxed. Mean
while. others of the dead and injured
were being carried to the private hospital
at Ocean and Pacific avenues.
Edward Farr, engineer on the Read
ing train. was killed outright, as was
another road man who was on the en-
CINE with him. This man, whose name
has not yet been learned, saw the col
lision coming and leaped from the cab
as instant before the crash. Almost at
the same instant the engine cut it's way
through and caught him directly in it's
path His body and that of Farr were
found under a heap of debris, but the
engineer lay in what remained OF the
cab and his hand still clasped the throt-
tie He had been faithful unto death
and met it at his post.
The fireman on the train had leaped
a few seconds before and escaped with
trifing injuries Samuel Thorne, bag
gagemaster on the Reading train, is
among the dead. James M. Bateman, a
BrlQgeJOn unQerIaKef, is Known TO De
killed Richard Trenchard, a Bridgeton
machinist, and his wife are both dead.
Conductor Kelley of the Pennsylvania
train had both legs and arm broken
and was internally injured. Albert J.
Mosebach of Philadelphia was on the
Reading train. He escaped unhurt.
Fell Dead at Hearing the News.
The ringing of the fire bells gave the
Atlantic City public the first intimation
they received of the disaster. The ut
most excitement prevailed. The board
walk was deserted and the crowds that
surged about these two railroad stations
rendered the streets in those sections al
most impassa BILE. Mrs. Edward FAIR,
wife of the Reading engineer who was
killed, when informed of her husbands
tragic end, threw up her hands with a
frantic shrek and fell dead at the feet
of her informant.
Telegraph Operator Arrested.
William Thurlow. telegraph operator in
the tower house, was arrested tonight
and held pending an inquiry.
PIED w1p I'M KANSAS cITv