Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01
Uncertainty Still Exists at Atlantic
City.
VICTIMS OF THURSDAY NIGHFSWRECK
Several of the Injured in Critical
Condition.
FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., August 1.-Con-
fusion exists here regarding the exact num-
Der OF persons killed in the accident of
thursday night. Forty bodies have been
ldentined and four unidentified. but rela-
tiVes and friends of about four others who
were known to have been on the excursion
have not been able to find these persons or
to recognize them among the still unidenti-
ned. As the wreck has been cleared away
and no additional bodies found, the prob
ability Is that they are among those uni
Identified, and that the relatives or friends
have been unable to recognize them because
of their mutilated condition. This would
place the total killed al forty-four.
Tho unidentified bodies are lying in the
shops of various local undertakers, and un-
less friends or relatives of some of the miss
ing excursionists appear soon to make
claim to the corpSes they will be buried In
the pottsr's field at the county's expense.
There Is practically no change in the sit
uation since last night. Several of the in
tured are still lying in a critical condition
at the sanitarium Mrs. Faunce Fralinger
OF Philadelphia, whose right leg was ampu-
tated yesterday afternoon, passed a restless
right and is still very low. There is no
hope for her recovery.
A young woman about nineteen years
old. who has been lying senseless at tho
hospital since the accident, recovered con-
sclousnesS for a few moments this morn
ing. but is too i'll to admit of question.nI,
On the matter Of identity. There is a strong
probability that she is Miss Lizzie Branin
of Mlllville, NJ, who Is known to have
been in the excursion party, but has not
since been heard from.
There Is much perplexity here over the
dispatch from Millville to the effect that
s. r. Murphy. who has been numbered
among the dead from the time of the acci-
dent. Is alive and well at his home. Tho
body supposed to be his was identified az
such by fully fifteen persons.
Placing the Blame.
An impre ssion prevails that the RESPONSE
h.lity for the accident rests upon the dead
engineer. Edward Farr. There Is no dis
pute that the signal to come ahead was
given to the West Jersey excursion train,
and If so the danger signal must neces-
sarily be given to the Reading track by
an automatic arrangement. The signals
then become locked and cannot be released
Until both trains have cleared the point.
Before the signals manipulated. how
ever, that is, under ordinary circumstances,
when no trains are in view, the red signal is
constantly displayed to both tracks. Thus.
by experience alone, all engineers know
that they are at least obliged to slow up
on approaching the crossing.
The theory is, however, that Farr did not
slow up, and could not do so in time
when he saw the West Jersey train ap-
preaching. 1t Is said that he had been
laid off for two weeks not long ago for
lot making good time, and it is supposed
that he was trying to make up for this
by rur ming at a high rate of speed.
The truth of the matter will probably
not be known until the end Of the coron-
e"s inquest This will begin at 1O:30
o'clock Monday morning, and Fireman
o'Houlihan of the Reading train, who
saved his life by jumping, will probably
be the principal witness.
Farr was an experienced engineer, hav-
ing been in the service since June 1890
Until recently he Is said to have enjoyed
the favor of the company.
Atlantic City is reviving from the heavy
blow. although there is still an air of
gloom in the very atmosphere. The re-
mains Of the wreck have been entirely
cleared away. and the ditch beside the
tracks filled up with mud, but the exodus
OF curious parties to the scene continues
almost urabated.
Another Identification was made at II
O'Clock today by the son of the victim. 1t
was the body of Thomas Kelly of Elmer
N. ].
All Bodies Identified.
Later.-Forty-four persons were killed in
Thursday nights collision. All of the bodies
have now been identified. The severed arm
was identified as belonging to the body of
Mrs Trenchard of Bridgeton.
The man supposed to be Samuel p Muir
today as Patrick Feighan, of 1920 Thomp-
son street, Philadelphia. He was a retired
liquor merchant. and came down on an
excursion on Thursday morning the
West Jersey road. In the evening he took
the Rrfdgeton excursion train, presun-
ably by mistake.
The error in identity was caused nv a
slip of paper found in one Of the pockets
bearing Murphy's name and address.
Frederick Cheney died in the sanitarium
yesterday, and the body was sent home
without notification to the coroner or GER
t.1cates from the county physician and
board of health