The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-01
ENGINEERS RACING
CAUSE OF THE RAILWAY DISASTER
AT ATLANTIC CITY.
Coroner's Jury of Prominent Citizens
Starts Investigation Of
the Affair.
coFFINs FOR FoRTY-sEvEN
PATHETIC SCENES WITNESSED AT
sANAToRIUM HOSPITAL.
Engineer Farr, Who Died at the
Throttle, Was Making His Ldst
Trip over the Reading.

ATLANTIC CITY. N. j.. July s1-There
1t little doubt here tonight that last
nights railroad disaster in the meadows.
resulting in forty-seven people crushed to
death and nearly as many more mangled
and crippled, many of whom will die. was
the result of a railroad race between the
Reading flyer and Camden & Atlantic
passenger train approaching this city on
almost parallel tracks. THE Pennsylvania
excursion train from Bridgeton. which was
standing on the railroad crossing, is not
known to have had the right Of way. and
the danger signal was thrown that the
Reading engineer could not help seeing it.
But for some reason. which must forever
remain unexplained, as the Reading engi-
neer died at his throttle. the Reading train
came on at unchecked speed and struck
the excursion train broadside, tearing its
way through one coach crowded with ex-
cursionists and demoIishing two others,
John Greiner, the engineer of the ill-fated
Bridgeton excursion train. was interviewed
at his home in Camden tonight. and veri-
fies the early reports that the trains were
racing. He said:
MY train left Atlantic City at 6:45
o'clock. 1t was about two minutes late
we were leaving the bridge looked out of
one OF the cab windows and saw the Read
ing express flying shoreward. 1t was then
probably two miles away. There was a
Camden & Atlantic accommodation train
running in the same direction that the
Reading flyer was going. From what /
could observe the trains were racing.
II looked up at the tower and saw that
I had clear track. The signals are in
terchangeable. and the fact that the white
was against me would throw the red light
against the Reading express AS the ex-
press came laundering down on the cross
ing saw that collision was unavoidable.
My God Horacep I said to my fire.
man, he's not going to stop.
Then left my seat and jumped quickly
| on to the engine step. For an instant was
undecided whether to jump or not. Some
thing prevented me from jumping, how
ever, and spraHg quickly into the cab
again. The next minute the collision came
ENGINEER uREINER's ESCAPE.
Had followed my first impulse and
jumped would have been crushed to death
alongside the track. The engine of the ex-
press struck the excursion train about the
middle of the second coach. Four of the
cars left the track II was in the second
coach from the engine that most of the
people were killed. They were simply
| ground to death in their seats Neither I
TOR my fireman was hurt.
| The engine Of the express was literally
| smashed to pieces. When the crash came
| my engine was severed from the rest of
the train and the locomotive ran down the
track for several hundred feet before 1t
| was brought to lstandstill. When I got
back to the scene the sight was appalling.
Dead bodies were strewn about everywhere.
and the cries of the dying and injured filled
the air. 1t was a heartrending spectacle -
| The story of engineer Greiner can hardly
be questioned. and while it has not been
told to the coroner's jury. which meets to-
| day, before that body finishes its work all
evidence will be laid before 1t. OF the dead
here forty have been identified. Three of
the unidentified We're men and three women.
| The odd one consists or an arm to which
| no body has been found.
| FirSman O'Houlahan was finally located
tonight at boarding house, but despite
| all kinds of pressure he refused to discuss
the accident from any point OF view. A
pathetic fact which has come to light is
that the run which ended engineer Farr's
life was to have ended his career as a rail-
roader and established him and his wife as
storekeepers to-day. The man who accom-
panied Farr on the last run and who was
also killed was to have succeeded him On
the engine and was taking a preliminsry
| lesson The statement that Mrs. Farr
dropped dead on learning Of her husbands
fate proved to be untrue About O'Clock
this morning the rescue workers found a
babe lying in the grass few feet from the
| point of the accident. 1t was sleeping
peacefully and was unhurt. The police
officials took charge of the child.
The official list of the killed follows:
EDWARD FARR, Atlantic City. enginee,
of the Reading train.
MISS TILLIE LEEDS, Bridgeton. N. ].
LYDIA CARL, Hancocks Bridge, N. j.
MRS. HATTIE LOPER, Bridgeton, N. ]
WILLIAM SPAULDING. Philadelphia.
ELMER wENTzELL. Bridgeton.
HENRY HUGHES. Bridgeton.
MRS. MARY FREASE, Bridgeton.
JAMES N. BATEMAN, Bridgeton.
MRS. JAMES N. BATEMAN, Bridgeton
WILLIAM PICKETT jeanette, Pa.
FREDERICK CHEYNEY, Bridgeton.
JOSEPH CHEYNEY. Bridgeton
NINA CHEYNEY. Bridgeton.
SAMUEL THORNE. Atlantic City.
CHARLES p. MGEAR. Bridgeton.
FRAZIER BELL. Bridgeton.
MRS H. FRAZIER BELL. Bridgeton.
WILLIAM c. LOPER. Brfdgeton.
MRS. WILLIAM c. LOPER. Bridgeton
JOSHUA EARNEST, Bridgeton.
CHARLES MuLLA, Bridgeton.
PEARL MULLA, Bridseton.
JOHN GRINER. Bridgeton.
| CHARLES D. BURROUGHS. Bridgetou
| j. d. JOHNSON. Bridgeton.
RICHARD TRENCHARD. Bridgeton.
MRS. RICHARD TRENCHARD. Bridge
ton.
JOSEPH PETERS. Bridgeton.
NORRIS PETERS, Bridgeton.
PHILIP H. GOLDSMITH. Bridgeton.
MRS PHILIP H. GOLDSMITH. Bridge
ton.
MICHAEL MAY. Paiatine. N. J.
j MRS. ELLA MAY. Palatine. N. j.
FRANK DUBOIS, Hustled, NJ j.
CHARLES ECKLER. Salem, N. J.
s. p. MURPHY. Millvilie, N. j.
MARY VENTED. Allowayne.
HARRY HUGHES. Bridgeton.
REvA LoPER. Yorktown, N. ].
-Four unknown women
One unknown man.
One unknown boy.
| Unidentified arm.
A ring was found on . finger Of one q