Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-04
VISITED THE WRECK.
NM. JOHN II. DOYLE DESCRIBES
THE AWFUL DISASTER.
ONE OF THE FIRST At The SCENE.
Four Persons Were Entirely De-
capItatcd-The Spectacle a Most Re-
voting one-Four More of the
wounded VIII Probably Die.

Mr. John d. Doyle. secretary Of the
Peter Stumpf Brewing Company, OF this
city. was probably the only person from
this section 10 visit the scene Of the great
railroad wreck near Atlantic City last
week. Besides his business here, Mr..
Doyle conducts big cafe, bath-house,
etc, at Jerseys live resort. and was there
when the accident occurred. Along with
twenty-five others. he boarded the first
Wrecking train " hich went out Of Atlantic
City to the scene OF the terrible disaster.
This party reached the Meadows. where
the express had run into the excursion
train about twenty-five or thirty minutes
after the accident, and Mr.. Doyle's de-
scription Of what was then seen and
done. while narrowing In the extreme. is
very interesting.
RESCUING THE BODIES.
In conversation with Dispatch reporter
yesterday evening. Mr. Doyle said he
had seen many wrecks Of all sorts. but
had never boheld so pitiable spectacle
rs the one which his eyes beheld in the
Meadows, Of New Jersey. He said that
when he first arrived upon the ground the
sight was so shocking that he had 10
turn his head away, but. hearing the
cries and shrieks Of the dying and
wounded he went into the wreck with
the others. and helped to rescue the dead
and injured from the debris lie assisted
in removing four women whose heads had
been entirely cut of by the accident
while many others were taken out with
hands OF legs mashed or, or cut haif
in twain. Mr. Doyle, speaking OF the
total number Of the killed, said 1t had
reached forty-fve, and that four mTe
persons who had been dangerously in
Jured wo,l Id. 1t was thought surely die.
He denied the report that the wreckage
caught fire. saying that the only fires
around the scene had been kindled by
the rescuers. in order that they might
see how 10 carry on their work. Mr..
Doyle declared that the Chief Of Police
and chef Of the Fire Department de-
served especial praise for the mastery
way in which they conducted their forces
upon the scene As soon as the news
Of the dreadful affair reached Atlantic
City all the church, fire. and military
bells in the city were sounded, and every
piece Of fire apparatus I'm the place was
soon az work upon the wrecked trains.
Widest SORT OF EXCITEMENT
"Thcre was the widest sort Of excite
meut," Said he, land this was the only
thing on earth which ever gave us the
nerve TO work among those mangled
bodies. We found the engineer Of the
Reading train, which crashed into the
excursion party at the rate Of mile
q minute, horribly scalded and mashed,
ana burned. He had both of his hands
upon the throttle, showing that he had
tried to avert tho accident but that his
train was running too fast, and was too
close upon the excursion train when ne
received the signal from the signal tower.
Another thing which argues in favor OF
the engineer IS that thu Reading express
has the right Of way, IL being fast
train, and. until II received the red light,
had no reason TO slow up. one gentle
man on the excursion train said that he
saw the white light just an instant be
fore reaching the crossing but i'm
mediately after the accident the red light
was observed to be up. This statement
coupled with the condition in which the
engineer OF the Reading train was found,
] think, indicates that just as soon as the
engineer got the red light he reversed his
locomotive, and did all in his power 10
stop his train. Passengers on the Read
Ing train told me that their train jolted
80 before stopping thar they thought it
had jumped the track. When the en-
gineer on he Reading engine was found
bis legs were burned off almost up TO his
body"
Dir Doyle spoke highly of the manner
in which the Atlantic City people and the
railway officials have cared for the dead
and wounded but expressed the opinion
that the accident would cost the COM
panles about 81 10000. He remarked in
conclusion, that the excitement incident
10 the wreck had by no means subsided,
when he left the Jersey coast resort yes
tOrday morning.