The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-19
AWFUL RAILWAY WRECK
Excursionists Killed by a FrightfuI
Collision Near Atlantic City.
A TERRIBLE SCENE OF DEATH.

BeSun.--Tales of survIvors--Cause Of
the Accident---Identifying the Bodies.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., August LA rail-
road collision resulting in an appalling
slaughter Of human beings occurred Thurs
day night mile from this city. An express
train on the Reading Railroad rushing to-
wards the sea at the rate of nearly mile
minute crashed into the side OF train on
the Pennsylvania Railroad, the cars OF which
were filled with excursionists who had been
making merry at the beach at q picnic OF
the Improved Order of Red Men, which is
benevolent organization OF National scope.
The list of dead as revised numbered forty
seven. and this is thought to be correct, al
Though there was a possibility that more
bodies we're under the debris in the pond
beside the wreck. The injured amount to
about seventy. Almost Immediately after the
catastrophe the news reached Atlantic City,
and relief trains, aubulances and carriages
improvlsed into ambulances were sent to the
scene anu tho rescuers kept at work all
night.
The accident was probably the worst that
ever occurred on railroad in New Jersey.
There are conflicting stories as to what
caused it. One Of the engineers OF the trains
. is dead and the other engineer blames him.
The West Jersey Railroad train, having on
board excurstonists of Red Men from Bridge
tor, \. J.. left the West Jersey station in this
city at $50 o'clock on its way to Bridgeton.
After the train had LETT the station and was
on its way to the meadows, the engineer
stopped and then waited to get the signal to
20 ahead. This was displayed and he pulled
the throttle. The Reading express was com.
Ing along at rapid rate. The first part OF
the West Jersey train had got beyond the
crossing in safety, but just as the third car
was going over the crossing the collision
came. The crash was terrific. The engineer
Of the express train, Edward Farr, OF Allan
tic City, saw that collision was unavoida-
BILE. but bravely stuck to the lever and died
at his post His body WAS taken from be-
meath several tons Of broken iron, which had
crushed his life out.
By the collision the Reading express train
was thrown from the track and fell 10 the
right. burying some of the excursionlsts who
had managed to jump froe the West Jersey
train before the collision occurred. Many OF
the e1curslonists saw the approach OF the
express and, knowing there would be q col
lision, tried to Jump from'the car But few
were successful, however, and when the col
lision did come, they were buried beneath
the wreck. The third car Of the excursion
train was dashed into pieces. 1t was in that
car that many of the people were who were
killed. The car was thrown over and IN a
few minutes It had beeneset on fire from the
locomotive Of the Reading train. Those
people who we're not killed outright by the
collision, and were pinned beneath the
wreck, saw the blaze about them and cried
piteously to be either killed or rescued, as
- Ia 4 % ha ht,r ~
There were many rescuers on hand by this
time. At once they went to the assistance
of those imprisoned while others fought the
fire. They succeeded in putting out the
flames In a short time, and before anyone
was burned. The baggage car OF the Read
ing EXPRESS was wrecked, and the baggage
and d. 8. Express Company's matter were
wrecked and strewn about on all sides OF the
tracks. The baggage master OF the Read
ling Railroad. when he saw that the accident
was bound to happen, leaped from the bag
gage car and landed In a ditch, only to De
caught by the locomotive and crushed to
death. He was Samuel Thorn, and resi-
dent OF Atlantic City.
There was not one car In either train that
was not damaged. All were thrown from
the track, but the people who were not
KILLED were in the first part of the excursion
train. They were very fortunate, and when
some Of them saw how close their escape had
been they tainted. Many of the mAn went
Ito work to help get their friends our OF the
wreck.
The train that ran into the West Jersey e1-
cursion train left Philadelphia for Atlantic
City at $40 o'clock, and was due In this city
at 6.55. At the time OF the accident, 1t Is
said, the express train was running at the
rate of fifty miles an hour. The engineer OF
the train, Farr, who was killed, had to de-
pend on the signal-tower, and, believing
everything right, did not SOW up his train.
Thore was stranger riding with the engi-
neer Of the express besides his fireman. The
stranger did not attempt to Jump from the
train, nor did the fireman. With the eng1-
neer the fireman stuck at his post and both
we're killed. The unknown friend OF the
engineer was also killed.
After the accident occurred word was sent
to the Atlantic City Town Hall, which IS but
two miles from the scene of the accident
The fire bells were rung, and In an instant
the fremen with their apparatus were on
their way to the scene of the accident. They
did much to restore quiet, and,worked herol-
cally all night, some Of them not leaving the
scene of the disaster before nine o'clock this
morning. All the people pinned unuer the
oars were not dead, the cries coming from
them being plainly heari in the darkness.
light, after darkness set in huge bonfire
was started, and this was kept burning nearly
all the night As quickly rs the dead and
Injured were removed they we're transferred
TO the hospitals and morgues. There are
forty persons In the different hospitals here,
not to say anything of the large number be-
ing cared for In the private resld snces.
Every physician in Atlantic City, Egg Har-
Dor City, Asbury Park, Long Branch and
20 he
accident. Since being brought to the hos
pital seven patients died from their injuries.
Nearly all the killed we're from Bridgeton
and other places in South Jersey, aud as
soon as the bodies of the victims were recog-
ntzed they were removed to undertaking es-
tablishmunts to je prepared for shipment to
the homes of the victims. In one OF the cars
of the wrecked West Jersey train there was
a woman sitting dead in seat, and in her
hand was souvenir OF the nice time the
Red Men had at the seashore. The souvenir
was in the form Of plate, and on II was the
inscriptions: "a Merry Time in Atlantic
City," The plate was unbrcken. The wo-
mans hands were crushed, however, and
her head was badly mutilated, her features
being unrecognizable.
The old Reading excursion house has been
transformed into temporary morgne. Row
upon row OF sombre-looking black boxes In
which rest the mangled and in some cases
charred remains OF the victims of the terrible
disaster greet the eye.
A most pathetic scene was witnessed when
Henry Muta, Of Bridgeton, calico. Side by
side lay two of the unknown boxes. The
cover was lifted from the first box. revealing
the mangled and twisted remains OF man.
The face was distorted with the death agony,
bur with low groan young Muta sank upon
his knees murmuring "Father." A moment
later the second box was opened, showing
the dismembered body OF Pear Muta. his
sister.
The body Of Mizeal May had hardly been