The herald., 1896-07-31
hENANDN WOMEN hANGLED
A Hundred People Killed
or Wounded
A CROWDED EXCURSION TRAIN
Crushed in Collision With an
Express
WHOLE TRAIN LOADS OF DEAD
Are Brought to the Hospital at Atlantic
City
Fear Grows Into Despair as Rescuers Delve
Ia the Ruins
OF Hundred Happy Human Beings There
Remains but a Chastity Heap Of Rem.
nants of Dismembered
Corpses
WHOLE TRAIN LOADSOF DEAD
Are Brought to the Hospital at Atlantic
City
Fear Grows Into Despair as Rescuers DeIve
In the Ruins
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., July 30.-A
railroad accident, horrible in its details
and sickening in it's 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 even
ing, for Atlantic City, crashed into
Pennsylvania excursion train at the Sec
ond signal tower. about four miles out
from here. The Pennsylvania train was
returning to Bridgeton with party Of
excursionists from that place, Millville
and neighboring towns. 1t was loaded
with passengers, and a rough estimate
of the killed and wounded 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. At the second signal
tower the tracks of the two roads cross
diagonally. The Reading train was
given the signal to stop, but it either
failed to work, or the speed of the ex-
press was too great to be checked in
time. 1t caught the excursion train
broadside, and ploughed through, liter
ally cleaving it in twain. The engine of
the Reading train was shattered to
pieces. Every car on the excursion
train was jammed to it's fullest capacity.
AS soon as the news reached Atlantic
City the utmost CONSERVATION prevailed
but the authorities We're equal to the
emergency Relief trains were dis
patched to the scene, loaded with cots
and bearing staffs of surgeons. AS
quick as the bodies We're recovered they
were carried into the local hospitals and
undertakers' shops. A general fire
alarm was sounded, and the department
promptly responded and aided in the
heartrending 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-seven man
gled corpses-men, women and chill
dren The next train, not an hour later.
carried fifteen of the manned and wound
ed, and two of these died after reaching
the city. AS train after train piled to
the scene of the wreck and came back
with it's CHASTITY burdens. the sanitarium
which does duty as the city hospital
quickly found it's capacity overtaxed.
Meanwhile, others of the dead and
wounded are being carried to the private
hospitals at Ocean and Pacific avenues.
Edward FAIR, engineer on the Read
ing train, was killed outright. as was an
other railroad man who rode on the en-.
CINE with him.
This man, whose name has not yet
4I,1 1fcfAr ir>
and leaped from the cab an instant be-
fore the crash came. Almost at the
same instant the engine cut it's way
through, and caught him directly in its
path. His body and that of Farr was
found under a heap of debris, and his
right hand still clasped the throttle.
He had been faithful unto death, and
met it at his post The fireman on that
train leaped a few seconds before and
escaped with trihirg injuries.
Samuel Thornton, baggage master on
the Reading train, is among the dead.
James II. Bateman, Bridgeton under
talker, is known to be killed. He was in
the third car and his hat was found
lying among the mass of broken TIM
bers. Richard Trenchard, a Bridgeport
machinist, and his wife are both dead.
AS time progresses it seems almost q
certainty that fully fifty persons were
killed. Conductor Kelly of the Pennsyl-
vania train had both arms and legs
broken, and was injured internally
Albert J. Mosebach of Philadelphia
was on the Reading train. He escaped
unhurt. The excursion train was made
up of fifteen cars, the foremost of which
was baggage car. This and the next
two coaches caught the full force of the
crash and We're utterly demolished.
What remains of the third car was tum-
bled into ditch at the roadside.
The responsibility for the accident cam
not now be fixed. William Thurlow tele-
graph operator in the power house,
was arrested late tonight and held pend
ing an inquiry.
Charles G. Rynick, of Bridgetown,w
was on the excursion train, was in ono
of the rear cars. He escaped with sew
eral bruises and so far as his agitation
would permit, told the story of his ex-
perence
when we saw that collision was
unavoidable, he said, 'the scene in
our car was terrible. Women tainted
and men rushed in mad panic for
the door. But it came almost before we
knew it. The third car was cut right in
two and the lower portion of it was
lifted bodily from the track and tum-
bled over. Every car was crowded and
it is horrible to think Of the numbers who
must be lying under. those ruins. The
roof of one of the cars fell in and every