The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-31
ROANOKE, VA, FRIDAY, JULY 81 1896

the gayety of which had been suddenly
eclipsed by the most awful catastrophe
i'll its history. Staggering in and out
of bitches and stumbling over masses of
broken timber with only IL few fitful Ian
terms to help their straining eyes, the res
cue gang set bravely to work. Axes and
shovels We're piled with the greatest
vigor and almost Mt every half dozen
strokes mangled form was brought up
and laid tenderly on the waiting pallets.
1t was gigantic and sickening sight and
the strongest of men turned aside faint
from Il revelation of the work of the
spades
a heap of blood-stained timbers turned
aside by one of the rescuers brought to
sight woman's arm. 1t had been
wrenched off almost by the roots and
nothing remained but "A dripping stump,
even the hand being gone. 1t had been
clad i'll dainty white linen glove, the
sleeve of which still chung to it,. Not five
minutes later chance blow from Il pick
revealed still more CHASTITY remnant,
human heart that only a few hours before
had been thrObbing with life and love.
One woman whose body was recovered
still held in her dead hand plate bear
ing picture of Atlantic City. 1t was
unbroken. Scattered about the ground
near the wreck were many pieces of cloth
ing which had been torn from the bodies
of the victims, hats, dainty parasols, fans
and gloves.
Just rs one of the relief trains reached
the Pennsylvania depot with its terrible
load one man who lay in n corner horribly
injured regained his senses for moment
and clasping his hand to his head cried in
heart rending agony: "Who did this? My
God, where are my wife and children?'
y ~ 6
injured have since died at the sanitarium.
superintendent l. y. Sweigard, of the
Philadelphia and Reading Company,
places the number of dead at thirty. seven
and the injured at about the same num-
Der He sent Il telegram to Philadelphia
this evening which said: "There were
thirty-seven persons killed us follows:
Twelve women; twenty-one men; two boys
and two girls About the same number
injured
Just where Mr.. Sweigard gets his infor-
nation cannot be learned, as it will be
impossible to give the correct number or
even an approximate estimate of the dead
until the debris is removed. This will
consume several hours. Work is still
progressing and the rescuers will remain
at work until the last body is taken from
the wreckage
men and female child, all dead, was
brought to the excursion house after mid
night. Fireman Kelley, of the Reading
train, was fatally injured.
1t Is said that the Reading signal was
displayed, and that the whistle of the
train was sounded. The Reading has the
right of way at the crossing. The excur-
sion train bore five tribes of the order
of Red Men, the Bridgeton, the Niagara,
the Iowa, the Ahwaneta and the Gohan-
sick, with their wives and children.
The ringing of the fire bells gave the
Atlantic city public the first ntimation
they received of the disaster. The
utmost excitement prevailed. The board
walk was deserted and the crowds that
sursed about the two railroad, stations
rendered the streets ii those sections
almost impossible. Mrs Edward Farr.
wife of the .Reading engineer, who was
killed, when informed of her husbands
tragic end, threw up her hands with
frantic shrek and fellsdead at the feet of
her informant.