Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-10-20
EXPLOSION GREAT MOGUL"
Mammoth Freight Engine on
Wilmington & Northern.
THE DISASTER NEAR JOANNA
Four Men Killed; Their Bodies
Horribly Mangled.


BY the explosion Of "Great Mogul,n -
the mammoth freight engine Of the
Wilmington & Northern railroad, near
Joanna, Monday afternoon, four men
were killed and their bodies horribly
mangled. The dead are:
William Herficker, engineer, aged
80 years. He is survived by his widow
and one son.
George Mills, fireman, aged 35 years,
leaves wife and two children.
Harry Suydam, conductor, aged 50
years, leaves wife and one son.
Willis Woodward, brakeman, aged 25
years, single.
All of the victims lived at Birdsboro
and have been in the employ of the
company number of years. A sad
feature as as to Woodward is that his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Wood
ward, buried their son Charles on Sum
day Herfiicker had saved about S15,-
600 and had said that he intended to
retire in few months.
Orlando Berkeley and Benjamin CAL
licher, brakemen on the train to which
the engine was attached, were unhurt.
The locomotive was No. 10, no.
ton engine built by the Baldwin loco
motive works. 1t was similar in design
to a number built for the Northern
Pacific railroad. 1t was used for heavy
hauling about the Birdsboro yards.
The train left Birdsboro at 1.3O
O'Clock, with 20 loaded coal cars, for
Springfield, which point is at the top
OF the heavy grade. At Joanna, as is
customary, the tank was filled with
water, and when on level piece of the
road, near Kenney's, about half mile
from the water tank, at 2.30 o'clock,
the locomotive exploded. The acci-
dent happened near woods, and trees
several inches in diameter were cut off
by pieces of the engine, some of which
were found a quarter of mile away.
The explosion was heard for miles. The
great boiler, twisted out of shape, was
lifted off the trucks and went flying
into field, sweeping away a stone
fence when it struck the ground, for
distance of 30 feet. The sInokestack
was thrown some distance from the
boiler. The forward cars of the freight
train to which the engine was attached
were tossed back and piled up in
confused heap across the track. Tela-
graph poles were torn down and wires
put in confusion.
Brakeman Berkeley, in describing the
accident, says that after the roar Of
the explosion, he jumped from the
train. As he struck the ground he felt
u rush of wind and was covered with
dirt and steam. He says he could not
see the engine for the cloud Of steam
and smoke. st
The body of Brakeman Woodward
was hurled into corn field on the left,
a distance of $50 yards, and he was
crushed almost to jelly. A farmer
who saw him strike in the field says
that he bounded 80 feet, and big hole
was ripped in the ground where he
landed. The remains were badly mu-
tilated. The other three victims were
thrown to the right.
Engineer Herficker was hurled from
his cab 200 feet through the air, and
his body landed in meadow. His face
was chushed in and his neck broken.
The frightfully mangled remains of
Fireman Mills fell across wire fence
and hung there. Conductor Suydam
was picked up near wire fence. He
was alive when found, but soon ex-
pired. His skull was crushed.
People hocked to the scene and were
Mortified at the deadly result of the
accident.
The cause OF the explosion is un-
known. All four men are said to have
been in the cab of the engine at the
time. Woodward may have been on
the pilot.
Coroner Rothermel of Berks county
took charge of the bodies, which were
removed to Birdsboro.
On account of the effect OF the ex-
plosion on the telegraph wires, it was
some time after the accident before
the. Wilmington office of the railroad
was acquainted with the details. Su-
A. G. McCausland at once
ordered out the wreck train and ac-
the crew to the scene, which
is about 54 miles from this city, and
about 90 miles this side of Reading.
The passenger train due here at 6. %
o'clock Monday night was delayed by
the wreck. The northbound train due.
at Joanna at 4.42 O'Clock was tagged
below the wreck. Passengers on the
two trains were transferred around the
scene.
Most of the night was occupied by
the wrecking crew in repairing the
tracks and clearing away the debris.
This was the first boiler explosion
that has occurred on the Wilmington &
Northern railroad. The loss on the
property may reach $1,000.