The times., 1898-12-22
TRAINS COLLIDE IN A FOG.
PittsburE Flyer TeIescoped by
WashiuGtou Express.

Washington Express.
Railway, N. j., Dec. H.-In the dense
fog at $3.50 o'clock this morning the ex-
press from Washington over the PennsyI-
vania Railroad, which should have reach
ed Jersey City at 7:3O o'clock, ran into
the Pittsburg Flyer ITO yards east of Co.
lonia station. two miles west of Railway
Two persons on the Pittsburg train
were instantly killed-one a young man.
passenger, and the other a porter
They were horribly mangled and were
found with their limbs tangled together
Ten persons on the Pittsburg train were
seriously injured, but the only persons on
the second section who received anything
more than severe shaking up were the
engineer and fireman.
Following is a complete list of the kill
ed and injured:
The killed are:
WILLIAM o.. DE WOLF, a clerk in the ae-
counting office Of the Ohio River Railway al
Parkersburg. W. Va.
E. KNIGHT, colored, Pullman porter. of Jer-
sey City.
+ The injured are:
Mrs. Julia Levy, 5oi Eleventh Street, Brooklyn,
severe injuries; Mount Sinai Hospital
j. E. Weleh, 3i5 Ce,aIal Avenue Jersey City.
Pullman conductor. both legs broken; Caris;
Hospital. Jersey City.
b. L. Mead. 346 Carlton Avenue, Brook
lyn, left leg broken; went home.
Frank Iris. travelling passenger agent
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, col
lar bone broken; st. Francis Hospital
+. kupper, 10 Oakland Avenue, Brook
1yn ig,l. ;,f.
j. Vandergrift, Philadelphia. engineer,
slight injuries; ST. Francis Hospital
c. Zane, fireman, Princeton, scalp
wound; st. Francis Hospital.
G. 7. Robertson. mail clerk. Newark.
head cut.
c. B. Ewing, mail clerk, Newton Hamil-
ton, Pa. arm cut
j. c. Geary, mail clerk Harrisburg. back
hurt.
The locomotive of the rear train plunged
half way through the sleeper of the first
section. Screams of terror and pain came
from the mass ofwreckage when the pas
sengers from the rear train hurried to the
spot, and mangled persons could be seen
inside begging to be extricated from the
ruins.
The Pittsburg train was made up of
baggage cars. with one sleeper, the Bar
tholdi, in the rear. In the sleeper were
seventeen persons, two of whom were
women. Most of the passengers had left
their berths at the time OF the collision.
and nearly all the men were in the lava
tory in the front of the car. 1t was due
10 this fact that the list of killed and
wounded Is not longer.
The Pittsburg train had been running
slowly just outside the Colonia station.
t.,,
see the Toadbed. so dense was the fog.
The train had been proceeding with great
caution. for in the darkness the engineer
could not make out the signal lights at
the different block stations.
Suddenly there came the roar of the
advancing Washington train There was
a hoarse whistle from its locomotive, the
shrieks of steam from the brake pipes,
and the grinding of the wheels as they
slid along the damp track. Then came
the crash
The locomotive OF the Washington ex-
press plunged into the sleeper. tearing
out everything in its way and not stop
ping until its battered headlight was
half way through the Bartholdi. The
impact threw the car in front OF the
sleeper up on the car in front of it The
tender of the locomotive was turned up
on the body of the locomotive.
The first car of the Washington train
was thrown from the track. and the next
car following in its wake pushed II along
until il was overturned side by side with
the locomotive. Wreckage was strewn
about everywhere. and twisted iron and
broken wood were flung in all directions.
The Washington Express, being an hour
and one-half behind time, should have
been in advance of the Pittsburg Flyer. 1t
may have been that the signal men farther
down the route thought that the flyer
had gone along at the usual rate of speed.
and accordingly should have been out Of
the block where the collision occurred.
Thus. 1t was thought, the Washington
Express was allowed TO pass.
Had the Pittsburg Flyer not been in mo-
tion the number of deaths would have
been appalling. The Washington Express
was running along at high rate Of speed
trying to make up for lost time. So thick
was the mist that the train ahead could
not be seen. The men on the locomotive
had barely time to reverse the lever. ap-
ply the brakes and jump for their lives.
Ten minutes after the report came in
thoroughly equipped wrecking train was
flying over the road with the right of way
over everything.
The blocked condition of the road, how
ever made the progress of the wrecking
train comparatively slow and dangerous.