Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-12

Rick gurgled out: Some one gave wrong
orders. I know how 1t happened, but I
can't speak now" In this connection w.
o. Sprigg the superintendent of the East
ern and Amboy division of the Lehigh
Valley, said: The accident is evidently
due to blunder In orders" General
Passenger Agent Lee had no explanation
to make.
| On this section Of the Lehigh Valley the
! block system is not in use. The train des-
patCher at Easton, who has charge of the
territory is said to have wired to the
operator at South Plainfield to let No Il,
the local, come through, but later there
came a message from Easton to hold all
west bound traffic 1t is alleged that the
| latter message was overlooked.
Some say it was not handed to the OPP
orator. From all that could be learned,
the collision was plainly due to a mistake
in orders and TO no negligence Of the
train crews Signalman Brennan at West
Dunelcn who threw up his arms as the
local passed. has no wire and nothing to
do with the despatchng of trains.
/ Or. Brakel,y OF Duellen, WAS one OF the
first on the scene. He said I'VE got
into the overturned cars. and CROPPED
among the debris for the dead Teeth
arms, brains and splintered wood and
twisted iron were mixed up in an indi-
ecrbable mass. The wounded, most OF
them suffering from broken legs, were ali
jammed together at the rear end. The
dead we got out piece meal. Among the
luins we found baby in long clothes
about four months old. We thought it
was dead and laid it on the bank beside
the half dozen other marGled bodies Ne
had extrcated. Just as / was leaving |
noticed signs of life. The baby was alive
and a careful examination showed it had
only sustained IA bruise of the mead. We
put it in the cars for Paintied.'
This baby belonged to Mrs. Mary Par
reca of Mount Carmel, who was accom-
panied on the train by her husband, two
sons and the infant in question. Mrs. Par
reca said:
II was nursing the babe when the whist q
began to blow Ny husband started to open
the window. Then | was thrown to The
back of the car and lost consciousness.
MY ba be was gone. | almost went frant-
ic but at last l found my child peacefully
sleeping in the other train and apparent
~ none the worse"
Arthur Tregembo. a private of Com
pany d, 2lst regular infantry, who was
returning to Plattsburgh. had both / 5
broken. When seen in Plaintield Hospital
he said:
Il was in the first car of the train from
Shamokin. Something prompted me To
open the window and look out when
heard the whistling going on. Then saw
the other train coming round the curve
] said to myself jump but l couldn't
got done up. Guess it's my own fault for
not jumping, but 1t might have been
worse" Tregembo's condition Is serious
William Feely of louisville, Pa, was
sitting four seats from the front OF the
fatal car. He said:
"A soldier sitting In front of me threw
I'D the window and shouted. | got up
and made dive for the door but | was
lifted off my feet and the hind end of orr
tender showed me through the woodwork
until | found myself almost on the rear
platform. There ] scrambled over the
bodies of two men and got out practical
ly unhurt"
; Almost all the dead were killed instant
ly.
AS the daylight began to die huge bon
fires made of the ear debris We're lighted
by the side of the track. and by the gli re
of the ama9 the WrcCkinE crews worked
their ponderous derrioks Both engines
were complete wrecks They were drag
ged along by ropes attechcd to othC en-
gines. The track will probably be clea,
: by tomorrow.
L. S Walter. a lawyer of Mount Carmel
was pinned IN the debris Of the front car
for two hours Despite the fact that I've
was seriously If not fatally injured, Mr.
Walter directed the attention of the res
cuers to other sufferers and from his point
of vantage, superintendent their efforts
, when finally taken out Mr.. Walter was
carried 10 II near by vacant hous'' "HSi'
: he was cared for
The vicinity Of the railroad crossing
, where the trairs crashed is sparsely set
tied. The occupants of the few houses
I near by did everything in their power &c
assist the wounded, the women tearing ur
sheets as bandages for the wounded anc
easing in countless ways their sunerinss
When the dead arrived at Bound Brool
, eight were left in the car that brought
them from the scene of the accident ant
i've were laid out for the coroner in IN,