Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-05-14
light which was displayed at the Exc
ter station while giving orders to No.

light which was displayed at the Exc
ter station while giving orders to No.
II.
At any rate the great engine came
along under full head of steam and
with the terrific momentum which the
weight of a heavily laden train behind
it would naturally impart, crashed into
the rear of the waiting train.
The rear DAY coach, the Pullman
ahead and the day coach forward of the
Pullman We're reduced to splinters. The
day coach behind the smoker and the
smoker Itself escaped comparatively I'M
injured and were later brought down
the road and run into Philadelphia.
The engine and these two cars with
several baggage cars constituting what
was left OF No. II, were brought to this
city. On them were a number OF peo-
PIE who were slightly injured.
some OF the DEAD ana wounded were
taken TO NorrisGown on a special train
sent down from Reading for that pur-
pose.
Excellent service was rendered by
the members OF Company +, Pennsyl-
yania National Guara, OF Norristown,
in assisting the nurses sent from the
heading hospital.
G. l.. Laverty's body is badly mutt
lated. The remains were identified
through NUMBER of articles found on
his person, among which were a card
inscribed &c. l.. Laverty, Harrisburg,
Room L, College Block
Lucien J. Custer, aged 10 years, of
Pottstown, had both legs broken and
died at O'Clock this morning at his
home at that place.
The rear coach of the first section, in
which most of the killed were riding,
was full OF people, every seat being oc-
cupied Some OF them heard the loud
whistling of the approaching engine of
the second section, and there was an
attempt on the part OF many TO escape
from the car. but in a second all was
confusion and death. 1t is stated that
ten minutes after the regular train left
the station here the second section, or
special, followed. After the special had
left, it was learned that the coal train,
which was running ahead TO Monocaey,
had not yet cleared the main track, and
the train dispatcher here decided to
send a precautionary order to the ex
press train at Exeter, and the operator
at that place was so notified. He inn
H1Sulditls put up euC OAhCl oi5Hol
with a red light, but it appears that
just as the express came along the coal
train had cleared, but the express shot
some distance by the station and
started to back up TO the station.
The train was running fast and the
engineer says he stopped as soon as he
could. In the meantime the tower OPP
orator just below Reading, was notified
10 display precautionary signals against
the second section, but whether they
were observed by the engineer is not
yet known. At all events the train pro-
ceeded and when it rounded the curve
just north Of Exeter station. the red
signals of the rear car Of the regular
express doomed up before the engineer.
He was M king rapid time PROBABLY
40 miles an hour. 1t is evident from
the speed that the second train was
making that the engineer did not ex-
pect to find the first section there, but
Ear below that point.
One of the passengers in speaking Of
the cause of the wreck said:
1T may have been all right for the
first train to back, but it seems to me
that in view Of the fact that the crew
was aware that they were being fol-
lowed by another section it would have
been prudent to allow the train to
stand where it had stopped and send
signal man back and not attempt to
back UP in the face Of another train
with equal right of way"