Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-01-13
UNLUCKY THIRTEEN.
Frightful Disaster on Lehigh Valley
Road-'Some One Blundered."

wv fS1~7--'- SCI II ans w TIT ehA-
ley railroad at West Dunellen, n. J., at
12:41 p. m. yesterday.
The scenes which accompanied the COL
lisiOn, the sufferings of the injured and
the panic that reigned among the 400
passengers were well nigh indescribable.
The blood-stained wreck of tangled and
twisted iron and wood that is still on the
railroad tracks bears witness to the truth
Of the general verdict of railroad men
that this was one of the worst collisions
in recent years.
a headon collision on a double track
road was only made possible by freight
wreck which occurred at Bound Brook
at O'Clock yesterday morning, when
the axle of a freight car broke and nine
cars were piled on top of each other.
This completely blocked the east bound
track, and all through the morning
Lehigh Valley trains bound for New
York switched from their own track to
the west-bound track. going over these
rails from Bound Brook to Newmarket,
a distance Of six miles, ana changing at
the latter place back to their right side
Of the road. To permit this mode of
traffic all west-bound trains were held
at South Plainfield until their own line
was clear of trains going in the opposite
direction,
Train No. 20 which left Shamokin, Pa,
at a. m. was 50 heavy with human
freight that it had to be broken into three
sections. The first two sections arrived
at Bound Brook. switched over to the
other track. switched back, at New
market and reached New York in safety
The third section of this train was al
most an hour late. Its seven cars We're
crowded with 400 excursionists, most of
them from Mount Carmel and Shamokin.
Nahouey City, HazeltOn,. Ashland and
PuttSville, Pa. The party was travelling
under the auspices of the business mems
excursion an annual affair which many
patronize for a three days visit to New
York. Not 3 few of the excursionists
We're coming to witness the Mccoy
Sharkey fight. Their train switched over
at Bound Brook and proceeded. like the
preceding sections, on the west-bound
track.
Meanwhile there had been waiting at
Newmarket a local train that. plies
regularly between New York and Bound
Brook. 1t was due in Bound Brook at
II SO a. IN. Owing to the traffic all going
on one track, it was almost an hourlate.
At last the train dispatcher at South
Plainheld gave it permission to go. Just
before reaching West Dunellen Engineer
Rick slowed his train down. because the
train stops there for passengers if there
are any. Martin Brennan, the signal
J.,
as if to say there were no passengers. so
the local put on steam and headed round
the curve, going at about % miles an
hour There were only four passengers
on the local.
In the cab of the excursion train engine
was James Prendergast. engineer. with
his fireman George Cheshire They saw
the local as it started on the curve
With shreking whistle and brakes
grinding sparks from the wheels the ex-
cursion train bore down to -what seemed
certain destruction. The passengers.
alarmed at the continued whistling.
opened the windows; mothers cIasped
their children in their arms. men started
from their seats. but before they had
time to find out what was. the matteI.
they were hurled headlong. knocked
senseless and many killed outright.
The two engines. now pilotess, for
both crews had jumped. came together
with an awful crash. The excursion train
was probably going at about Is miles an
hour. The local engine turned a COM
plete somersault and came crashing
down beside its now demolished OH
structiOn. But its career was not ended
before it had jumped the tender of the
excursion train engine almost from ono
end to the other of the first ear from
/ ShamOkin. The tender stopped a few
/ seats from the rear door. The car, or
what was left of it. rolled over. CARRYING
! with it the imbedded tender. the frag-
ments of dozen bodies and the i'm
/ prisoned wounded who had been carried
with the Jagged iron on, its relentless
! course through the coach.
! 1t was in this first car of the excursion
train that all of the deaths and most of
/ the casualties occurred: The other cars
though their occupants We're badly
shaken, stayed on the track The bag
gage car in the front of the local train
was damaged, but with the exception. of
/ the two engines and the first car of the
excursion train. none of the ears were sn
| badly impaired that they could not. he
| hauled off.
From Dunellen. Bound Brook and
other places doctors We're quickly sum-
mOned. They came over the Central
railroad of New Jersey whose tracks
run parallel with the Lehigh at this
point, about 400 yards distant. Relief
and wrecking trains were quickly on
hand AS the dead were pulled out of
the demolished car they were put in the
rear cars of the excursion train and taker
to Bound Brook, where a coroner's in
quest was held last night. The injured
were put in the cars of the local train
! Twenty-one We're taken to Plainfield
hospital, while the less seriously injured
went on to Jersey City and New York.
The loss of life inflicted upon his train
would probably nave been nothing like
what it was had it not been for the fact
| that at Mauch Chunk the baggage cal
of the excursion train was found to have
hot box and was taken off, thus leaving
the crowded day coach next to the en-.
gine. If this coach had retained this
position it held when the train left
Shamokin probably only few lives
would have been lost.
Harry Butland was the operator al
South Plainfield and it was he who
gave the signal for the local to proceed
Butland stated that he received no or
ders to hold the train, and, as the track
ahead was supposed to be clear he al
lowed the train to go up on the single
track
Philadelphia, Jan. 1O.-The Lehigt
Valley officials in this city gave out q
statement which agrees with the press
dispatches as to the number-and names
Of the victims of the accident. 1t fur,