The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-10

the local put on steam and headed rounu
the curve, soing at about 25 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 IL started on the curve. With
shrieking whistles and brakes grinding
sparks from the wheels, the excursion n
train bore down to what
:SEEMED CERTAIN DESTRUCTION I
The passenger, alarmed at the con
tinued whistliug, opened the windows; I;
mothers clasped their children In Their
arms, men started from their ssats, Tut
before they had time to find out what
was the matter they were hurled head
long. knocked senseless and many killed
outright. The two engines now pilotless,
for both crews had Jumped, came togeth-
cr with an awful crash The excursion
train was probably going at about 10
miles an hour. The local engine turne q
complete somersault and came crash
ing down beside its now demolished ob-
struction. But its career was not ended
bsfore IL had jammed the tender OF the
excursion train engine almost from one
end to the other OF the first car from
Shamokin. The tender stopped few
seats from the rear door; the caf or what
was left OF IL, rolled over. carrying with
1t the embedded tender, the fragments of
dozen bodies and the imprisoned
wounded, who had been carried with the
Jagged iron on Its relentless course
through the coach. 1t was in the first
car Of the excursion train that all of the
deaths and most of the casualties oo-
CURED. The other cars, though their oc-
hnE stau M n
the track. The baggage 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 cars.were so badly impaired that they
could not be hauled of.
From Dunellen, Bound Brook and other
places doctors Were quickly summoned.
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 traips
were quickly on hand. As the dead were
pulled out OF the demolished car, they
were put In the rear cars of the xcur-
where "A coroners inquest was held to-
day. The injured were put in the cars
of the local tIain. u were taken to the
Plainfield hospital, while the less serious
ly injured went on to jersey City and
New YORK. Engineer Pendrrgast of the
excursion train, who weighs almost BOO
pounds, jumped too late, Tor ne was caught
under his engine and for three hours lay
pintoned In frightful agony. When ut
last huge crane lifted the iron off his
body. he was found so badly injured that
he Is expected to die. The loss OF life in
ficted upon his train would probably
have been nothing Ike what IL would
had 1t not been for the fact that at
Mauch ChGnk the baggage car of the ex-
rt1 a. trs.t t<,h h.v hnt hrV
and was taken OF. thus leaving the crow d.
ed day zach next to the engine. II this
coach had retained the position 1t held
when the train left Shamokin, probably
only few lives would have been lost
Engineer Rick of the local was found
on the tracks SO badly injured that there
Is little hope of his recovery. Despite
the blood that flowed from his mouth,
Rick managed to say; "Soine one gavo
wrong orders; know how 1t happened,
but 1 can't speak now" In this connec-
tion, W. U. Sprigg, the superintendent
Of the Eastern and Amboy division of
the Lehigh Valley. said: THE accident
Is evidently due TO a blunder IN orders "
General Passenger Agent Lee had no. ex-
pla nation to make.
On this section of the Lehigh Valley
the block system is not In use. The
train dispatcher at Easton, who was in
charge OF the territory, isss said to have
wired TO the operator at South Plainneid
to let No. II, the local, come through,
but later there came a message from las
ton to hold ali west bound traffic. 1t Is
alleged that the latter message was over
looked. some say IL was not handed To
the operator, but whichever way it was,
the west bound train was allowed on
its track. From everything that could be
learned. the collision was plainly due
to mistake in orders aud to no negil-
gence Of the train crews. Signalman
Brennan at West Dunellen, who threw
up his arms as the local passed, has no
wire and nothing TO do with the des-
patching OF trains.
barry Butland was the operator at
South Plsinneld, and 1t was he who
gave the signal for the local to proceed.
Butland stated tonight that ne received
no orders TO hold the train and as the
track ahead was supposed to be clear he
allowed the train to go upon the single
track.