The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-14
The EXETER WRECK
Worst Railroad Disaster Which Has
Ever Occurred in Pennsylvania.
TWENTY.EIGHT WERE KILLED.
Fifty More Injured, Some Of Whom Can
Not Recover.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER A MYSTERY.
Superb 'endent Swlgard Says It Was Due
q IN n FREIGHT BlOckade.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER A MYSTERY
Superj,'e ndent Swlgard Says It Was Dut
8 to Freight Blockade.
OMAN KILLED AND ONLY ONE INJURED
Most of the Dead and Injured Were
Excursionists from Norristown TO
the Hartrnnft Ceremonies.

Reading, Pa. May ts-The wreck which
occurred last night on the philadelphia and
Reading railroad at Exeter, six miles south
of here, was probably the worst that has
ever occurred in this state. Twenty ght
dead and fifty injured some so badly that
they may not recover is the awful result
OF the accident.
The cause Of the disaster is still in
volved in mystery and officials OF the road
are investigating in order to place the
blame. The man in the signal tower at
Exeter Station claims to have had the
signals properly displayed.
In a statement made today General Su-
perintendent swigard Of the Reading rail
way said the prime cause was a block OF
freight Gals on the track, which were tax
ing a siding at Birdsboro and when COM
PEELED the express TO stop at Exeter. II
is not known as yet whether a slgnalman
was sent back to notify the special or
second section.
The express from Williamsport, known
as train No. r. and also as the Cannon
ball" leaves Reading for Philadelphia al
$3.50 p. m. 1t did not leave on time les'
night, due to waiting for Harrisburg con
nections. The travel from Harrisburg
was very heavy. owing 10 the large num-
Der of people who attended the Hartrantt
monument dwelling ceremonies. spe-
cal train was brought into requisition &c
accommodate the crowds AT Exeter tn,
first train stopped for orders and had Jus
started when the special crashed into II,
Many prominent men were passengers II
the forward train, among them Senator
Boise Penrose, Colonel Henry D. Paxto
of Philadelphia, General John w Schal
of Norristown aud Colonel George Schsll
the generals brother, who was killed. or
the second train were some twenty veter'
ans Of Haftranft's Thirty first regiment
which he commanded In the civil war, ant
e. company of the Seventh Pennsylvania IN
fantry, National Guard. a few of whom
were injured. A strange feature of tn,
disaster was the fact that not one woman
was killed and only one was Injured.
Norristown is in mourning, as the great
est number OF dead and injured were resi-
dents OF that place.
The corrected list OF killed and injured
follows:
KILLED.
John Sllngluff NUrristown.
III. Thompson. Norristown
Elmer Sneley, HaJborU.
Frank Sewer, Norristuwn
Henry q. Wentz, Norristown.
William stahler, Nurristowu.
Joseph Taylor, Norristown
| j, x. Kuntz, Norristown.
Charles G. Leaf. Fort Washington.
Samuel R. Beatty, Coshocton.
| Charles II. White, Norristown.
Captain G.. C. Eicholtz. Downington.
George Schs-l. Norrstown.
William Lewis. Norristown.
! II. Hunchberger, Gulf Mills.
J. f. Filmdn, Reading
C. Howell, Reading,
John Johnston. Hatboro
John H. Choulston, Norristowh.
C. l.. Laverty. Harrisburg.
Daniel II. Yoder, Pottstown.
Lucien j. Custer, Pottstown.
William C. Camm, Norristown.
II. j. Hartford, Norristown.
NJ L. Lawn, Germantown.
Ono unidentified.
The Injured
T. H. Able. Norristown, legs broken, fac
badly cut
william Freedom. Norr'stown. head cu
chest crushed
Henry X stauffer. Norristown, ches
and face injured
b. B. Sllvis, Reading, legs and inter
ually.
G. H. Lewis, NorristowD, legs crushed
George Carney, Norristown. arm an
A. j. Ashenfeder, Germantown, cnef
crushed.
Robert Briefly, Philadelphia scalp an
face lacerated.
George W Holmes. Norristown, bod
badly lacerated.
John NJ Engle, swedeland, hips trac
tured.
John N. Earle, coshocton, Internally IN
jured
John S. Jones, Norristown, head injured
serious.
Albert Hardness, Philadelphia. bruisc
and unconscious.
John NJ. Foose. Harrisburg, head.
Joseph Edwards, Germantown, chest ar
body; serious,
Harry P, Robbins, Philadelphia. nec
and internal,
, p II. Taggart, Westchester. legs broke
William jenkins, Norristown, head GU
Anne Magdeburg. Ashland, large sea
wound.