The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-13

ing on one track, 1t was almost an hour
late. At last the train dispatcher at
South Plainfield gave it permission to
go. Just before reaching West Dunel-
len Engineer Rick slowed his train
down because he stops for passengers
If there are any. Martin Brennan, the
signal man, threw up his arms and
waved them as if to say there were no
passengers, so the local put on steam
and headed round the curve, going at
about 25 miles an hour. There were
only passengers on the local.
In the cab of the excursion train was
James Prendergast engineer, with his
fireman. George Cheshire. They saw the
local as it started ON the curve. With
shrieking whistle and brakes grinding
sparks from the wheels, the excursion
train bore aown to what seemed certain
destruction. The passengers, alarmed
at the continued whistle, opened the.
windows, mothers snatched their chill
dren in their arms, men started from
their seats but before they had time to
find out what was the matter they were
hurled headlong. knocked senseless and
many killed outright. The two engines,
now p.lotless, for both crews had jump
ed, came together with an awful crash.
The excursion was probably going at
about Is miles an hour The local en-
gine, as If tripped in it's faster flight,
turned complete somersault and came
crashing down beside it's now demolish-
ed obstruction. But it's career was not
ended before it had jammed the tender
of the excursion train almost from one
end to the other of the first car from
ShamolSin. The tender stopped a few
seats from the rear door. The car, or
what was left of it. rolled over, carry
ing with it the imbedded tender the
fragments of a dozen bodies and the
imprisoned wounded, who had been car
ried with the jagged iron on it's relent-
less course through the coach.
It was In this first car of the excur-
sion train that all the deaths and most
OF the casualties occurred. The other
cars, though their occupants were bad
ly shaken, staid on the track The
baggage car in the front of the local
train was rather smashed up, but with
the exception of the two engines and
the first car of the excursion train none
was so badly impaired that 1t could not
be hauled off.
A few minutes before the trains crash
ed George Weidman Of Dunelen had
tethered his coal wagon to a post at the
crossing few yards from where the
engines met. Il saw them coming he
said, the east bound whistling for mad
and the local coming around the corner.
/ waved my arms. but before ne saw
me the engineer of the local saw what
he was up against. People were sticking
their heads out Of the windows; the en-
gneers and firemen jumped; they bang
ed into each other. and the local climb
ed up over the other as If she was going
right on. Then she turned clean over
and came down on her smokestack. It
was an awful crash. Then the other
passengers and trainmen came running
up. The people that weren't dead in the
smoking car that had the tender jam
med into It yelled like fury. The women
screamed that they were being scalded.
The first one We pulled out was a man.
He was dead. with somebody's leg
caught tight in his arms. Next came a
woman with blood all over her. but she
seemed alive. 50 ! took the blanket Off
my horse. that had stood there all the
time. and put it over her."
From Dunel'en Bound Brook and 9TH
er places doctors were quickly summon
3D. They came over the Central rail-
road Of New Jersey. whose tracks run
parallel with the Iehigh at this point
apout 400 yards distant Relief and
Wreckine trains were quickly On hand
Ais the dend were pulled out or the de-
molished car they were put In the rear
cars Of the excursion train and taken
70 Bound Brook. where coroner's in