Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-01-14
LIVES CRUSHED OA
Terrible Collision of Two Pas
Senger Trains.
THIRTEEN WE'RE KILLED
Mistaken Orders Caused the Awful Acci-
dcnt-Twenty-Ftve 1nIured-scenes %
Horror Fiviiiy Described bY Wye Wit
nessea-Wreck Occurred Near Bound
Rrook-Biunder In Orders.

New York. y. T.. Especial. D. By hesd-on
collision between two passenger trains Of
The Lshigh Valley Railroad. 81 West Dun
ellen. y. J.. thirteen persons we're killed aad
over twenty-five we're Injured.
West DGnellen is three rnlies from Bouud
Brook, and about thirty miles from New
York city. AZ the spot where the disaster
occurred there "a sharp curve Ga The
Lehigh Valley tracks ana a steep cutting
but tho accident was due Ia the nrst place
20 some terrible mistake Ia train orders
and. Ia the second place. 20 another acct
dent that occurred at Bound Brook earlier
Ia The day. The scenes which accompanied
the collision. the sUnerlngs % the injured
and the panic that reigned among The four
hundred passengers we're well nigh inde-
scribable. The biood-stained wreck o. tan
sled and twisted .ron and wood are witness
70 the truth of tho general verdict of rail-
road men that this WAS one OF the worst coll
lisions ia recent years.
head-on collision on a doubie-track
road was made possible only iy freight
wreck which occurred az Bound Brook az
six O'Clock ia the morning. when the axle
ot freight car broke. and nine cars were
piled on top Of each other. This completely
blocked the eastbound track, and al through
tho morning Lshigh Valley trains bound Tor
New York switched from their own track 30
the westbound track, going over these raiis
from Bound Brock 90 New Market, - dis
tance Of six miles. aud changing az the lat
ter place back 10 tnelr right side % the road.
To permit this mode OF traffic, all westhouud
trains we're held az south Plainneid until
their own iiue was clear of trains going in
tho opposite direction.
Train No. 20 which left shamokln, Pa. st
Z A. a.. was 80 heavy with human frcigai
that Il had 20 be broken into ihree sections.
The nrat two sections arrived az Bound
Brook, switched back az New Market and
reached New York IN safety. The third sos-
tiou OF this trsla was almost an hour lat,-
It, seven cars were crowded with four hur-
drcd eNcursionists, most % them from
Mouut Carmel and Shamokin, Mahoney
/ City. HazletOn. Ashland and p0ttsviile. Pa.
The party was travelling under tho auspices
OF the Business Meas excursion. and annual
event, which many patronize for three
days visit 20 New York. The train switch
ed over az Bound Brook and proceeded.
Ike the preceding sections. on the west
bound track.
Meanwhile there had been waiting az New
Market a local train that plies regularly be-
tween New York and Bound Brook. Its
number Oh the schedule Is H. and Il WA
due Ia Bound Brook az ll.53 A. H. Owing
70 the trafic all going on one track IL was
almost an hour late. Al last tho train d.s-
+ patcher az south Plainneid gave Il permis-
I sion 20 20. Just before reaching West
/ DuneAen Engineer Rick slowed his train
/ down, because he stops for passengers 90
there arc any. Martin Breanen. the signal
man, threw up his arms aEd waved them, as
+ if 20 say there were no passengers. so the
. Id -. ma f.A D..
curve, going a. about 25 miles aa hour.
! There were only four passengers on the
I local
Ia the cab u the excursion train was
James Prsndergast, ,he engineer. with bis
fireman. q orge Chesire. They saw the
( local as II started oa the curve. with shriek-
I Ing whistle ADD brakes grinding sparks from
the wheels. the excursion bore down 20 what
. seemed certain destruction. The passenger,
alarmed az the continued whistle opened
the windows. Idothers snatched their chi.-
dren In their arms; men started from thelr
seats, Tut before they bad time 20 nnd out
what was the matter, they were hurled head
long, Knocked senseless, aud mauy were
killed outright. The two engines. now piio..
less. for both crews had Jumped, came TO-
gether with IA awful era.h. The excursion
train was probably going at about fifteen
/ nAt4cS al nvAl- AAo 4ocA engine. ~ II
tripped in its faster flight, tgrned a CON-
plete sOmersauit and csme crashing down
beside ia now demolished obstruction Bat
its career was not ended before Il had
jammed the tender Of the excursion trnla al
most from emo end 20 tho other Of TIE ar.'
car from ShamOkin The tender stopped Z
few seats from the rear doOv. The ear. OF
| what was left OF IL, rolled over carrying with
( ls the imbedded tender, the fragments OF I
dozen bodies, aud the Imprisoned wourded
who had been carried with the Jagged iron o.
its relentless course through the coach.
II was In the first car OF the excursion trsif
that all the deaths and most OF the casualtie.
occurred The other ears, though ihelr oc
eupants were badly shaken, stayed on N,
track, and were 10 condition TO Re hauled on
The baggage ear in the front ofthe local trait
was rather smashed up.