Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-14
EXETER, PA, WRECK COST TWEN-
TY-EIGHT HUMAN LIVES.
SOME OF THE INJURED WILL DIE
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER is NOT YET
CLEARLY LOCATED.
Signal Man Declares That All the
Signals Were Properly Display
ed-CorOner's Jury Has Be-
gun an Investigation
of the Affair.

READING, PA May 13.-The wreck
which occurred last night on the Philadei-
phia &, Reading railway at Exeter, six
miles south of here, was probably the worst
that has ever occurred in this state. Twen-
ty-eight 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 involved
in mystery, and officials of the road are IN
vestigating in order to place the blame.
The man in the signal tpI<er at Exeter
station claims to have had the signals
properly displayed. In a statement to-day
General Superintendent l. A. Swlgard' OF
the Reading railway, said the prime cause
of the accident was block OF frelSht cars
on the track which were taking SIDING
at Birdsboro, and which compelled the en-
press to stop at Exeter. 1t is not known
as yet whether signal man was sent back
to notify the special or second section.
The express from Williamssort. known as
train No 70, and also as the "cannonbali,
leaves Reading for Philadelphia at $50 p.
m. 1t did not leave on time last night, due
to waiting for Harrisburg connections. The
travel from Harrisburg was very heavy,
owing to the large number of people who
attended the Hartranft monument unVen-
ing ceremonies. A special train was
brought into requisition to accommodate
the crowds. At Exeter the first train
stopped briefly for orders and had just
started when the special crashed into it.
Many prominent men were passengers
on the forward train, among them Sem
ator Boies Penrose, Colonel Henry d.
PaXon, Philadelphia; General John W.
Schall, Of Norristown, and Colonel George
Schall, the generals brother, who was
killed. On the second train were some
twenty veterans of Hartranft's Fifty-tirst
regiment, which he commanded in the civil
war, and company of the Seventh Penn
sylvania infantry, National Guard, few
of whom were injured.
A strange feature of the 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.
In the afternoon Coroner Wilson II.
Rothemel impaneled jury and visiting
the different morgues. they viewed the
bodies.
The jury adjourned to assemble at the
call of the coroner When asked when he
should hold the inquest, Coroner Rothemel
replied that he thought it would be Tues
day afternoon, but that he could not state
definitely. They left Reading on a special
train at p. m. and viewed the scene of the
wreck.
Superintendent Wilson, of the main line
division, when asked if it were not mis-
take for the train to back to the station
replied:
Il think the train should have been left
where it stopped. but | cannot speak of
the cause until the matter is thoroughly in
vestigated.'
The corrected list of killed is as follows:
John Slingluff, Norristown.
H. Thompson, Norristown.
Elmer Shelley, Hatboro.
Frank Sower, Norristown.
Henry w. Wentz. Norristown.
William Stahler, Norristown.
Joseph Taylor, Norristown.
John f. KuntZ Norristown.
Charles G. Leaf. Fort Washington.
Samuel r. Beatty, Conshohocken.
Charles II. White, Norristown.
Captain G. c. Eicholtz. Downington.
George Schall, Norristown.
William Lewis, Norristown.
II. Hunchburger, Gulf Mills.
j. f. Filmal, Reading.
c. H. Howell, Reading.
John Johnston, Hatboro.
John H. Coulston. Norristown: died at
hospital.
c. L. Laverty. Harrisburg.
Daniel II. Yoder, PottstGwn.
| Lucien j. Custer, aged ~, Pottstown.
William c. Camm, Norristown.
| H. J. Hartford, Norristown.
Norman Holmes, aged 13. Norristown.
Captain S. T. Street, Philadelphia.
Michael Lawn. Germantown.
| One unidentified man.
| The injured are:
| T. II. Adle, 81, Norristown; legs broken;
| face badly cut.
William Freeborn, 50, Norristown; leg
fractured. head cut, chest crushed.
Henry K. stauffer. %, Norristown; chest
| legs and face injured.
d. B. Silvis, of Clous & Silvis, Reading
| legs and internally; serious.
Crushed d. memSar r. N9rrst9wn; legs
George Garner, "a, Norristown; arm and
jaw fractured
A. T. Ashenfelter. g., Germantown: chest
crushed member Fifty-first regiment
Robert Briefly. Philadelphia; scalp, face
and hands lscerated.
George w. Holmes. 81, Norristown; badly
| lacerated: left leg amputated.
John NJ. Engle, Swedeland; hips frac-
| tured.
John N Earl, Conshohocken, internally
| injured: serious.
John s. Jones. Norristown; head injured
| unconscious and serious.
Albert Harkness. Oak Lane (Philadel.
| phia); bruised and unconscious.
John NJ. Hoose, Harrisburg: head
body; serious.
Harry P. Robbins, Philadelphia; neck and
internal
| F. H. Taggert, Westchester; legs broken
| William jenkins. NorriStown; head cut
| Annie Madgeburg, Ashland; large scalr
wound.
Amandus Garges, Norristown: uncon-
| SciouS.
J. T. Alderf. Norristown: legs broken
Edward Smith, Norristown; body and
arm bruised.
| Nathan O'Neill, Norristown: bruised.
| Patrick Curran, Norristown; bruised
| Pascoe Walters. Sixth regiment Pennsyl-
vania guard East Swedeland; back
sprained.
J. Hay Lester. Phoenixville; internally
| injured; serious.
Charles Maddis, Conshohocken: bruised
Harry Orell engineer of the special; head
| cut.
| H. G. Krantz, Norristown: head cut.
Special Policeman Robert Kirkpatrick
| Philadelphia, head cut.
Captain Harry Jacobs. Norristown
| bruised.
| Councilman George W. Kucker, Philadel-
phia, injury of leg.
| Mrs. H. Brewer, Norristown, body and
head injured.
Fillmore Jones. Norristown, bruises OF
| body.
T. ]. Baker. Norristown, bruises of body
| H. B. Tyson, Norristown, bruises OF
body.
| G. W. Brady, Norristown. bruises OF
body.
| +. Harrington, Philadelphia.
| Captain Smith, Norristown.
| James NJ. Doran, PhoeniXville.
| Harrison Fetterman, Philadelphia.
| George W. Shaffner, Norristown.
| 3. Barnes, Philadelphia.
| c. w. Beaver, Philadelphia.
| F. T. Steinbach, Camden, n. j.
A. S. Leedom, West Conshohocken.