The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-10

~ - = lInssily 49, v:sA lussa'
~ b - - - teue1n INTO tire
~ - m ~ eses1oas efstv =.
\ E1m. $500 Il - q Dfspnarks
80 f6Ge1 Nsv Fort h safeu. II
i011t6 6ocfion 81 okls train wss aibscst q
- late. III eevSn carr were crOwde
&3h ~ cxcurSionISte, most Of them fror
Innf CnSno1 A. 8EA0tH1n, naAonel
C3{r. Hasiefon, Ashland and Pottsvtlle
-. ~ 80 M travelling und<r u
1900 - - busj.ess snsn's EXCURSION
- Annual event which many patfuni1e 70
few Of the excurstontsts were coming 4
vifsGn the Mccoy shArkey nghe Tn,
traln switched over II Bound Brook ans
proceeded lfke tie preceding sections OF
the weetbonnd track A 10eai train tina
plies between New York and Bound Brood
Vas due at Bound Bscok at ii;5o a N
Owtne to the traffic all going on ono tract
Il wus almost "a hcur late a. last IN
train dispatcher at South rlninfieid gave y
permission to so. just before reachins
west Dunellen Engineer Rick slowed his
train down. because he stops for passen-
xerx n there are any. Martin Brennan. TIE
signal man, threw up his arms and waved
them as II TO say there were no passengers
70 the local put on steam and headed round
the curve, going at about twenty-five miles
an boar. There were only four passengers
on the local
In the cab Of the excursion train WAS
James Prendergast. the engineer, with his
fireman George Cheshire. They saw the
local rs II started on the curve. Win
shrieking whistles and brakes grinding
sparks from the wheels. the excursion
train bore down to what seemed certain
destruction. The passengers, alarmad e.
the continued whistles. opened the ain
dows:. mothers snatched their children In
their arms: men started from their seats
but before they had time TO fnd out what
WAS the matter they were hurled head
long. knocked senseless and many killed
outright. The two engines. from which
both crews had jumped. came together
With an awful crash. The excursion train
was probably gning at about fifteen miles
an hour The local engine, as II trippcd
In its faster flight. turned complete son,
ersanit and came crashing down beside its
now demolished obstruction. hut its ca
reer was not ended before II had tafnmed
the tender OF the excursion train almost
from one end to the other Of the car from
Shamokfn. The car. or what was left OF
IT.. rolled over. carrying With II the ten
der the fragments OF a dozen bodies and
the imprisoned wounded. who had been
carried with the Jagged iron on It's reient-
less course through the coaches. II was
In the first car of the excursion train that
all the deaths and most of the casualties
The other cars, though their
occupants we're badly shaken stayed on
the track and were In condition to be
hauled on. The baggage. car was badly
smashed up.
From Duretien, Bound Brook and other
places doctors were quickly summoned.
They came over the New Jersey Central,
rlscse tracks rim parallel with the Ls-
high at this point about 400 yards
distant Relief and wrccksge trains wero
quickly on hand. As the dead were taken
from the demolished car they were put In
the resr cars OF the excursion train an.l
sent to Bound Brook, where coroner's
Inquest was held tonight The injured
were put In the cars OF the local trains.
Tweuiy-onc were taken TO the PiainSeld
hospital, while the less seriously injured
vent on to.Ierssy City and New York.
Engineer Prsndergnst. who weighs al
most 200 pounds. jumped too late. He WAS
ransht under his engine and for thrcc
hours lay piniened In frightful agonr.
Whed at last a huge crane lifted the ,r,;,
of his body he was found so badly injured
that be is expected to die. The loss Of life
inflicted upon his train would probably
nave lfen nothing like II was had II NOT
neen for the factthat at Mai,ch Chunk the
baggage car OF the excursion train was
fcnnd TO have hot box and was taken of.
thus leaving the crowded day coach next To
the engine II this coach had retained ,hs
position II held when the train left sham
okin probably only few lives would have
been lost
Engineer Rick. Of the local. swas found
so badly injured that little hope was on !.
ferfained OF his recovery. Despita tho
blood that flowed from, his mouth Rick
gurgicd out Some one gave me wrong
orders. know how It happened. but I
cant speak now" In this connection w.
O. Sprigg. the superintendent OF tho East
ern ard Amboy division ~ the Lehigh
Valley said:
The accident Is evidently due to blum
der In orders.
General Passenger Agent Lee has no ex-
PLANTATION to make
On this section of tho Lehigh Valley
The block system is not in use The train
dispatcher nj Easton. who has charge OF
The territory. Is said 10 have wired 10 tho
operator az South Plaigfieid to Let No,
q the local. come there, but later there
came message from Easton TO hold ALI
westbonnd traffic. Ii Is alleged that the
after message WAS overlooked. Some saw
L was not handed to the operator But
whichever way II WAS, the westbound train
was allowed on It's tracks and from every
hing that could be learned tho collision
was plainly due TO a mistake In orders
md to no negligence OF the train crews.
Dr. Beckiey OF Dunelien was one of the
hrst on the scene. He said: I'VE got
INTO the overturned car 6,d CROPPED among
he debris for the dead. Arms. legs
brains, spltntered wood and twisted iron
we're mixed up In an INDISPENSABLE mass.
The wounded most of them. suffering
rom broken legs. were all damned to-
setner In the rear end. The dead we rot
,ut piscemeal."
The vicinity of the railroad crossing
rhere the trans crashed Is somewhat de-
erted. The occupants Of the houses near
" did everything In their pov-r 10 assist
he wounded. the women tearing up sheets
Is bandages for the wounded and casing IN
COUNTLESS Ways their suffertngs
When the dead arrived ut Bound Brook
light were left In the car that brought
hem from the seersp of the accident and
I've were laid out for tho coroner In tho
reishf shed close by; w. l., Estes. chief
ursecn OF the LehfEh Valley road, ar
'fyed from Bethlehem during the after
mon with three NURSES but before he came
N the scene most Of the work had been
lone ~ local physicians. The wreck Ia
ne early morning was the third freight
vreck which had taken place within a week
% that part Of the Lehigh Valley line be-
ween Bound Brook and Newmarket
Aany Of the persons who were on the
wrecked train we're brought TO New York
his afternoon. For tho most part thcy
vere able TO take care Of themselves and
sent to hotsls N
Harry Rutland was the operator at South
elpanaeld and Il was he who gave the
ifnAl for the local 70 proceeI. Butisnd
fo(nx thaf Ne varaeva1 ~ nrSa-~ ~, h.,yA