The record-union., 1899-05-14


sumed, did not see the red light which
was displayed at Exeter station while
giving orders to No. II.
At any rate, the great engine came
along under full head of steam and
with the terrific momentum which the
weight of a heavily laden train behind
it would naturally impart, crashed into
the rear of the waiting train. The rear
day coach. the Pullman ahead and the
day coach forward of the Pullman were
reduced to splinters. The day coach be-
hind the smoker and the smoker itself
escaped comparatively uninjured and
were later brought down the road and
| run into Philadelphia.
The engine and those two cars, with
several baggage cars, constituting what
was left Of No. II, We're brought into
this city. On them We're a number of
people who were slightly injured. Some
of the dead and wounded We're taken to
Norristown on special train sent down
from Reading for that purpose
EXCELLENT service was rendered by the
members OF. Company F, Pennsylvania
National Guard, of Norristown, in as
slstlng the nurses sent from the Reading
hospital
c. l.. Laverty's body is badly mutilat-
ed. The remains We're identified through
number of articles found on his per-
son, among which were card inscribed
e. L. Iaverty, Harrisburg, room II,
College block
Luclen j. Custer, aged IS years, of
Pottstown, had both legs broken and
died at 3 o'clock this morning at his
home at that place.
Every seat in the rear coach of the
first section, in which most of the killed
were riding, was occupied. Some of the
passengers heard the loud whistling of
the approaching engine of the. second
section and attempted to escape from
the car, but in vain. 1t was stated that
ten minutes after the regular train left
here the second section of the special
followed. After the train left it was
learned that the coal train, which was
| running ahead, had not yet cleared the
main track, and the train dispatcher
decided to send a precautionary order
to the express at Exeter and the opera
tor at that place was notified He i'm
mediately put up the order signal" but
it appears that just as the express came
along the coal train had cleared. The
express ran some distance by the sta
ton and started to back up
Meantime the tower operator Just be-
low Reading was notified to display pre-
cautieuary signals against the Second
section, but whether they were observed
by the engineer is not known AT all
events the train proceeded, and when il
rounded the curve just north of Exeter
station the red signals of the rear car
Of the regular express doomed up before
the engineer. He was making rapid
time. Ilobahly forty miles an hour. It
is evident from the speed that the sec
ond train was making that the enginee..
did net expect to find the Other section
there
YOUNGSTOWN IN MOURNING
NODRISTCWN. (Pa.). May 1.-THE
people of this place are very much ex-
cited over the killing of thirteen we'll
known citizens in the wreck on the
Heading Isailr, ad last night. In ecpse-
luenc- thu town is in mournins. and
business is practically suspended Fiji
teen or twenty persons are confined to
their homes with serious injuries and
sixteen Were taken to the Charity Hos
pital
Those dead are: William Stahler. VOL
lam Camm, Colonel George S. Sehall,
John Slingluff, William Lewis, F. D.
Sewer, Henry c. Wentz, Charles H.
White, Charles Taylor, Harry Thomp-
son, Norman Holmes, Samuel Beatty
and John Nuntz
Mr. Slingluff was the Chief of the
Volunteer Fire Department, President
of the Montgomery National Bank, Pc
lice Inspector and a director of the
Reading Railroad
Others were either prominent in bust
ness circles or retired merchants.
Sixteen Of the injured were brought
to the Charity Hospital for treatment.
Those admitted were: Constable A. Gar
ges, Norristown; B. c. Alderfer. Norris
town; John M. Engle, aged 60, Super
visor of Upper Mercer Township:
Charles White. aged 80, Norristown;
John Earl, aged G., West Conshoocken:
John S. Jones, aged "a, Norristown: AL
bert Hardness, aged 40, Oakland. Pa.
employed in the Custom House; ]. NJ
Foose, aged 80 years, Harrisburg: Jo-
seph Edwards, aged %, Germantown:
Harrison Robbins, aged 80, Philadel-
phia; Frank Harrington, Philadelphia:
Francis Taggart, 80 years old, Wesr-
chester, employed in the Appraisers
Department Philadelphia; Captain G.
{. E1chholtz, Dominion, a member of
the Fifty-third Pennsylvania Volun-
teers; William Jenkins, Norristown.
Mary Mageburg, aged %, Ashland.
Pa. Charles H. White and Captain
tichhholtz died this morning shortly
after being admitted to the hospital.
Garges, Edwards and Miss Madgeburg
cd ffs1 live