The record-union., 1899-05-14
TWenty-Elght Persons Killed and Fifty In
jured, Some Probably Fatally.
The Cause Of the Disaster Still In
vo1ved in Mystery, the Officials
Investigating the Matter Not
Yet Being Able to Fix the
Blame-Norristown Thirteen of
Whose Citizens Lost Their Lives
in the Wreck, in Mourning Over
the Sad Event.

the SAu 6SCAts
READING, May 13.-The wreck
which occurred last night on the Phil
adelphia and Reading, at Exeter, six
miles south of here, was probably the
\yorst that has ever occurred in this
State. Twenty eight dead and fifty in
jured, some so badly that they may not
recover, is the awful result of the ac-
cident
The cause of the disaster is still in
volved in mystery, and officials of the
road are investigating in order to place
the blame. The man in the signal
tower at Exeter Station claims to have
had the signals properly displayed
In statement to-day, General Super
intendent L. S. Swigart of the Reading
Railway said the prime cause of the
accident was a block of freight cars on
the track which were taking a siding
at Brdsboro, and which compelled the
express to stop at Exeter. 1t is not
known as yet whether a signal man
was sent back to notify the special or
second section.
Many prominent men were passen-
gers on the forward train, among them
Senator Boies Penrose and Colonel
Henry d. Paxton of Philadelphia, Gen
eral John w. Schall of Norristown and
Colonel George Schall, the General :
brother who was killed. On the second
train were some twenty veterans Of
Hartranft's Fifty-first Regiment,
which he commanded during the civil
war, and a company of Seventh Penn
sylvania Infantry, National Guard, a
few of whom We're injured.
Norristown is in mourning. In the
afternoon Coroner Wilson Rothermel
empanelled jury, and visiting the
different morgues, they viewed the
bodies. The jury adjourned to assem-
BILE at the call of the Coroner When
asked when he would hold the inquest.
Coroner Rothermel replied that he
thought it would be Tuesday afternoon,
but could not state definitely They left
Reading on a special train at l p. M
and viewed the scene of the wreck
Superintendent Wilson of the main
line division, when asked if it was not
a mistake to back to the station, re-
Piled Il think the train should have
been left where it'stopped, but I cannot
speak of the cause until the matter is
thoroughly investigated"
The following dead were taken to
Pottsville: Frank d. Shanner, Norris
town: ex-Postmaster George w. Schall,
Norristown, aged 80 years; Captain S.
T. Street, 153 North Twenty second
street, Philadelphia; Miss Annie Nc
Graw of Ashland
Other fatalities were: Harry Hunch-
berry, Gulf Mills; Frank Sewers Norris
town; George H. Anders, Deputy Coun-
ty Treasurer, Norristown; Samuel
Batty. Carnchocken Hiram Shelly,
Thomas Lees, Bridgeport; C. L. LAYER
ty, Harrisburg; Lucien J. Custer, Potts
town: William Cramm, Norristown;
=. Holmes, a thirteen-year- old boy;
two men unidentified, badly mangled;
=. Taylor, residence unknown; man
not identified, 40 years old. both legs
cut off; another supposed to be c. H.
Hartman, probable residence Phila-
delphia; John Johnson, Mount Carmel:
another supposed to be Lewis Fisher
residence unknown; William Stahler.
Norristown, body terribly mutilated
another supposed to be Daniel Yoder
of Pottstown; another body of man
wearing ring with initials III. L. H"
another body believed to be William II.
Keen. Norristown; Captain George H.
Coulston, Norristown, died at ) o'clock
this morning
The injured are: George w. Holmes.
Norristown, aged 81 years. fracture of
left knee and body badly laeerated. his
leg amputated here this morning: H.
T. Johnson of Philadelphia, two deep
cut in scalp, had his injuries dressed
at Pottstown.
The following injured were taken to
Pottstown: Edward Smith, Norristown:
Charles White, Norristown: Nathan
O'Neill, Norristown; John johnson.
Mount Claire; Robert Briefly. 1923
Marshall street, Pottstown; Patsy
Kern Norristown; p Walters. Swede-
land; Henry F. Lester, Phenixville; l..
3. Vanderslice, Phenixville; Thaddeus
Sandle Norristown; Charles Maths,
Conshocken; Lucien Custer, Pottstown.
Harry Kautz, Norristown; Harry ia
cobs, Nor1istown: Special officer Kirk
patrick Philadelphia.
The following are at the Reading hos
pital: T. H. Adle, leg broken and cut
about face. Montgomery Hose Com
pany; David Carney, Norristown, arm
fractured and jaw broken, Montgomery
Hose Company; William F'rieden, Nor
rlstown, leg fractured, head cut and
hurt about chest; Benjamin Silvie,
Reading, hurt about chest and limbs
and internally; George w Lewis. 1923
Willow street, Norristown, hurt about
limbs, Sixty-first Regiment; ]. H. Ash
enIeider, Norristown, hurt about chest,
F1fty-hrst Regiment; George Holmes,
Nornstown, injured about head; Harry
Stauffer, Norristown, injured about
chest and legs and face lacerated.
Fast Express Train No. II. which or
olnaraly runs through from Reading 10
Pottstown without stop. was held up at
Exeter by coal train, which was using
the cross-over switch. While standing
there awaiting orders special through
train, running from Harrisburg to Phil
adelphia on account of Hartranft Day
and laden with excursionists. came
along and crashed into the rear cars of
No. II, wrecfxing two day coaches and
Pullman and crushing the lives out
of many Of their occupants. The sepcial
was running as a second section OF No.
IL. allowing the latter about a minutes