The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-13
CRUSHED.
Twenty Eight Persons Killed in
Railroad Collision,
And as Many More Injured to
Some Extent.
AN EXCHRSION TRAIN
AN EXCURSION TRAIN
Running In Two Sections From
Hartranft Ceremonies.
Second Section Crashed Into
the One In Front.

Reading, Pa, May 13.-A collision
of passenger trains occurred on the
Philadelphia & Reading railway at Ex-
eter, about six miles south of this city,
last night, and a great number of peo-
pie were killed and injured.
Daylight today revealed the accident
as one of the most disastrous in the his
tory of the company. The number of
killed is at least %. The following dead
were taken to Pottsville:
KILLED.
FRANK D. SHANER, Norristown.
EX-POSTMASTER GEORGE w.
SCHALL, NorristOwn, aged go years.
CAPT. S. T. STIRK, 153 North TWen-
ty-second street, Philadelphia.
MISS ANNIE M'GRAW, Ashland.
Other fatalities were:
HARRY HUNCHBURGER, Gulf
Mills.
FRANK Sewers, Norristown.
GEORGE H. ANDERS, deputy coun-
ty treasurer, Norristown.
SAMUEL BATTEY.
HIRAM SHELLY.
THOMAS LEE, Bridgeport.
WIN. CRAMM, Norristown.
- HOLMES, a 13-year-old boy.
Two unidentified men, badly mangled.
- TAYLOR, residence unknown.
Man not identified, 40 years old, both
legs cut off.
Another supposed to be c. H. HART
MAN, probable residence Philadelphia.
JOHN JOHNSON, Mount Carmel.
Another supposed to be LEWIS
FISHER, residence unknown
WIN. STAHLER, Norristown, body
terribly mutilated.
Another supposed to be DANIEL
YODER, POttstown.
Another body of man wearing ring
with initials HI L. H.
Another body believed to be VIM. M.
KEEN. Norristown.
Norristown, died at o'clock this morn
ing.
G L. LAVERTY, Harrisburg.
LUCIEN J. CUSLER, Pottstown.
INJURED.
The injured are:
George w. Holmes, Norristown, aged
| 81 years, fracture of left knee and body
| badly lacerated; his leg was amputa-
! ted here this morning.
H. T. Johnson, Philadelphia, two deep
| cuts in the scalp; he had his injuries
! dressed at POttstOwn.
The following injured were taken to
POttstown:
| Edward Smith, Norristown.
| Charles White, NorristOwn-
| Nathan ONeil, Norristown.
John Johnson, Mont Claire.
/ Robert Briefly, 1928 Marshall street,
| POttstown.
| Patsy Kern, Norristown.
P. Walters. Swedeland.
Henry F. Lester, PhoeniXville.
L. B. Vanderslye, PhOeniXville.
| Thaddeus S. AndIer. NorristowE-
Charles Maths, ConshOshocken.
| Lucian Custer, Pottstown.
Harry Kautz, Norristown.
| Harry Jacobs, NOrristown.
Special officer kirkpatrick, Philade1-
phia.
The following are at the Reading hos
pital:
T. H. Adle. leg broken and cut about
| face, Montgomery Hose Co.
/ David Carney Norristown, arm frac-
! tured and jaw broken, Montgomery
| Hose Co.
VIM. Frieden, Norristown. leg frac-
| tured, 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; Fifty
| first regiment.
A j. Ashenfelder, Norristown,- chest
| hurt; Fifty-f first regiment.
George Holmes, Norristown, injured
] about head.
| Harry Stauffer, Norristown injured
/ about chest and legs and face lacerated.
| HOW IT HAPPENED.
Fast express train No. II, which or
| dinarily runs through from Reading to
| Pottstown without stop, was held up
| at Exeter by a coal train, which was
using the cross-over switch there While
| standing there awaiting orders, a spec
| iaI through train running from Harris
| burg to Philadelphia on account of
| Hartranft day and laden with excur-
| sionists came along and crashed into
| the rear cars of No. II, wrecking two
! day coaches and a Pullman and crush
| ing the lives out of many of their oc-
! cupants. The special was running as a
| second section of No. r. allowing the
! latter about twenty minutes headway
| and the engineer, it is presumed, did
! not see the red light which was dis
| played at Exeter station while giving
| orders to No. T.
| At any rate, the great engine came
| along under a full head of steam and
| weight of heavy 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
! behind the smoker and the smoker itself
| escaped comparatively uninjured and
| were later brought down the road and
run into Philadelphia.
The engine and these two cars. with
| several baggage cars, constituting what
| was left of No. u, were brought into
| this city. On them were a number OF
| people who were slightly injured Some
| of the dead and wounded were taker
| to Norristown a special train sem
| down from Reading for that purpose
Excellent service was rendered by the
1 members of Company F, Pennsylvania