New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-14
READING RAILROADWRE
DETAILS OF THE DREADFUL DISASTER
CAUSING LOSS OF MORE THAN
SCORE OF LIVES.

SECOND SECTION OF EXPRESS TRAIN
rELEscoPEp THE FIRST SECTION.
WHICH WAS DELAYED BY
COAL TRAIN-coNFUsIoN
OF SIGNALS
Reading. Penn, May ls.-Daylight to-day re-
veaied last nights accident on the Philadelphia
and Reading Railway at Exeter as one OF the
most disastrous in the history Of the company
The number OF killed is at least twenty-eight
Fast express train No. u. which ordinarily runs
through from Reading to Pottstown without STOP
vas held up at Exeter by coal train winch was
using the crossover switch there. While standing
there awaiting orders special through tram run
ming from Harrisburg 10 Philadelphia on account
Of Hartranft Day. and fed with excursion's,s
came along and crashed into the rear cars OF W.
Il wrecking two day coaches and Pullman anu
crushing the lives out OF many OF their occupants
The special train was running as second secuoh
of No H. allowing the latter about minute
headway and the engineer. 1t is presumed. o'o nov
see the red light which was displayed at the Exc
ter station while giving orders to NO H.
AT any rate the engine came along under run
head Of steam. and with the terrihc momentum y.
the weight of the heavily laden train oehino "
crashed into the OF the waiting tram
The rear day coach. the Pullman coacn aheao
and the day coach forward OF the Pullman were
reduced TO spnters. The day coach behind the
smoker and the smoker itself escaped eonpa.a-
lively uninjured and were later brought down the
road and run 10 Philadelphia
The engine and two cars. with several baggage
ears constituting what was left Of No. H. were
brought 10 this city. On them were a numoer
~ slightly injured persons. Some OF the DEAD ana
wounded were taken TO Norristown on spe0iai
train rent down from Reading for that purpose.
Excellent service was rendered by the members
o~go Nat
Norrstown in assisting the nurses sent from the
Reading Hospital
THOSE WHO WERE KILLED
BEATTY. r. Samuel conshohOcken.
ooULsToN C51tain John H.. NOrri''own-
CAMM. 2. WIN Norristown
CUSTER, @ g. nineteen years Of POI. town
rad sctslegS broken and ded al o CLOCK 'h's "o'"
E.cHcd.z. Cc-JtE1n George c. Nj. DOwninstown
uAp--roRp : O. Sorristown.
HoIs, Es Norman olhTteen- year-od boy
HOT ELL. c. z
HC.i. HBERGER Han, Gulf Mills
Johnson john Hatbor.
KUNTZ John K Norristo n.
INN Michael. GermantoVc.
JESF. Charles O.. Fort Wa angton
7 NERTY. C. l.. Harrisbu G.
wis. William. Norristo n.
81: LILY. Elmer. Hatbo
sk'GGLUFT, John, NJrristown.
scSALI. George w Norristown. aged sxty years
sTEEET. Captain & T. No l5S North Twen'y-se'0n'-
ST.. PHILADELPHIA.
sowER Frank D.. Norrstown.
sTAHLER. william. Norristown
TAYLOR. Joseph. Nogristown.
THOMPSON. Harry. Norristown.
VENT. @ Henry. Norr.s;own
WHITE. Charles H.. Norristowa. sr
YoDER Daniel H. Pottstown
One MAJ unidentified badly mangled
There were fully fifty persons more or less badly
injured some Of whom expected 10 die. The
rear car Of the first train was occupied principally
by people living in Norristown. and this fact &C
counts for the great number from that place IN
Guided In the list Of killed and injured.
The rear coach Of the first section, In which
most Of the killed were riding. full OF passen-
gers. every seat being occupied Some Of them
heard the loud whistling Of the approaching en-
CINE OF the second section. and there was an at
tempt on the part Of some to escape from the car.
but in a second all was confusion and death. 1t
is stated that ten minutes after the regular train
left the station here the second section or special
followed After the special had gone 1t was learned
that the coal train. which was running ahead 10
Monocacy. had. not yet cleared the main track.
and the train dispatcher here decided TO send
precautionary order &c the express train at Exeter
and the operator at that place was so informed.
He Immediately put up the iorder signal" an arm
signal with red light. but 1t appears that just
as the express came along the coal train had
cleared but the express shot some distance by the
train was running fast, and the engineer says he
stopped as soon as he could In the mean time.
the tower operator Just below Reading was direct
ed TO display precautionary signals against the
second section. but whether they were observed by
the engineer is not vet known. AT all events the
train proceeded, and when IT rounded the
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. prob
ably forty miles an hour. 1t is evident from the
speed that the second train making that the
engineer did not expect to find the first section
there, but far below that point
One Of the passengers, in speaking Of the cause
OF the wreck. said: at may have been all right for
the FIRST train to back. but 1t seems to that. in
view Of the fact that the crew was aware that
they were being followed by another section. it
would have been prudent 10 have the train stand
where it had stopped and send sgnalman back,
and not attempt 10 back UP in the face Of another
train with equal right Of way
EXPERIENCES OF SENATOR PENROSE.
General Z. Burd Grub, Of New-Jersey ex-
United States Minister TO Greece and United States
Senator Boies Penrose. of Philadelphia were among
the passengers on the Pullman on the hrst
train. Both were badly shaken up. but neither
sustained any injury. Senator Penrose. when
Questioned by a reporter regarding the accident,
said:
Il was the ordinary train. but escaped with
no injuries except a severe shaking UP. The train
10 what Is known as the Cannon Ball express.
and the special extra section Of 1t crashed into the
ordinary train. The regular train passed the sig
nal tower all right but orders were given for II
back toward Exeter. and this done. and we
had only got back a short distance when the sec
ond section crashed into the rear portion OF our
train. II is said that the second section started
within two minutes after train started. There
were number Of soldiers on the train. and / am
glad they were. for they rendered invaluable as
sistance In getting the dead and injured from the
when the crash came thought would have
been all killed II was terrific crash: people were
thrown in all directions and those who were not
injured by broken wood were more or less injured
by being bumped against the sides Of the cars. The
scene a most distressing one. and shall never