Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-05-18
TWENTY-EIGHT1DEAD.
VICTIMS OF PHILADELPHIA &
READING COLLISION.
Senator Penrose, Col. Paxton and 9th
er Prominent Men on One Of
the Inflated Trains.

Reading, Pa, May 1.-THE wreck,
which occurred Friday night on the
Philadelphia & Reading railway at
Exeter, six miles south of this city,
was probably the worst that ever oc-
Cured in this state. Twentyeight
dead and so injured, some so badly that
they may not recover, is the awful re-
suit Of the accident. The cause of the
disaster is still involved in mystery
eating in order to place the blame
The man in the signal tower at Exeter
station claims he had the signals prop
erly displayed. Gen. Supt. |. A. Swi-
gard Of the Reading railway said the
prime cause Of the accident was the
blocking of freight cars which were
taking a siding at Birdsboro and which
compelled the express to stop at Exc
ter. It is not known yet whether the
signal man was sent back to notify the
special or second section. Many prom
inent men were passengers on the for
ward train, among them Senator Boise
Penrose; Col. Henry D. Paxton of Phil
aQelphia; Gen. John W. Schall Of Nor
riStOWn; Col. George Schall, the gen
erals brother, VINO was killed. On the
second train were some 20 veterans Of
Hartranft's regiment; the Pennsyl-
vania infantry, national guard, few CT
whom were injured. The strange fea-
ture of the disaster was the fact that
not one woman was killed and only
one injured. NorristoWn is in mourn
ing, as the greatest number of the dead
and injured were residents of that
place. Saturday afternoon Coroner
Rothermel empaneled a jury which
viewed the bodies. The inquest will
probably be held Tuesday. A correct
ed list Of the killed and injured
follows:
Killed-John Slingluff, H. Thomp-
son, Frank Shower, Henry Wentz,
William Stahler, Joseph Taylor, John
K. Hunts, Charles H. White, George
Schall, William Lewis, John H. Couls-
ton, William c. Camm. H. J. Hart
ford, Norman Holmes, aged Is, all Of
Norristown; Samuel R. Beatty, Con-
shohocken; Capt. G. G. Eicholtz, H.
Hunchburger, Gulf Mills; J. E. Fill
man, ReauIng; John Johnson, Hatbo-
70; G. L. Laverty, Harrisburg; Daniel
H. Yoder, PottstoWn; Lucien J. Gus
ter, aged 10, Pottstown; Capt. S. T.
Street, Philadelphia; Michael Lawn,
Germantown; G. H. Powell, Reading;
unidentified man.
Injured-John NJ Engle, Swedeland
hips fractured; John n. Earl, Consho-
hocken, internal INJURIES, serious;
John H. Jones, Norristown, head in
jured, serious; Albert Hardness, Phil
adelphia, bruised and unconscious;
John NJ. Foose, Harrisburg, head;
Joseph Edwards, Germantown, chest,
serious; Harry P. Robbins, Philadel-
phia, internally; William Jenkins,
Norriston, head cut; Annie Madge-
burg, Ashland, scalp wound; A Man
dus Garges, Norristown, unconscious;
L. S. Adolf, NorristOwn, legs broken;
Harry Orell, engineer of special, head
cut; Councilman George w. Kucker,
Philadelphia, leg crushed; Mrs. H. B.
Brewer, Norristown, head injured;
Fillmore Jones, T. ]. Baker, G. w.
Brady, all of Norristown; F. Harring-
ton, Philadelphia; Capt. Smith, Nor
ristown; James M. Doran, Phoenix
Vile; Harrison Fetterman, PhiladeI-
phia; George w. Shafner, Norristown;
B. Barney, Philadelphia; c. W. Beaver,
Philadelphia; F. T. Steinbach, Cam
den, N. j.; A. S. Leedom, West Con-
shahacken; L. G. Fitzinger, Norris
town.