The record-union., 1899-05-13

ristown; A. J. Ashenfelter, Philadel-
phia; George W. Rucker. Philadelphia;
Francis T. Steinbeck Camden; C. A.
Beaver, Philadelphia; B. Barney, Phila-
delphia; David Carney, Norristown;
Harry Orrell, Philadelphia, engineer of
the second train. W. L. Everett, Phil
adelphia, fireman of the Sc ,ond train
The sigra1 nan holld hive display
ed he red and green danger signal for
the special, but it is said that he failed
to do so, whether on account of the
signal failing to work or not is not
known. While the express was stand
ing on the track the crowded special
came laundering along. On account of
curve, the engineer of the special
could not see the train standing on the
track ahead of him until too late. The
special tore into the express with
crash and shrieks of agony soon filled
the air.
The railroad at the scene Of the ac-
cident runs over a Hollow, and the en-
bankment on which are the tracks is
about fifty feet high. Several passen-
gers We're hurled to the bottom of the
embankment, but the cars all remained
on the roadbed.
Ths dead and wounded were strewn in
a heap in the debris of the two cars.
Little damage, however, was done to
the rest of the train.
Nest of the injured were brought 20
Reading, but many were sent to Nor
ristown and Pottstown and some were
taken to Philadelphia.
General E. Burd Grub of New Jer-
sey, cx-Cnited States Minister to Greece,
and United States Senator Boies Pen
rose Of Philadelphia were among the
passengers in the Pullman car on the
first train. Both were badly shaken
up, but neither sustained any injury
Senator Penrose, when questioned by
a reporter regarding the accident, said
Il was on the ordinary train, but es-
capped with no injuries except a Sc
we're shaking up. The train is what is
known as the 'Cannonball Express,
and the second section of it crashed
into the ordinary train The regular
train passed the signal tower all right,
but orders We're given for it to back
toward Exeter, and this was done. We
had only got back a very short distance
when the second section crashed into
the rear portion of our train.
1T is said that the second section
started within two minutes after our
train started. 1 don't know how many
were killed, but 1 think there must
have been at least twenty, and about
fifty injured. There were about 1876
in our train, and the second section
was also crowded.
There were a number of soldiers in
the train, and they rendered valuable
assistance in getting the dead and in
jured from the cars. When the crash
came I thought we would have been
pie were thrown in all directions, and
those who We're not injured by broken
wood were more or less injured by being
bumped against the sides of the cars
The scene was most distressing one
and l shall never forget it."
Henry Schively of Jenkinstown, a
passenger on the regular train. said:
Il was in a smoking car of the regular
train Our train ran past the signal
tower; an order was given for it to
stop and another order was given for
it to reverse and go back This was
Immediately done, and we had only got
short distance back along the line
when the second section crashed into
us. There was a terrific crash that
sounded like a big thunderbolt or an
earthquake. People were thrown in all
directions several of the cars were
smashed like matchwood.
After the sounds of the crash the
screams and groans of women and men
could be heard on every hand. 1 saw
a number of bodies of the killed and
wounded. | do not know the number,
but there must have been about twenty
killed outright. Many others were I'M
conscious There must have been
about seventy injured The parlo- car
OH our train was smashed. blu, not
badly. It's strength saved it and the
occupants of it escaped with less in
lilies. l believe, than those in me ac-
commcdation car next to it,
An official of the railway company
gives the number of dead as twenty
three, and says forty are badly injured.
Several of the latter, it is thought, will
die before night The rear car of the
first train was occupied principally by
people residing at Norristown, and this
fact accounts for the great mum Der
from that place included in the list of
killed
A WRECK AT UTICA.
UTICA IN. V, May 13-At 2:35 this
33, the southwestern limited while in
the yard in this city was run into BY
an-American express No. 81, result
ing in the destruction of a Wagner
Soi anu C@APlCSS Sdi anu the engine
the latter train The wreck caught
fire, but was extinguished by the local
| department. Harry Neal of Buffalo
assistant superintendent of the Wagner
Company, was probably fatally injured
No one else was hurt
Congressional Nomination.