The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-14
DISASTER WAS
TERRIBLE ONE
TWenty-eight Killed In Penn
Sylvania Accident.
FIFTY ARE INJURED
AND SOME WILL DIE
Cause of Collision Is Still Involved
In Mystery.
Block of Freight Cars Said to Be
Primarily Responsiple-Coroner
Has Empaneled a Jury and Will
Make an Investigation Into the
Affair-Trainmen Say That Sig
mails Were All Right-Many
Prominent People On Board.

which occurred last night on the Phil
adelphia & Reading at Exeter, six
miles south of here, was probably the
worst 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 al Exeter station claims to have
/ had the signals properly displayed. In
a statement today General Superin-
| tendent T. A. Swigard of the Reading
railway said the prime cause of the
accident was a block of freight cars
on the track, which were taking sid
ing at Birdsboro. 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, Colonel Henry
D. Paxon. Philadelphia; General John
W. Schall of Norristown and Colonel
George Schall, the generals brother,
who was killed. On the second train
were some twenty veterans of Hart
ranft's Fifty-first regiment, which he
commanded during the civil war, and
company of the Seventh Pennsylva-
mia infantry, national guard, few Of
whom were injured.
Not a Woman Killed.
A strange feature of the disaster was
the fact that not one woman was
killed, and only one was injured.
Norristown is in mourning, as the
greater number of dead and injured
were residents of that place.
In the afternoon Coroner Wilson II.
Rothermel impaneled a jury and, Wis
iting the different morgues, they viewed
the bodies. The jury adjourned, to
assemble 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 definite
ly. They left Reading on a special
train at 1 p. m. and viewed the scene
of the wreck.
Superintendent Wilson of the main
line division. when asked if it was not
a mistake of the train to back TO the
station, replied:'
Il think the train should have been
left where it stopped, but l cannot
speak of the cause until the matter is
thoroughly investigated"
The corrected list of killed and
wounded is as follows:
Killed.
John s. Lingluff, Norristown.
II. Thompson, Norristown.
Elmer Shelley, Natboro.
Frank Somer. Norristown.
Henry G.. WentZ, Norristown.
William Stahler. Norristown.
Joseph Taylor, Norristown.
L ic-fn
Charles G. Leaf, Fort Washington.
Samuel r. Beatty, Conshoshocken.
Charles H. White, NorriStown-
Captain G.. c. Eicholtz. Downingtown.
George Schall. Norristown.
William Lewis, Norristown.
II. H. Hunchberger, Gulf Mill.
J. +. Filmal. Reading.
c. II. Howell. Reading.
John Johnston, Hatboro.
John II. Coulston, Norristown; died
at hospital.
c. /. Liverty, Harrisburg.
Daniel II. Yoder, Pottstown.
Lucien ]. Custer, aged 10, Pottstown.
William C. Camm, Norristown.
II. j. Hartford, Norristown.
Norman Holmes, aged 10, Norristown.
Captain S. T. Street. Philadelphia.
Michael Lawn, Germantown.
One identified man.
Injured.
T. II. Adle, 81, Norristown; legs
broken.
William Freedom. so. Norristown:
leg fractured head cut. chest crushed.
Henry K Staffer 26, NorristowE;
chest. legs and face injured.
d. B. Silvis. Reading; legs and inter
nally; serious.
c. H Lewis, so, member Fifty-1rst
regiment, Norristown: legs crushed.
George Carney, "a, Norristown; arm
and jaw fractured.
A. j. Ashenfelder. "a. Germantown.
chest crushed; member Fifty-first resi-
ment.
Robert Prierly, Philadelphia; scalp.
face and hands lacerated.
George w. Holmes, 81. Norristown;
body badly lacerated; left leg ampu-
tated.
John NJ. Engle, Swedeland; hips frac-
tured.
John N Early. Conshohocken; inter-
nally injured serious.
James S. Jones, Uorristown; head in
jured; unconscious and serious.
Albert Hardness. Oakland (Phiiadel-
phia): bruised and unconscious.
John NJ. Foose. Harrisburg; head.
Joseph Edwards, Germantown; chest
and BODY; serious.
Harry P. Robbins Philadelphia; neck
and internal.
F. H. Taggert, Westchester; legs
broken.
William Jenkins. Norristown; head
cut.
Annie Madgeburg. Ashland; large
scalp wound.
Amanda Garges, Norristown; unoon-
scious.
]. T.. Anderoff. Norristown; legs
broken.
Edward Smith. Norristown: body and
arm bruised.
Nathan O'Beill, Norristown; bruised. |
Patrick Curran. Norristown; bruised. |
Pascoe walters. Sixth regiment Penn |
sylvania guard, East Swedeland; back |
sprained.
j. Hay Lester. Phoenixville; inter
nally injured: serious.
Charles Maddis, Conshohocisen, |
bruised.
Harry Orell. engineer of the special;
head cut
H Krantz, Norristown; head cut.
Special Policeman Robert kirkpat- |
rick, Philadelphia; head cut.
Captain Harry Jacobs. Norristown; |
bruised.
II. T. Johnson, Philadelphia: bruised |
Councilman George w. Kucker, Phil |
adelphia; injury of leg
Mrs. H. Brewer, Norristown; body |
and head injured.
Fillmore Jones, Norristown; bruises
Of body.
t. ]. Baker. Norristown; bruises of
body.
H. B. Tyson. Norristown; bruises of
body. -i-l=.. !