The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-04
SOME ONE RESPONSIBLE
FOR LOSS OF LIFE.
Philadelphia q Reading Accident
Was Due TO Negligence or Over
sight of EmpIOyes.

PHILADELPHIA. Sept. s--It seems to
pc the general and accepted conclusion that
the wreck on the Philadelphia & Read
ing railway at Hatfield. twenty-seven
miles from this city, which resulted in
the loss of thirteen lives and more or
less s SERIOUS y, ,nsnry 70 nitytnree persons
of signals. While the company will not
be prepared to make any formal state
ments until tomorrow. the principal line
8. Groves. the train dispatcher at Phila-
delphia: d. u. BREEDER. the operator at
souderton. two and BALI miles from Hat
field. and John Davis, engineer of the
collding excursion train, who Is dying in
a hospital at Bethlehem.
According to James Benner. iagman
at Souderton station the milk train passed
that station on time. and. following the
rule of the company. which requires any
train coming after another within three
minutes to be stopped. he placed red
nag between the tracks. In three min
utes the excursion train came laundering
along. with Davis at the throttle, and max
ing forty miles an hour. Davis made no
effort 20 stop and waved Benner to one
side The latter had only time to secure
his flag and spring out Of danger as the
that Beidler had clear signal set
Beidier, when questioned. said he had
received no orders TO stop the train This
would seem to conflict with the state
ment OF General Superintendent Swelgart
that all the agents must stop n train. or
ders or no orders. ~ there is five minutes
None of Injured Dead.
Reports from Bethlehem and Allerton
are to the effect that none Of those In
j,ired In the collision have died. although
several are not expected to i've. The
railroad company had a large force of men
at work at tho acene - the wreck today.
clearing away the debris. The wrecked
cars were burned, and all evidence OF the
accident was destroyed Ms far as possible.
Linheid Wilder. the agent and telegraph
operator Al HATFIELD, made statement to-
day. In which he said tho excursion train
was scheduled 10 arrive at Hatfield at
a, M, and the milk train arrived at ass.
The excursion train was minute ahead
Of time, II was very foggy, and he was
stamping tickets when he heard the ex-
cursion train coming. lie first saw Il
when II was about 100 yards north OF the
station, travelling at the rate OF abou.
forty miles an hour, and II WAS too late
then for him 10 do anything to avert the
awful accident.
Superintendent swelgart. OF the Reading
railroad. today stated the company was
not ye; prepared 20 issue a formal state
ment as 70 the cauee of the accident
From partial Investigation. he said.
II think a mistake has been made the
responsibility for which can only be placed
after a thorough Investigation. Train
Dispatcher Groves, N the Reading ter
mlnai station IN this city. may have wait
ed too long before issuing orders to hold
up the excursion train, which was rapidly
catching up the milk train. The station
agent at Soudcrton. two and one-half
miles from the xcena 0f the wreck whehe
the excursion train was three minutes be-
hind the milk train. may have failed 70
display the stop signal which the rules Of
the company require when trains are FIVE
minutes snart. or the engineer % the ex-
crrsion train did not see or disresardcd
the signal
In addition 20 these possible causes,
Mr. Swsigsrt said the wires ~ the com
many were working very badly. due 10
the fox and tntcrtered with the trans
mission 81 an order from philaaciphla 70
hold the excursion train. when this or
der was finally got through, he said he
could not say until after the investigation