The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-03
Appalling RECORD
OF RAILROAD WRECK
Thirteen Persons Were Killed Outright and Thirty
More or Less Seriously Injured

twain, and the other five cars were thrown
on their sides, completely demolished.
Terrible Cry Arose
Nine persons were killed in the first two
cars and the others in those coaches were
badly ma med. As soon as the crash came
a terrible cry rose from the smashed cars
and those who had not been injured quick
ly crawled or jumped from the cars and
went to the assistance of the injured.
Many were pinned down by wreckage and
had to be freed by the liberal use of axes.
With three or four exceptions the dead
were killed instantly the others dying on
their way to the hospitals. All the injured
were first taken to shed at the Hatfield
station and the dead were removed to a
barn. Messages were sent to the nearby
villages for physicians, and a relief train
was telegraphed for from Bethlehem. With
fifteen doctors and half dozen nurses
special train was sent from Bethlehem,
but before it reached the scene of the
wreck, 1t was signalled to return to Beth
lenem, as special carrying nearly all the
injured had started for that place. On
the run from Hatfield to the hospital three
of the injured died. Great trouble was ex-
perienced in keeping the relatives away
from the injured on the train so that The
attend to the wounded.
The special train arrived at Bethlehem
at 1870, and was met by nearly five thous-
and persons, all clamoring to get bit of
news of the wreck or trying to learn
whether loved ones were among the vic
Tins. The news of the wreck had reached
Bethlehem at 8 o'clock and spread like
wildfire All the policemen of the town
were gathered at the station, and it was
with great difficulty that the injured were
removed by the waiting ambulances and
other vehicles, which conveyed them to the
hospitals.
People Poured Into Bethlehem
All during the day people from Allen
town, Catasauqua and other places came
pouring into Bethlehem, and confusion
reigned throughout the day. The second
section of the excursion, made up of per-
sons from other towns than Bethlehem and
fllentown, left soon after the first section,
but was tagged before it reached Hatfield.
AS 1T could not get through on account of
the blocked tracks, it returned to
Bethlehem and there was great rejoicing
dt the HdTTOW escape Oh ltS occupants IrOHl
the catastrophe
The coroner of Montgomery County Wis
tied the wreck early and spent the entire
day at the scene. H at once directed the
removal Of the dead to Lansdale, a shorS
distance south of Hatfield. He promised
rigorous investigation into the horror.
There are conflicting stories as to re-
sponsibility for the accident One version
is that the engineer of the excursion train
had been warned at Souderton, the station
above Hatfield, that milk train was few
minutes ahead of him. Another story is
that the train dispatcher's office in Phila-
delphia was at fault. The trainmen re-
fused to talk of the accident.
Fifteen hundred tickets had been sold
fol the excursion to the seashore, and 1T
was to have been the last of the season.
Wellington II. Rosenberg of Lansdale, a
Representative in the Pennsylvania House
OF Representatives, was on the milk train
He had his jaw broken and was also in
ternally injured. His condition is serious.