The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-13
4 WRECK. FIRE
AND EXPLOSION
in B. & @. TUNNEL
Engineer and Fireman Killed.
and Probably Five Un-
known 7rampS,
WRECKBGB MASS OF FLAMES.
Ali Efforts to Quench Them Have
SO Far Proved Una
vaiing,
FIREMEN BURNED AND
OVERCOME BY SMOKE.
The Bodies of the Victims Have Not
Been Recoyercd-Franl1 Lamtell.
Whose Negligence is Hcsponsi-
bic for the Disaster, Has
Surrendered = Says He
Must Have Been
Asleep.
FIREMEN BURNED AND
OVERCOME BY SMOKE.

PHILADELPHIA, May Through the
negligence of a tower man. who lay asleep
at his post disastrous and tatal freight
train wreck occurred here last midnight IN
a tunnel on the Baltimore and ONO Rail
way An engineer and fireman We're
killed and five unknown tramps are sup
posed to be dead in the wreck. The pro
perty loss is estimated at slS50Oo.
The man who was responsible Tor the
accident, Frank Lamtell, surrendered hlm-
self late this evening TO G. Q. Q. Bent,
sl,perintendent in the employ of tne Balt-
more and Ohio Railway. He is now unoer
arrest.
The bodies of the engineer and fireman
and tnose of the tramps are buried oll oeiieatt
th, wrecked cars and cannot be recovered
mill ti,e IRE. which followed the collision,
is axtinei,ished About thirty tiremen OF
the city# fire department We're either burned
or overcome by smoke wnile fighting the
flames. None of them. however, were Sc
riously injured.
IN TWO SECTIONS.
Every night train known as the New
York Freight Express leaves mere 1or New
York. Last night the tram was mace UP
sin.two sections, the first section contain
jns, fortv-tnree cars. When it reached the
tunnel the engine was unable to pull 1t
up the grade, and seventeen cars We're de-
tached and left standing about midway in
the turne! while the others were drawn
through. 1t was the duty Of Tower Opera
tor LamteL to set red signal on ne
semaphore at the Callowhill-street en-
trance to the tunnel, Being asleep, as ne
admits. he failed to do t1ls, !ea.s ms tie7
White light in view.
500 ,,-J1.a 20
freight. comprising thirty-eisht cars, ap-
neare5 at the rate of thirty miles an hour
Engineer sIaub. seeing the white signal.
gave tl,a locomotive extra speed IN order
70 carry the train up the grade. Ihe
rapidlv moving train collided Win tne
standing cars in the tunnel Win tetriiic
force.
Fire Immediately broke out, ana tnres
oil cars. each containing 4.000 gallons OF
all axnIodted Soon the wreckage was
mass of flames. The fire department
~ called out. and though the iremeni
g,aya5heen at work all last night and
all to-day. it has been impossible assyet
tn eStinguish$ the flames On account
of the heat and some gaseous air IN the
tunnel, the firenlens scouiu enteFz lia slie
: ,nnnal on,y q short distance without be-
;na overcome. Holes were dug ' the
straat To make vents, and the roof of.
~. tunnel was blasted, but to no avail.
shartlv after the collision LamteH dis.
appeared and could not be found until 1Itl
heiSgaye himself up late this evening.
When questioned he SAID
II did ii. Why the white signal re-
NAMED in place Il do not know, but E
was1 was there ana the train went through.
assusual. was asleep or doing, and
I>cannot say. except that feel my,
sselff lffoyerworked, but q am read to sta9d
the censeauenee and take. VIVA t.eonaesl