Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-09-06
REAR.END COLLISION
Excursion Train Crashes In.
to a Milk Train.
THIRTEEN KILLED MANY HURT

| THIRTEEN KILLED MANY HURT
Locomotive riunges Through Passenger
Coaches and Crushed Them ~
II they Were Egg sheIls'
philadelphia, Sept. 4.-Thirteen
persons killed and over 81 others in
jured is the appalling record OF rear
end collision between an excursion
train and milk train on the Bethle-
hem branch of the Philadelphia &
Heading railroad this morning ut Hat.
field, Pa, % miles north OF this city.
The wrecked train consisted OF 10
tav coaches and was the first section OF
a large excursion made up OF people
from Bethlehem, Allentown and SUR.
rounding towns, to Atlantic City.
This section carried only those persons
who lived in Bethlehem and Allen
town. 1t left the union station in
bethlehem at 6:O5 A. NJ, exactly 30
minutes behind the milk train. The
latter train consisted Of two milk cars
and two passenger coaches, and had
stopped ut every station Oh the rOad
from Bethlehem ell route to Philadel'
phia. At 654 the milk train drew up
Mt the milk platform at Hatfield. and
in less than two minutes the special
excursion train. running at the rate OF
35 miles an hour, crashed into the
rear of the milk train. The locono.
tive pluwed through the two passenger
coaches and crushed them rs ii they
were eggshells. The milk car immed.
lately in front was also badly damaged.
Four persons on the passenger car of
the milk train were almost instantly
killed. Fortunately, there were very
few persons on this train.
The excursion train was " picture OF
Undesirable horror. The locomotive.
mass OF bent and broken iron. firmly
held the bodies of its engineer and fire.
man beneath its great weight. Behind
the engine six of the 10 cars were also
mass OF wleckage. The first car was
broken in twain and the other five cars
were thrown ON their sides, completely
demolished. Nine persons we're killed
those coaches were badly manned.
Az soon ~ the crash came, u terrible
cry rose from the smashed cars, and
those who had not been injured crawled
or jumped from the cars and went to
the assistance Of the injured. Many
were pinned down by wleckage and
and had to he freed by the liberal use Ut
sxes. With three or four exceptions,
the dead were killed instantly, the
others dying on their way to the hos.
pital. All the injured we've first taken
to shed ut tine Hatfield station and the
dead were removed to % barn. Mes.
senyers were sent to the nearby villages
for physicians, and relief train We
ordered from bethlehem. With II
doctors and half Il suXen nurses. n spe
rial train was sent from Bethlehem.
Int before n reached the scene OF the
wreck It was signaled to return tn
bethlehem, rs u special carrying nearly
all the injured had rtartel ior that
place. On the run from Hatfield to
the hospital three OF the injured died.
Much trouble was experienced in keep
ing the relatives away from the injured
on the train, so that the doctors gath
cred from near Hatfield could attend
tn the wounded.
The special train arrived at Hethle-
hem ut | 30 and was met by fully
5000 persons all camOring for news
from the wreck or tryin. to learn
whether relatives were among the vic.
Tins. The news OF the wreck reached
bethlehem ut o'clock and spread like
wild fire. All the policemen in town
were gathered at the station, and was
were removed to the waiting ambu.
lanues and other vehicles which con.
veyed them to the hospitals. All dur.
ing the day people from Allentown.
Catasauqua and other places came pour.
ing into Bethlehem. aud confusion
reiyned througho the city.
The second section Of the excursion,
made up OF persons from towns othe,
than Bethlehem and Allentown, LETT
soon after the first section. hut was
tagged before it reached Hatfield. As
it could not get through GU account ui
the blocked tracks, it was returned to
Bethlehem, and there was great -.
joicing ut the narrow escape Of it's oc.
cupants from the catastrophe.
The coroner OF Montgomery comfy
visited the wreck early and spent the
entire day ut tile scene. lie ut once
directed the removal OF the dead tn
Lansdale, u short distance south vi
Hatfield. lie promises y rigorous in.
vsstigatiou into the horror.
Wrecked !" Rehri"g s~s.
Seattle, Sept. 4.-'rug Wxllowa,
from Nome. brings news Of the wreck
oi the dismantled bark Mercury in
Behring seM. The bark WAS heing
towed to this city Nv the tug and
sprang leak in u heavy gale. She
WAS stripped ri sOn.e machinery and
abandoned in Cook strait, where she
sank. She MAS ownel by Captain f..
r. Game. Of this city, and WAS sent to
Nome last June in tow vi u tug with
coal and lumber cargo. she had i,e~il
condemned M n sailing vessel. She
was built ~ years ago in New York as
y full-rivged ship.
M Chlmess Need Apply.