The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-26
A TERRIBLE WRECK ON THE PEENSN-
VANIA RAILROAD
TEN KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED
The New York and Atlantic CITY Ex-
press and a Local Passenger Crash
Into Each Other Head-On-The Old
Story OF Running q Train In Sections
and a Waiting Train Thinking the
Las Section Had Passed.

Trenton, N. J., February 21.-One of
the worst collisions in the history of
the Amboy divis on OF the Pennsylva-
mia railroad occurred about $50 o'clock
this evening at Rusting's Siding near
Bordentown n about eight miles
south of Trenton.
The "Nillie Bly," express from New
York for Atlantic City collided with
passenger tran No. $50, running from
Camden to Trenton.
The number of dead, so far as
known, is ten, and the number of in
jured upward of twenty-five.
a special train 1t about 9 O'Clock
from the scene of the wreck brought
four dead bodies and eighteen wound
ed persons to Trenton. The wounded
were distributed among the three Tren-
ton hospitals. Other wounded passen-
gers were taken to Cooper hospital at
Camden.
Among the killed was Walter Earl,
engineer of the express, and James
Birmingham, baggage master of the
local train. Most of the killed were
Italians.
Frank Boland, a passenger on train
vania Railroad Company, had both
legs cut off. The doctors a he will
die.
Michael McGraw, fireman Of the
Nellie Bly," was badly injured, but is
expected to recover.
Frank Thompson, engineer Of No.
$50, had a leg broken and is badly
bruised. He is in a precarious cond:-
ton.
Edward Garwood, fireman on No.
$50, was also injured by be. ng thrown
forward on the floor of the rear of his
train. His wound are not believed to
be serious.
Most of the remaining dead n in
jured are Italians. The Italians were
riding in the smoking car of the ex-
press train. They were being taken to
Atlantic City to do construction work
for the railroad company.
The two trains collided at full speed
n both engines were completely de-
molished. The forward cars of the
trains, in both instances, a combina-
ton baggage and smoker, were entirely
demolished also, and, to add to the
horror, the wreckage took fire. The
second car of the Nellie Bly," turned
over on it's side and the passengers
had to climb out through the windows.
In tn. they were assisted by paSen>
gers from cars that did not leave the
track. The track at this point is so
close to the Delaware and Raritan
canal that the passengers in getting
out of the overturned coach got into
the canal and many of the bodies of
the dead and injured had to be taken
from the water.
Thomas Lawrence, of Trenton, said
he saw one man buried beneath tie
ruins and crying for assistance. He
tried to pry him out, but III he
could do nothing to help him. He be-
lieves the man persisted in the flames.
The scene of the wreck was far from
outside assistance and when the wreck
ing train arrived from Trenton it was
after dark and the work of clearing
up the debris and removing the bodies
was necessarily slow.
The Nellie Bly, was running in
three sections and it was the third
| section with which No. $50 collided'
The local train Ia X the siding
to permit the express to pass and it is
believed that through some misunder-
| standing or mistake the local came
| out on the main track after h second
section had passed, mistak.ng it for the
third section.