The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-19
AT FULL SPEED
An Express Train on the Lack
aWanna Road
Crashes Into a Trolley Car
Loaded With Children.
HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL.
The Car Was Run to Accommo-
date Pupils.
Twelve We're Killed and Thirty
Injured.

Newark n. J., Feb. 19.-Running at
almost full speed a train on the Della
ware, Lackawanna & Western railway
crashed into a trolley car loaded with
pupils on their way to the high school
this morning.
Twelve persons were killed and 80 or
more were injured. Some of the injured
may die
Twenty Of the injured passengers
were taken to a hospital and the others
were able to go to their homes. The
Identification of the dead and injured
was difficult task and was accomplish
ed very slowly
MISS LOHENBURG.
MAUDE BAKER.
EMILY WETNBACH.
EMILY E. SHOLL.
EVANS S. EASTWOOD. JR.. 25- years
of age skull fractured. died at hospital.
INJURED.
Helen AIcCord, is years.
Tillie Geraghty, AZ.
Nina Bull, II.
Margaret Cammerford. l9. serious.
Minnie Lytle. IA
Fannie Nevious, Is
Viola III, Il.
Frederick Lindsey, II.
Marion P. Rice II.
Unknown girl, likely to die.
Oscar Barclift, of Gladstone engineer
of train. cut about head and bruised.
The accident occurred at the Clifton
avenue crossing. long noted as dane
gerous SPOT.
The trolley car was one Of the spe-
cial vehicles which the North Jersey
+ street railway company runs between
and o'clock five mornings in the week
for the special accommodation of high
school pupils 1t was crowded with
young men and women from all parts OF
the city
Immediately after the accident had
been reported all the police reserves OF
the second precinct were sent to the
scene to kee2 back the crowd which
! gathered almost Immediately. The train
which caused the accident was the Della
ware & Passaic express. There is some
question as to whether both crossing
! gates were down when the car and train
approached the crossing at the same
( time
The rnotorman saw he train and put
on the brakes with all force. The car
however slid upon the icy rails until
the front platform projected over the
tracks. A moment later the crasn
came. The pilot of the engine struck the
front platform and tipped the car over.
The pupils were precipitated under the
wheels of the engine To some death
/ came Immediately. Others fingered q
moment in fearful agony Dead and in
jured children lay in all directions. The
motorman's skull was fractured. It is
/ thought he will die
Word of the calamity soon reached
| the authorities. In addition to the po-
! lice reserves every ambulance in the
| city was soon on the scene.
The sight was a sickening one. Mutt
lated bodies were scattered in every
direction. The uninjured carried the
injured children to nearby places Of
temporary refuge
The trolley car could not be stopped
I although the motorman appeared to
make frantic efforts to do so. The
conductor of the trolley. George Gould.
said:
..T+'s the custom, for trolley conduct
ors to leave their cars as this crossing
is approached and as the car stops to
run ahead and see if the track is clear.
4 should have done that this morn
ing had not seen that the gates were
! lowered. Naturally I concluded that
the car would stop and the first thing
I knew was when we went crashing
/ through the gates
/ Policeman Stuckey who was a Wit
ness of the accident said the trolley
car had projected about four feet over
the track when it was struck There
were about Il children on the front
! platform. 1t is not known whether they
/ hampered the motormans movements
Passengers on the train heard the
screams of the children before the train
struck the car As an illustration 1f
the force of the collision the front part
of the trolley car was picked up three
blocks further down the road between
the two tracks The engineer was
dazed at the sight and it was almost
necessary 10 pun MIN DlA tllS CHS iAAI
The railroad train. which was run
| ming at almost full speed, was seen by
/ the nOtorman, who put on the brakes
and did all he could to stop his car but
the wheels slipped upon the rails which
were covered with ice and the car slid
forward until its front platform pro-
iected over the railroad track The
pilot of the engine struck the platform.
I threw the car around and then toppled
it over The train went on and was not
stopped until it had gone several blocks
from the crossing. The body Of one Of
the victims, a girl, was found on the
pilot of the locomotive when it was
brought to a standstill
She Fell on the Sidewalk.