The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-26
AWFUL CATASTROPHE
Express frainsRuns Into a Carload
Of Young People.
SEVERAL ARE KILLED
The Deplorable Affair Happened at
Newark, N. j., and the Victims
Were Pupils on Their Way
to the High School.


Newark, N. j., Feb. 20.-Running
at almost full speed train on Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western rail-
road crashed into a trolley car load
ed with pupils On their way to the
high school yesterday morning.
Eight of nine children were killed.
and at least fifteen injured. some SO
badly that it is feared they will die
The accident occurred at the Clifton
avenue crossing, long noted as a dan
gerous spot The trolley car was one
of the special vehicles which the
North Jersey Street Railway company
runs between 8 and o'clock five
mornings in the week for the special
accommodation OF the high school pu-
pills. 1t was crowded with young men
and women from all parts Of the city.
many whom were transferred from
other lines. Immediately after the &C.
cident had been reported all the police
reserves Of the Second precinct were
sent to the scene to keep back the
crowd, which gathered almost imme-
diately.
The train which caused the accident
was the Delaware and Passaic ex.
press. There is some question as
whether both the crossing gates were
down when the car and train ap-
preached at the same time The mo-
torman saw the train and put on the
brakes with all his force The car.
however. slid upon the icy rails until
the front platform projected over the
tracks. A moment later the crash
came The pilot of the engine struck
the front platform and tipped the car
over. The pupils by the force of the
collision were precipitated under the
wheels of the engine. To some death
came Immediately: others fingered a
moment in fearful agony and then ex.
pired. A most heartrending scene
was presented to the sight after the
train had crashed into the car. Dead
or injured children lay in all direc.
lions.
Word of calamity soon reached the
reserves every ambulance in the city
was soon at the scene. The motor.
mans skull was crushed, and it is
thought he will die
The trolley car could not be stopped,
although the motorman appeared to
make drastic efforts to do SO.
The conductor of the trolley car,
George Gould, said: 1T is a custom
for trolley conductors to stop their
cars as this crossing is approached
and as the car stops to run ahead
and see il the track is clear. | should
have done that had not seen that the
gates were closed. Naturally conclud-
ed that car would stop, and the first
thing knew of danger was when we
went crashing through the gates.
Policeman Stucky said the trolley
car had projected about four feet over
the track when it was struck There
We're about twelve children on the
front platform grouped around the mo.
torman. He saw the accident
From among the mangled remains
of the dead children uninjured passen-
gers of the car picked up the Injured
ones and carried them to temporary
places of refuge It was work that
required the stoutest hearts. The mu-
tiiated bodies caused many to turn
away shudderingly.
Passengers on the train heard the
screams of the children two blocks
away before the train struck the car
As an illustration Of the force of
the collision. a front part OF the car
was picked up three blocks further
down the road between two tracks.
The engineer was dazed and it was
necessary to pull him off the engine.
known dead: Miss Lehenburg. Maud
Baker, Emily Weinbach. Emily e.
Sholl, Evans S. Eastwood, Jr.. twenty
three years of age. skull fractured
and thigh broken, died