The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-02-04
DEATH ON THE RAIL.
An Appalling Disaster on a New
York Suburban Line.
SCENES WERE HEART RENDIKG
!An Express Train, Going at the
Rate OF SiNty-tive Miles an
Hour Ean Into a Local
Train.

ty of New York for many years took
place Monday night, Jan. 26, at Grace
land on the Central railway Of New
Jersey near Wcstfeld, n. j., when
the Royal Blue Line Express ploughed
at top speed into the rear end of
local train.
Immediately after the crash three
lot the shattered cars of the local train
took fire, rendering impossible the
rescue of many OF the wounded, who
we're pinned fast in the wreck. Many
bodies are believed to have been con.
Sumed. On board the Flyer all the
passengers, although badly shaken
up. escaped uninjured except for trih-
| ing bruises.
The train WHICH was run into New
York at 5:45 g I'd runs as an express
to Bound Brook, making stops at
Elizabeth, Westteld and Plainheld,
Beyond Bound Brook it runs as To-
,a!. The Royal Blue train left fifteen
minutes later but travels at high
rate of speed and makes no stop ex-
pit at Elizabeth and is scheduled to
overtake the slower train just beyond
Gyacelauu, where the latter switches
from track three on to track four to
permit the Royal Blue to pass.
Monday evening freight train was
blocked on track number four and the
local received orders t. proceed on the
express track to Dunellon and there
take the outside or number four track.
Shortly after receiving orders the
train had to stop for hot box which
delayed her so that when she got un-
der way again she was due at Dunel-
lon. She had just started and was
moving slowly when the Royal Blue,
travelling apparently at full speed,
which at that point usually approx
mates 65 miles an hour, crashed into
the rear end.
The heavy engine OF the Royal Blue
tore it's way into the rear car and at
the same time drove the forward end
of that car into the rear end OF the
car ahead, which in turn was driven
into the third car and this in turn was
driven into the fouth car from the
rear. The fourth car was only partly
wrecked but the last three were torn to
pieces. The engine Of the Royal Blue
! left the rails and turned over on her
side, the engineer and fireman stick
ing to their posts and going down in
the wreck. They are now in Mullen
burg hospital at Painted and the en-
gineer is not believed to have chance
of living of more than few hours.
Passengers on the Flyer say the en-
gineer applied the breakes hard a
minute or so before the wreck. The
train ahead had sent fagman back.
but it seems he was recalled when the
train to stop in the short distance re-
naming got under way and although
he left the torpedoes the Royal Blue
did not heed them or else was going
too fast to stop in the short distance
remaining. The man who went hack
to flag the train had just flung into
the rear end Of his train and is among
the dead. The engine and three
worst wrecked cars were piled into an
awful heap containing at least one
hundred dead and injured. From the
mass came fearful cries for aid. A
minute later the wreck caught fire
from the fire box Of the locomotive.
The screams Of the injured in the
heap were intensified as they found
themselves hemmed in by the flames.
The passengers in the two forward
cars Of the first train and all the men
from the express and every one in the
neighborhood started to work at once
to get out the injured before the
flames could reach them. At times
while telling in the wreckage the
flames reached the rescuerS and their
clothing took fire, but they worked on
though, in constant danger Of being
killed themselves. Some Of the in
iured were burned to death in sight
of the men who were working with
desperation to save them, but the
flames soon gained complete mastery
OF the two last cars.
The hremen from WeStfield We're
summoned by telephone, but arrived
too late to save many lives. Doctors
we've called from Elizabeth, Westheld
and Plaintield, and there was score
on hand. The parlor cars OF the
ROYAL Blue train were converted into
TEN porary hospitals The dead as
they were taken out were laid in Il
row along side the track until means
could he found to convey them to
Plainfied. The fremen after a time
mastered the flames. Then the wreck
age was attacked again and the work
Of recovering the bodies was begun.
Out of the first car eight bodies
were taken. The sight while the
wreck was burning was horrlfylns.
Men could be seen in the wreckage
pinned fast amid the timbers Of the
cars and struggling to be free wulie
the flames roared around them. The
rescuers were helpless to aid them as
they had already been driven from the
wreck by the flames. One Of those
who tried to take a man pinned in
found that he was held down by one
leg near the ankle and seeing 1t WOULD
be useless to do anything else IS salo
to have finally severed the mans leg
and then carried him to one OF the
parlor cars. Both rescued and rescu'
ers were badly burned.
When the engine ploughed into the
rear car 1t partly split the car opeI
and at the same time lifted it up anc
on to itself. This car was the hrs'
to take fire and most Of those in Ii
are dead. Some Of them are believed
to be beneath the overturned engine
Those in the car ahead which was
lifted over the rear car suffered the
most. For some time before the tame:
, rea cheS them from the car below anC