The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-28
EXPRESS CRASHED INTO
SLOW GOING LOCAL TRAIN
From Twelve to Thirty Persons Killed or Burned
to Death in the Blazing Debris.
Long List of nued-Disaer Occurred on the New Jersey Gen.
trail Road Near WestfieId

most appalling railroad wrecks
that has occurred in the vicinity
of New York for many years, the esti-
mated loss of life ranging from twelve
10 thirty persons, took place tonight at
Graceland on the Central Railroad of
New Jersey. near Westfield, n. J.. when
the Royal Blue line express plOwed at
top speed into the rear of local train.
Immediately after the crash three of
the shattered cars of the local train
took fire, rendering impossible the res
cue of many of the wounded who were
pinned fast in the wreck. Many bodies
are believed to have been consumed.
On board the flyer all the passengers,
although badly shaken up. escaped IN
injured except for trifiing bruises.
List of Dead.
The dead taken to the morgue at
Plainfield are:
Edgar Williams. a New York lawyer;
secretary to Senator Platt.
c.. G. Yhayer of PIainfield.
Harry G. Hand. New York City.
Harry Paterson, DunneIlen.
George +. Reed, Scotch Plains.
Rowland Chandler. Plainfield.
Edward Flynn, Plainfeld-
In addition to this list there are many
charred bodies unidentified still at the
scene of the wreck.
The Injured.
The list of the injured at the hospital
in Plainfeld is as follows:
Thomas Cunning, Plainfeld.
Edward Clark.
William Sampson.
Miss Lizzie Cutter.
William Dunn.
George Force.
Howard r. George.
Miss Mildred Everett
Mrs d. L. Cunning.
E NJ. BrOkaw.
Miss Cora Brokaw.
Frederick Kannen. all Of Plainheld.
Roy Apgar and William Frederick, Of
Dunnellen. n. J.
others known to have been injured
are:
William Geddies. DunneIlen; both
LEGS broken.
George Chandler, spine injured
Charles Longworthy, injured all over
body.
Mrs. BeIch, both legs broken and
body crushed.
Mary Ryan. injured about head.
William Van Venter. cut about body
and face.
Everett Reighton. both legs cut off.
Miss Lizzie Keller, scalp torn of
Percy Irving. Dunnellen; leg crushed.
Mrs. Quelan, bruised about body and
head.
James F. Clark Of Philadelphia. seri-
ously, probably fatally. injured.
Edward ReightOn. already in Injured
list, cannot live more than a few hours
Failed to Make Switch.
The train which was run into left
New York at 5-45 and runs express
to Bound Brook, making stops at Eliz-
abeth, WestfeId and PlainheId. Be
yOnd Bound Brook it runs as a local
The Royal Blue train leaves fifteen
minutes later, but travels at a higher
speed and makes no stops except at
Elizabeth, and is scheduled to over
take the slower train just beyond
Graceland. where the latter switches
from track No into track No. 10
permit the Royal Blue to pass.
This evening a freight train was
blocked on track No 1 and the local
received orders to proceed on the ex-
press track TO Dunnellen and there
take the outside. or No. 4, track. Short
ly after receiving orders the train had
to stop for hot box, which caused
delay so that when il got under way
again it was due at Dunnellen.
Sixty-hve Miles an Hour.
The train had just started and was
moving slowly when the Royal Blue,
travelling at full speed, which at that
point usually approximates siXty-five
miles an hour, crashed into the rear
end The heavy engine of the Royal
Blue tore its way into the rear car
and at the same time drove the for
ward 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 fourth car
from the rear. The fourth car was
only partly wrecked, but the last three
We're torn to pieces. The engine of the
Royal Blue left the rails and turned
over on its side, the engineer and fire
man sticking to their posts and going
down in the wreck. They are now in
the hospital at Plainfeld. The en-
glneer Is not believed to have any
any chance of living more than few
hours.
Pitiable Scenes
Passengers on the flyer say the en-
gineer applied the brakes hard a min
ute or so before the wreck The train
ahead had sent a f1agman back. but il
seems he was recalled when the train
got under way, and although he left
toTpedOes the Royal Blue did not heed
them or else was going too fast to stop
in the short distance remaining. The
man who went back TO flag the train
had just swung onto the rear of his
train and is among the dead.