The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-28
IN APPALLING WRECK
Royal Blue Line Express
Dashes at Top Speed
Into a Local on the
N. J. Central.
MANY KILLED And INJURED

AAAbAa AAGA0N AAka ~ AAiV - AAN
SHATTERED CARS TAKE FIRE
AFTER THE COLLISION
Eight Dead Taken Out of One Coach
Numerous Charred Bodies Besides
Twenty.four Known to be DOnd al
I;40 This Morning -Firemen fr" m
West1ieId, N. J. Summoned bat Are
Too Late to save Many Lives-Pathet!c
and HenFtronding Scenes.
New York, Jan 27.-One of the most
appalling railroad wrecks that has oc-
Cured in the vicinity of New York for
many years, the estimated loss of life
ranging from twenty to thirty persons,
took place tonight at Graceland on the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, near
Westfield, N j., when the Royal Blue
Line express ploughed 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 0een consumed.
On board the flyer all the passengers,
although badly shaken up, escaped un-
injured, save for trifling bruises.
At 1:40 o'clock this morning it was
known that there were twenty-four
dead. Sixteen charred bodies had been
taken out.
The Known Dead.
The dead taken to the morgue at
Plainfield so far are: Edgar Williams,
New York lawyer; c. P. Thayer, of
Plainfeld, secretary to United States
Senator Thomas C. Plat; Harry G.
Hand, of New York city, Harry Patter-
son, of Dunnelen, George z. Reed, of
Scotch Plains, Thomas Cunning, of
Plainfield, Rowland Chandler of Plain
field, and Edward Flynn, of Plainfield.
In addition to this list there are many
charred bodies still at the scene of the
wreck.
IN. Imvesg.
The list of the injured at the hospital
in Plainfield is as follows: Edward
Clark, William Sampson, Miss Lizzie
Cutter, William Dunn. George Force,
Howard r. George, Miss Mildred Ever
ett, Mrs. D. Cunning, Z. M. Brokaw,
Miss Cora Brokaw, Frederick Kannen,
all of Plainfield; Roy Apgar and Will
liam Frederick, of Dunnelen, N. J.
Others known to have been injured
are;
William Geddies Of Dunellen, both
legs broken; George Chandler, spine in
iured; Charles Longwortlly, injured all
over body; Mrs. Belch, both legs brok-
en- and body crushed; Mary Ryan, in
jurde about head; William Van Venter,
cut about body and face; Everett
Rheigton, both legs cut off; Miss Liz
zie Keller scalp torn off; Percy Irving,
Dunellen, legs crushed; Mrs. Quelean,
bruised about body and head.
The train which was run into left
New York at 5:43 and runs as an ex-
press to Boundbrook, making stops at
Elizabeth, Westfield and Plainfield.
Beyond Boundbrook it runs as a local.
The Royal Blue train left fifteen min
utes later, but travels at higher speed
and makes no stop except at Elizabeth,
and is scheduled to overtake the slower
train just beyond Graceland, where the
latter switches from track three onto
track four to permit the Royal Blue to
pass.
This evening freight train was
blocked upon track four and the local
received orders to proceed on the eX-
press track to Dunnelen aid there take
the outside or number four, track.
Shortly after receiving orders the train
had to stop for hot box, which de-
layed it, so that when it got under way
again it was due at Dunnelen. 1t had
Just started and was moving slowly,
when the Royal Blue, travelling appar-
entity 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 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 fourth 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 its side, the
engineer and fireman sticking to their
posts and going down in the wreck
They are now in the Muhlenberg hos
pital at Plainfield. and The engineer is
not believed to have chance of living
more than few hours.
Passengers on the flyer say the en-
gineer applied the brakes hard just a
minute or so before the wreck. The
train ahead had sent hagman back
but it seems he was recalled when the
train got under way. and although he
left torpedoes, the Royal Blue did not
heed them, or else was going ito fast
to stop in the short distance remaining
The maE who went back to flag the
CONTINUED on Sixth Pagel