Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-02-05
AN AWFUL WRECK.
Twenty Lives Lost by Collision
OH New Jersey Central.
Royal Blue Express Crashes Into o
Local Train Near WestfeId. ". J.
- Three Shattered Coaches
Take Fire - Passengers
Burned TO CInders.

Burned to CInders.
New York, Jan. 2S.-One of the
most appalling railroad wrecks that
has occurred in the vicinity of New
York for many years, the estimated
| loss of life ranging from 12 to 30 per-
sons, took place last night at Grace
land, on the Central railway 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 rescue of many of the wounded,
who were pinned fast in the wreck.
Many bodies are believed to have been
consumed
On board the flyer the passengers,
although badly shaken up, escaped
uninjured, except for trifing bruises.
The train left New York ait 5:45
and runs express to Bound Brook,
making stops at Elizabeth, Westfield
and Plainfield. Beyond Bound Brook
it runs as a local. The Royal Blue
train left Is minutes later, but trav-
els at higher speed and makes no
stop except Elizabeth and is Sched-
uled to overtake the slower train
| just beyond Graceland, where the lat
ter switches from track No. onto
track No. to permit the Royal Blue
to pass.
Last evening a freight train was
blocked on track No. and the local
received orders to proceed on the eX,
press track to Dunellen and there
take the outside or No. 4 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-
len. She had just started and was
going slowly when the Royal Blue,
travelling apparently at full speed,
which at that point usually approxi-
amtes 65 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 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 her side,
the engineer and fireman sticking to
their posts and going down in the
wreck. They are now in the Muhlen'
berg hospital at Plainfield.
The engine and the three worst
wrecked cars were piled into an aw-
full heap, containing at least 100 dead
and injured. From the mass came
fearful cries for aid. \ minute later
the wreck caught fire from the fire.
box of the locomotive. The screams
of the injured in the heap were in
tensiied 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 at once to
get out the injured before the flames
could reach them. At times while
toiling in the wreckage the flames
reached the rescuers and their cloth
ing took fire, but they worked on
though in constant danger of being
killed themselves.
The firemen from Westfield were
summoned by telephone, but arrived
too late to save many lives. Doctors
were called for from Elizabeth,
Westfeld and Plainfield and there
were q score ON hand.
The firemen after a time mastered
the flames. Then the wreckage was
attacked again and the work of re-
covering the bodies was begun. Out
of the first car eight bodies were TAX
en-. The sight while the wreck was
burning was horrifying. Men could
be seen in the wrecSage pinned fast
amid the timbers of the cars and
struggling to be free while the flames
roarcd around them. The rescuers
were helpless to aid them, as they al
ready had been driven from the
wreck by the flames.
New York, Jan. 29.-Thc total loss
of life by Tuesday nights fearful col
lision on the Central Railroad of
New Jersey at Graceland, y. j., is up
to last night 30. In addition to these,
Engineer Davis and Fireman McCar-
thy. of the Philadelphia & Reading
express who are in the hospital at
| Blainheld, may die at any moment
and ii is believed that several of the
injured passengers cannot recover.
The number of those known To be in
jured is upward of 80, of whom 13
remain in the hospital.
The blame for the disaster is placed
by the officials on engineer Davis,
who, according to a Policeman who
took him from the shattered cab OF
his engine, admitted that he had seen
the red and green danger lights dis
played but, expecting to see them sud
denly change to white, rushed on un-
ill it was too late to chccl, speed he
fore he plunged into the rear of the
train ahead. No statement has been
obtained from Davis in the hospital,