The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-28
HORRIBLE DISASTER

FREDERICK HARDINGHA1, Plain
field
CRAIG BALDWIN. Plainheld.
H G. HAND. Plajndeld.
r. Is. SHANADO. Plainfeld.
THE INJURED.
The injured so far as known are:
Richard Clark, Plainfield; both legs
broken
William Sampson, Plainfeld; cut and
bruised about body.
Wilson Frederick, Dunellen; scalded
about body
Miss Lizzie Cutter. Plainfeld; face
William Dunn. Plainneld; leg broken,
face cut and bruised.
George Force. Plainfeld; cut on head.
+ H. Freeman. Plainnelds badly in
jured about body
Howard r. George, Plainheld; leg
broken and scalp injured.
Miss Mildred Everett. Plainheld; bad
~ injured about the head.
Mrs. y. A Calling. injured about head
Miss Fannie Canavon, body and face
Frederick Kannen. body and face bad
~ cut.
Roy Apgar. injured about head.
E NJ Broka way, cut and bruised.
Miss Cora Broka way, slightly injured.
William Guddess, Dunellen; both legs
George Chandler. Plainfeld; spine in
jured
jured on body.
body injured.
William vanneter. Plainfeld; cut
about face and body.
Everett Creighton, Plainheld; both
legs cut of
Percy Irving, Dunellen; legs crushed.
Mrs. Quelean. Plainfeld; injured about
head and body.
James F. Clark, Philadelphia; serious
~ hurt about head and body.
policeman who aided In the work
Of the rescue made the statement today
concerning Davis.
Il assisted in carrying Davis, the en-
gine driver, from his engine. He was
terribly injured He said I am re-
sponsfble for the accident saw the
danger signal. but expected it to turn
whate.
The statement made last night that it
was a Royal Blue express Of the Balti-
more & Ohio which ran into the local
express was erroneous. There was no
Baltimore & Ohio train in the wreck.
The wreclzing crews a work began to
clear the tracks and get out the bodies
and were assisted by hundreds of per
SONS from Westfeld. Crawford. Pla1asield
and other places who had been brought
to the scene by the news of the collision.
Big bon fires were built of the wreck
the scene and enable the men to see to
work More than a thousand persons
remained on the spot all night and there
were many pitiful scenes as bodies were
dug out and recognized by relatives and
friends
HOW 1T HAPPENED
The train which was run into left
New York at 5:45 and runs express to
Boundbrook, making stops at Elizabeth
Westfield and Plainfield. Beyond Bound
IL T-r7
delphia & Reading train left Is minutes
later. but travels at higher speei
and makes no stops except at Elizabeth
and is scheduled to overtaxe the slower
train just beyond GraceIand. where the
latter switches from track 3 to track 4
to permit the former to pass
A freight train was blocked on track
No. 4. and the local received orders to
proceed on the express track to Dunel-
len and there take the outside, or No {
track. Shortly after receiving orders,
the train had to stop for a hot box
which caused delay. so that when it got
under way again it was due at Dunel-
len. The train had Just started and
was moving slowly when the express,
travelling apparently at full speed. which
a that point usually approximates 65
miles an hour. crashed into the rear
end.
The heavy engine of the express 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 wreck
ed but the last three were torn to
pieces.
The engine Of the express left the
rails and turned over on it's side, the
engineer and fireman sticking to their
posts and going down in the wreck
They are now in the Muhlenberg hospi-
tai at Plainheld.
APPLIED BRAKES.
Passengers in the flyer say the engi-
neer applied the brakes hard one min
ute or so before the wreck. The train
ahead had sent a fiagman back, but it
seems he was recalled when the train
got under way, and although he left
torpedOes, the express 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 on to the rear of his
train and is among the dead
The engine and the three cars worst
wrecked We're piled into an awful heap.
From the mass came fearful cries for
aid. A minute later the wreck caught
fire from the firebox of the locomotive
The screams Of the injured in the heap
were intensified as they found them
selves hemmed in by the flames
l The passengers in the two forward
cars Of the first train and all the men
from the express and everyone in the
( neighborhood started to work at once
/ TO get out the injured before the flames
/ could reach them. At times the flames
I reached the rescuers and their clothing
took fire. but they worked on. though
/ IN constant danger of being killed
! themselves. Some of the injured were
/ burned TO death in sight Of the men
who We're working with desperation to
save them, but the flames soon gained
/ complete mastery of the last two cars.
flremen from Westfield were sum
moned by telephone, but arrived too
late to save many lives. Surgeons were
called for from Elizabeth. Westfie1d ana
Plalnheld. and there were a score on
( hand The Darlor cars of the express
traln were converted into temporary
hospitals The dead as they were taken
out were laid in a row alongside thu
/ track until means could be found to