The Saint Paul globe., 1903-01-28
Upwards of Thirty People
Killedin a Railroad Wreck
in New Jersey-F Fast Train
Runs Into a LocaI-Wreck-
age Takes Fire and Ap-
palling Scenes Ensue.

NEW YORK, Jan. 27.-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 twelve to thirty per-
sons, took place tonight at Graceland,
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 a local freight 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 We're
pinned fast in the wreck. Many bodies
are believed to have been cremated.
On board the flyer all the passengers
although badly shaken up, escaped un-
injured except for trifiing bruises.
The Victims.
The dead so far identified are:
EDGAR WILLIAMS, a New York law
G. P. Thayer, of Plafnfeld, secretary
to Thomas G. Platt.
HARRY G. HAND. of New York
HARRY PATTERSON, of lDunellen.
GEORGE F. RED. Of Scotch Plains.
THOMAS CUMING. Of Plainfield.
ROWLAND CHANDLER. of Plainfield
EDWARD FLYNN, Of Plainfield.
In addition to this list there are
many charred bodies unidentified still
at the scene of the wreck.
The train which was run into left
New York at :45 and runs express to
Bound Brook, making stops at Eliza
beth, Westfield and PIainfield. Beyond
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 Eliza
beth and is scheduled to overtake the
slower train just beyond Graceland,
where the latter switches from Track
No. 3 onto Track No. 4 to permit the
Royal Blue to pass.
Freight Train on Track.
This 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. track. Shortly
after receiving orders the train had
to stop for a hot box, which delayed
her so that when she got under way
again she was due at Dunellen She
had just started and was moving slow
ly when the Royal Blue, travelling ap-
parently at full speed, which at that
point usually approximates sixty-fi
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 firemen sticking to
their posts and going down in the
wreck. They are now in the hospital
at Plainfeld and the engineer is not
believed to have a chance of living
more than few hours.
FIagman Recalled.
Passengers on the flyer say the engi-
neer applied the brakes hard a minute
or so before the wreck. The train
ahead had sent a flagman back, but ii
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 too fast to stop
in the short distance remaining. The
man who went back to flag the train
had just swung onto the rear end OF
his train and is among the dead.
The engine and the three worst
wrecked cars were piled into an awful
heap, containing at least 100 dead and
injured. From the mass came fear
full 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
ehey found themselves hemmed in by
che flames.
The passengers in the two forward
ears of the first train, all the mer
from the express and everyone in the
EeighborhoOd started to work at once
% get out the injured before the flames
could reach them.
Rescuers' Clothes on Fire.
At times, while toiling in the wreck
sge, the flames reached the rescuers
and their clothing took fire, but they
worked on, although in constant dan
ger Of being killed themselves. Sumo OF
the injured 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 firemen from Westfield were
summoned, but arrived too late to save
many lives. Doctors We're called fol-
from Elizabeth, WestfieId and Plain
field, and there was a score on hand
The parlor cars of the Royal Blue
line train were converted into tenn
pOrary hospitals. The dead as they
were taken out We're laid in a row
alongside the track until means could
be found to convey them to Plain
field.
The firemen, after a time, mastered
the flames. The Wreckage was attack.
ed again and the work of recovering
the bodies was begun. Out of the frs
car eight bodies were taken.
The sight while the wreck was burn
ing was horrifying. Men could bt
seen in the Wreckage pinned fast amit
the timbers of the cars and Strugglins
to be free While the flames roaret
around them. The rescuers were help
less to aid them, as they already hat
been driven from the wreck by tn,
flames.
Took His Left Leg Off to Save Him
One of those who tried to take ou
a man pinned in, found that he wa.
held down by one leg near the ankl,
and seeing that it would be useless t,
1y severed the mans leg and then final.
ly severad the mans leg and then car.
ried him to one of the parlor cars
Both rescued and rescuers were seri
ously burned.
When the engine plowed into th
rear car it partly split the car opel
and at the same time lifted 1t up AM
onto itself This car was the first t,
take fire and most of those In it ar
dead. Some OF them are believed t,
be beneath the overturned engine
Those in TIA car ahead, which wa