The sun., 1903-02-20
7 GIRLS DASHED TO DEATH
~ TROLLEY AND EMPRESS COL
LISION ~ NEWARK.

In one OF the most tragic accidents that
has happened In New Jersey In years the
lives Of eight schoolchildren, seven Of them
girls. were lost early yesterday morning
in a collision between a Newark trolley
car and an express train on the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Tho
accident occurred at grade crossing which
has been an eyesore to the people Of Newark
for years, and which has been the subject
Of indignation meetings and Mayoral recon-
mendations, times without number.
The trolley car. crowded to the very
platforms with laughing. care-free boys
and girls, bound for their days study In tho
Newark High School. went clipping down
the grade on Clifton avenue from Orange
street to the Lackawanna Railroad tracks.
despite the fact that the gates at the cross
ing were closed, the signal to stop was In
sight and the motorman was using 0vory
effort to bring the car to q standstin.
The car went to destruction 90 slowly that.
had its merry crowd Of youthful passengers
realized the danger that threatened, they
might easily have stepped from It to tho
road with safety. But the youngsters were
too busy joking with each other across the
car, throwing books and pieces Of paper
at one another and carrying ON the frolio
that marks the trip Of this car every morn
ing.
The conductor. caught in tho middle Of
the car where he was collecting fares. could
not get out to obey the regulation to run
ahead and look up and down the tracks
before allowing the car to cross; beddes,
knowing that the gates were down, and that
~ hsx
coming, he made no effort to get out.
The motorman gave no warning Of the
danger that threatened, for he had reduced
his speed to almost snail's pace and felt
sure that within the next few feet the car
would stop
But it went straight ahead, craahed
through the fimsy gates that guard the
crossing, crossed the westbound local
track and struck the very middle Of the
engine Of the Lackawanna express train
as it came flying by on the second of the
three tracks at this point
Had the car reached the point Of the
angle ahead Of the train it is doubtful If one
Of the 1873 youthful passengers wculd nav ~
escaped instant death. As it was. tho
trolley car was hurled from its trucks,
caught by the hood Of the engine ard split
fairly in half, and then torn into splinters
by the four cars of the train that followed.
With the first shock the passengers on
the trolley car were thrown out. Five
girls, all pupils at the High School. were
instantly killed, and their bodies were 80
manged that Identification was possible
only by art clcs Of clothing or jewelry. or
by the school books which soma OF them
still clasped in their dead hands.
Three others, after suffering fearful agony.
died within a few minutes after being
taken to the hospitals. The forty or fifty
who were injured were scattered along the
road and the railroad track for block
from whore the accident occurred.
The scane after the collision was awful
and men and women who saw it, were
either sckencd or tainted from horror.
1t was followed within a very few minutes,
however. by an equally heartrending scene,
when frantic fathers, mothers and relatives
arrived and rushed about, trying to And
their loved ones. Some were so crazed at
the sight of mangled bodies, far past reooR-
nition. blood spattered schoolbooks and
lunch baskets. and torn and bloody articles
Of clothing, strewn everywhere that they
had To be forc'',ly taken from the spot and
removed To their homes.
1t will be difficult 10 place the response
bi,y for the accident The testimony
Of tho passengers VINO escaped, and Of pe-
destlians who Witnessed the descent Of tho
car, is unanimous that Peter Brady, the
motorlnan, did all in his power to stop his
car when he saw that the gates were closed
Passengers say that Brady tried to get
his sand box to work, but an examination
l. Il O., 81, H.
shows positively that no sand fell on the
rails. Had the sand worked the accident
might never have happened for the slippery
rails alone are what allowed the car TO slide
down the grade TO destruction. The rail-
road people say that the car went into sor-
vice in perfect condition.
The following list of the dead and injured
il complete, with the exception OF the names
of fifteen or twenty passengers whose in
juries are shght;
E.srwoop. EVAN. JR., 10 years old: son Of Evan
H. Eastwood. Of Eastwood Park. Ieweien Of
Newark. lAved at S,o clinton avenue Forehead
was crushed IN. lie died hf,ccn minutes AFTER
arriving AT the German Hospital
III VIOLA. II years old. OF 4s Sterling street:
daughter OF Henry H. manufacturer Of furniture
cas.crs Body badly ciuS4ed. Identhed BY Drs.
Edward =. and Charles III. Aei uncits. Body lsken
10 fioilts's inoTruc.
kAEsuNLK MABEI. e. 10 years old; daughter r
of G. " karshnrT. a merchant Of inn Ohio.
She was liv ing With her uncle B. l. Cogger. ~ al
uulnboldt street. Her SKULL was ladiy crushed
but sic lived ,Jr few minutes after rcachlng
~ richaels Hospital.
koHS. RpshrrA. 10 years old; daughter OF Milton
j. KnIn OF - James Stree; killcd Instantly by
fracture al tlc base OF tue skull. Her father
travels for Htailcy & Farmer. trunk nanufactur-
cfs of taIs clty who is nOy In Cuoa. body takea
to MuilIn 4ufguc.
lornSBEsa NINA, u years old. OF ?I1 Uttleton
avenue. daughter of Peter Loclnberg, vice presi .
dent OF the Atlantic Leather Company Of Newark
Neck hroEca and body badly cIuSaed. She VAS
ldcntIncd by rings on her nncetS. BODY taken ~
HolicSs u,oTCuc.
MILLER EHN .srISE. ~ years old. OF IA Fair
mount avenue. dsugater OF Ferdinand miller a
retired merchant. brains daSaed out and body
IIcatined by earring IN one ear. Body taken W
Hollcss mo'eue.
NALDMANS. MAUD, 10 years old OF J67 High
stree. daughter of the late grederck Waidmann.
former proprietor OF tne Nalimann opera House
In Newgtk she known as Maud Baker. her
,rntHer having married william Baker. OF the
Rakcr puALIy Company. Market street. Newark.
Tie girls DOIy CruSicd b. y.ld recognition
and she was id'nuhed only by note found In
her pocket from Roy Marrow s-loolJoy friend
uodv taken 10 Mullins i4nrgue