The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-24

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express on the Lackawanna railroad
cut through a trolley ear, crowded
with school children at Clifton avenue
crossing today. Eight of the children
were killed and a score or more of
them injured. The motorman of the
car who tuck to his post, will die, and
the engineer of the express was so
badly hurt that there is little hope Of
his recovery.
Both the express and the trolley were
on steep grades, going at right angles.
The express was signalled. and the
crossing gates were lowered while the
trolley car was yet half way doWn the
hill. The motorroan shut off the pow
err and applied the brakes, but almost
Immediately the car began to slip along
the icy rails. 1t gained tremendous
momentum and at the bottom of the
hill crashed through the gates, direct
ly in the track of the on-comihg train.
The locomotive ploughed it's way
through the trolley, throwing the chill
dren in every direction.
The dead are: Viola Ill, II years;
-h~0ue odhSl, 10 yedIS, IlSSlili> =.
Mueller, 10 years; Mabe E. karsch-
ne", II years; Alma ~Icenberg, 16 years;
RoSenbud kohn, ella Werpepp, 10
years: Evan L. Eastwood, Jr., 16
years.
The injured: Peter Brady, motorman
of trolley car, skull crushed, Will die;
Oscar Backliff, engineer of train, head
crushed, probably fatal; Jennie Nc
Clelland. 16 years, skull fractured, 9TH
er injuries; Florence Doll, ankle
broken and badly hurt about head and
arms; label Smith, IA years, head in
jured; Frederick Allsop, injured about
the head and body; George Smith, col
about face and bruised about body;
Maude Van Valen, II years, bruised
about head and arms: Walter Bauer
man, II years, ribs broken; Susan De-
camp, arm fractured; Edith Fox, Pau
line Rich, Mary Lyttle Margaret Com
merford, Frarci Nevius, Helen Nc
Cord, Allene Coursen, Nina Bull, Lii
liam Berarthy, Marion Price, Frederick
Lindsey, Emily Knight, Arthur Luz
land. Jacob Wallack.
The accident happened within three
blocks of the High School building
and in the car at the time were nearly
one hundred pupils. AS many rs
thirty others had managed to throw
themselves from the car before the
crash came. The trolley was one of
the specials which every day bring the
children to school. 1t had more than
it's ordinary load today, owing to the
cold. IT, contained every child that
could squeeze inside and others stood
on the rear platform. Because this
car had been SO crowded, many who
were waiting for it before the hill was
reached could not get : on, although
some climbed on the front platform
with the mortorman. A score or more
children were compelled to walk and
they followed the car afoOt. They say
tina when the car was still less than
half down the hill. the railroad gates
began to drop.
Peter Brady. the motorman promptly
shut off the power n applied the
brakes. The speed of the car Was
checked. but it continued to move
slowly down the incline. There was
no thought of danger. Then it began
to move faster and faster. The ice
covered rails afforded no hold for the
wheels and although Brady damned
his brakes harder n h swung oa
the reverse, the momentum of the car
grew At every yard and the a shot
down toward the railroad. When it
was right at the gates. the express
Numbered into view. Warned by the
cries of those afoot and by their own
sense of danger, those on the platforms
began to throw themselves off into the
snow, ana as the car sped dlOflS the
few remaining feet toward the rails
perhaps one-third escaped death or IN
jury in this way, but there was no time
for those within the car to do more
than crush toward the rear door. The
| gates were swept aside like tooth
picks and before the cracking of the
| gates died out. came the crash. For
thirty seconds before. the air was fill
ed with rantic cries of those who saw
death dashing down upon them.
! The wreck of the trolley car was
complete. The pilot of the engine
struck it almost amidships and turn
ed it partly around. and then the pom
derous engine cut it in two. The up
per par: of the trolley w&s reduced
to fragments under the drivers of the
locomotive. One half Of the car was
thrown to one side and lay on the
tracks. The other section was hurled
some distance away. In every direc-
ton lay the injured and dead The
! engine was brought to a standstill and
from the train and from nearby houses
men rushed to the rescue. The specta-