The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-28
AN APPALLING ACCIDENT
Probably One Hundred Persons Mangled in a Coli.
sion on the Central Railroad of New jersey

although he left torpedoes the Royal Blue /
did not heed them, or else going too |
fast TO stop in the short distance remain |
ing The man who went back to flag the |
train had just swung on to the rear end of |
his train and is among the dead. The en- |
CINE and the three worst wrecked cars |
were piled into a heap. containing at least |
one hundred dead and injured. 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 themselves hemmed in by the flames.
DESPERATE EFFORTS AT RESCUE.
The passengers in the two forward cars |
of the first train and all the men from the
started to work at once to get out the in
jured 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 them
selves. Some of the injured were burned
working with desperation to save them. but
the flames soon gained complete mastery
of the two last cars
The firemen from Westfeld were sum-
moned by telephone, but arrived too late
to save many lives. Doctors were called
for from Elizabeth. westfeld and Plain
field. and there was a score on hand. The
parlor cars of the Royal Blue line train
were converted into temporary hospitals.
The dead as they were taken out were laid
in row alongside the track until means
could be found to convey them to Plain
field
The firemen after a time mastered the
flames. Then the wreckage was attacked
again and the work OF recovering the bodies
was begun. Out of the first car eight
bodies taken. The sight while the
wreck was burning was horrifying. Men
could be seen in the wreckage pinned fast
amid the timbers of the cars and struggling
to be free while the flames roared around
them. The rescuers were helpless to aid
them as they already had been driven from
the wreck by the flames. One of those who
tried to take out a man pinned in the
wreck found that he was held down by one
leg near the ankle and seeing it would be
useless to do anything else is said to have
finally severed the mans leg and then car
rescued man and his rescuer were badly
| burned
When the engine plowed into the rear
| car 1t partly split the car open and at the
same time lifted 1t up and on to itself.
This car was the first to take fire and most
| OF those in 1t are dead. Some of them
are said to be beneath the overturned en-
gine.
| Those in the ahead which was lifted
| over the rear suffered the most. For some
time before the flames reached them from
the car below and behind them. they
were enveloped in smoke and steam and it
was here that the worst scenes were wit
messed. The imprisoned ones begged for
death to end their agonies. and implored
| those who were laboring to get them free
to crush their heads with the axes they
were using to chop away the wreckage.
One passenger only was severely hurt on
the Royal Blue. He was walking in the
! aisle of one of the cars when the crash
the air and sidewise across the heads of
several persons in chairs and then through
a window One of his hands was cut and
he was badly bruised. He said he was son
of John wanamaker, of Philadelphia. He
| did good work later on after his hand had
been bandaged.
and bandaged and treated the injured
even before they were released Some of
those he treated were afterwards suffo-
Gated or burned to death
Just as the wreck occurred an east
bound train was approaching on track No.
2. Before 1t could be stopped the engine
crashed into the wreckage which had been
| hurled on to the track but Ii was light
stuff. and the engine brushed it aside and
crushed part of II under the wheels. The
train ran its own length and when beyond
the wreck it was stopped. and after ascer-
tanning 1t had suffered no injury itself pro-
| ceeded toward New York.