The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-21
PIoughs Through Mass of
School Children MangIing
Them Horribly.
EIGHT OF THEM KILLED
The Car 0ashes Down SIeety Hill, Bursting
Through the Gates Guarding The Railroad
Tracks 10 Meet The Rushi' G
Exoress
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Newark, N j., Feb. ia fast express
on the Lackawanna Railroad cut through
a trolley car crowded with school chill
dren at Clifton Avenue crossing today.
Eight of the children We're killed and a
score or more of them injured. The
motorman Of the car. who stuck 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 a right angles.
The express was signalled, and he cross
ing gates were lowered, while the trolley
car was yet half way down the hill. The
motorman shut off the power 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, directly in the track of she
on-coming train. The locomotive plough
ed its way through the trolley, throwing
the children in every direction.
Dead:
VIOLA ILL. II years
MAUDE BAKER, JIG years.
ERNESTINE p. MUELLER, 10 years
MABEL e. KARSCHNEH, II years
ALMA LOEHBERG, IG years.
ROSEBUD KOHN.
ELLA WERFEPP, 10 years.
EVAN l.. EASTWOOD, JR., 1G years.
Injured:
Peter Brady, motorman of trolley car
skull crushed; will die. Oscar Backiff
engineer of train, head crushed; probably
fatal. Jennie McClelland. 16 years. skull
fractured, ether injuries: probably fatal
Florence DOLL ankle broken and badly
hurt about head and shoulders. Mabel
Smith, II years, head injured. A. Fred
erick Allsop, injured about head and body
George Smith, colored, leg fractured; Carl
Racquet cat about face and bruised about
body. Maude Y n, II years bruised
about head a' HHHs alter Bauerman,
il years. RIOS broken Susan DeCamp
arss frg1tItaai E1Ia fox, Pauline Rich.
Mary hrtilr Naraaret Commerford,
Frances Sevius Iie \ McCord, Allene
Cousin Nina Bal lillian Geraghty.
Masion Price TaeaeE TX Lindsey, Emily
Knight Arthur Lalaud and Jacob Wal
lack.
The ateid5Et happened within three
blocks Of The high ehool building. AS
many as thirty plp--s 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. Today it con-
tanned every child that could squeeze
inside and others stood on the rear plat
form. Because this car had been crowd
ed many who were waiting for it before
the hill was reached could not get in.
A score or more children were COM
PEELED to walk and they followed the
car afoot. They say that when the car
was still less than half way down the hill
the railroad gates began to drop.
Peter Brady, the motorman, promptly
shut off the power and applied the
brakes. The speed of the car was checked,
but il 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 afford
ed no hold for the wheels and although
Brady jammed his brakes harder ana
then swung on the reverse the momen-
tum of the car grew at every yard as it
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 plat
forms began to throw themselves OFF into
the snow, and as the car sped along the
few remaining feet toward the rails per-
haps one third escaped death or injury
i'm 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 thir-
ty seconds previous the air was filled with
frantic cries of those who saw death
dashing down upon them.
The wreck of the tr"lley ear was com
plete. The pilot of the engine struck
il almost amidship and turned it partly
around and then the pondeTous engine
cut II in two. The upper part of the
trolley was reduced to fragments under
the drivers of the locomotive. one hal
of the ear was thrown to one side and
lay on the tracks. The other section was
hurled some distance away. In every di-
rection lay the injured and dead. The
engine was brought to a standstill anC
from the train and from nearby house!
men rushed TO the rescue. The spectacl,