The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-02-05
A FEARFUL CRASH.
Thirty Killed and Many saiased in a
Railroad Wreck.
ENGINE PLOWS THROUGH COACHES.
The Royal Blue Express Runs Into a
Local Train at Full Speed and Ter.
rfbie Consequences Follow,

appalling railroad wrecks that has oc-
earred in the vicinity Of New York for
many years, the estimate loss OF life
ranging from IL 10 so persons, took
place Tuesday night at Graceland On
NE Central Railway OF New Jersey near
Westfeld, N. j., when the Royal Blue
Line express ploughed at top speed in.
to the rear OF local train. lmmedi'
ately after the crash three Of the shat
tered cars of the local train took fire
and it was impossible to rescue many
| of the wounded who were pinned fast
in the wreck. Many bodies are believed
to have been consumed. On board the
flyer an the passengers. although
badly shaken UP, escaped unirjured ex-
cept for triflihg bruises.
The dead taken to the morgue a.
Plainfield are: Edgar Williams. a New
York lawyer; C. G. Thaycr. OF Plain
field; H. G. Eaad. OF New York city;
Harry Patterson, OF Dunellen; George
E. Reed, of Scotch Plains; Thomas
Cumin. Of Plainneld; Rowland 3.
Chandler, of Plainfeld; Edward Flynn.
Of Plaindeld. In addition to this list
there are many charred bodies, uniden.
titled. still at the scene OF the wreck.
The train. which was running fast,
left New York at 9:45 p. m. and ran
as an express to Bound Brook. making
few stops. Beyond Bound Brook it runs
as local. The Royal Blue train left Is
minutes later but traveles at q high
rate OF speed and makes no stop except
at Elizabeth and is scheduled to over
take the slower train just beyond
Graceland, where The latter switches
from track 3 on to track to permit
the Royal Blue to pass.
In the evening a freight train was
blocked on track No. 4. and the local
received orders TO proceed on the ex-
press track to Dunellen and there take
the outside, or No. 4 track. Shortly
after receiving orders the train had to
stop for hot box, which delayed her
so that when she got under way again
she was due at Dunellep. She had just
started and was moving slowly when
the Royal Blue. travelling apparently al
full speed. which al that point usually
approximates 65 miles al hour:
crashed into the rear end.
The heavy engine of the Royal Blus
tore Its way into the rear car and at
/ the same time drove the forward end
Of that oar into The rear end Of the ear
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 fireman
sticking to their posts and going down
in the wreck. They are now In the hos
pital at Plainsfield and the engineer Is
rot believed to have chance OF living
| more than a few hours.
Passengers on the flyer say the en-
SIuSeE dUpllCu luC Jl1ACCSi uol VI -
ute or so before the wreck. The train
ahead sent hagman back but 1t seems
| he was recalled when the train got
under way and although he left the
torpedioes. 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 into the rear end OF
his train and Is among the dead. Tho
engine and three wrecked cars we're
piled into an awful heap containing at
least 100 dead and injured. From the
mass came 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
they feund themselves s"mmea IN oy
the flames
When the engine :loughed into the
rear car it partly split the car open
| and at the same time lifted it up and
onto itself. The car Was the first to
take fire and NEST Of those in 1t arc
dead. Some OF them are believed to b.
! beneath the overturned engine. Those
in the car ahead which was lifted over
tho rear car suffered tho most. For
some time before The daneS reacheG
them from the car below and behind
them they were envcloped in smoke
and steam and II was here that -,
worst sights were witnessed.
The engineer Of the express. John 5.
Davis. was not the regular engineer.
He was relief engineer 'ar the iast
train and had been put on in the ab-
sence of the regular man who bad 4
day off. He was. however. perfectly
familiar with the running OF the train
as he ran it at least once week.
Before the wreckage had cooled, the
work OF getting out the charred ho"ica
began. Men attacked the heap WIN
poles and rods OF iron taken from me
pile or debris ani raknd out several
arms. legs and heads. Many OF those
who died will never i,s r"cognized' the.
hodies being burned to crisp.
II is impossibls to gi:e any authentic
list of the missing. A list Won!d IN
clude scores of men and women who