New-York tribune., 1903-01-28
CARNAGE In WESTFIELD WRECK
OYER Il SCORE OF PERSONS KILLED IN REAR END
JERSEY CENIR4L COLLISION.
Local Train Stops On Nam Track Because ofa Hot
Passes Signal Properly Set


around them one Of those who tried to take
out a man pinned in found that he was held
down by leg the ankle, and seeing it
would be useless to do anything else he is said
finally to have severed the mans leg and then
carried him to OF the parIOr cars Both
rescued and rescuer were burned. but the doctors
said the rescued mans life would be saved The
names Of the men concerned could not be learned
in the general excitement about the wreck
When the engine ploughed into the rear car
it partly split the open and at the
time lifted it up and on to itself. In this
ner those in that car. besides being crushed,
were scalded and burned by the engine. This
car was the first to take fire. and most Of those
, in it died. Some of them are believed to be
beneath the overturned engine
Those in the ahead. which lifted upon
the rear car. suffered the greatest agony. For
ten minutes before the flames reached them
from the car below and behind them they were
enveloped in smoke and steam, and it was there
that the worst sights were witnessed The
imprisoned ones begged for death to end their
agones begged those who were Iaboring to get
them free to crush in their heads with the axes
they using to chop away the wreckage.
and begged for water. Some raved, more prayed
some cursed and prayed alternately.
Some Of the women from the Royal Blue nrs
train went into Mysteries, and more tainted ar
the awful sights. Later they made their way
into Westheld and were cared for. Some OF
them had to be sent TO Plainfield and Elizabeth
for medical care. there doctor avail
able all being at the wreck.
Train No. 13 of the New-Jersey Central Rail-
road is commuters train When It left Jersey
City at 5:4j p. m it had eight ears well filed
with passengers. Half mile west OF Westdeld,
N j., it was stopped because OF a hot box.
THE CONDUCTORS ORDERS
Ordinarily the train takes the fourth track
at Crawford leaving the express track clear
for the Philadelphia express train which leaves
Jersey City at p. Last evening the con-
ductor of the local train received orders to con-
tinue the express track as far as Dunellen,
and his train was on the express track when
it was stopped, half a mile from westfeId.
A 1agman sent back with a red light. al
though it was supposed that the block signal
would keep back the express train.
The hot box had been cooled of, the hagman
had been called in and the train was beginning
to move again when the roar of the coming
press train heard. The fagman waved his
red light as he ran toward the end of his train
There seemed to be Stacking of speed in the
express train which was rushing along at the
rate of about fifty miles hour.
The Philadelphia express had four vestibule
cars back of it's express and baggage car and
was drawn by a powerful locomotive. John
Davis. the engineer. and his fireman, Smith.
must have seen the end of the local train some
hundreds of feet away, but it was too late
stop.
Into the rear end of the local train the big
express locomotive dashed, apparently at full
speed. There was a terrific crash at the mo-
ment of impact. followed by a long. grinding
roar as the locomotive ploughed its way through
the three rear cars OF the i'll fated train TIE
three cars were telescoped and broken into
fragments in moment. So tremendous was
the force of the express train that the locoIno-
tive went partly into the fourth car Of the
local train before it stopped.
Several persons were killed instantly In the
rear cars Of the commuters train Others lay
mangled and helpless in the wreckage. Some
hurled out through the broken sides of
the cars, and few found that they had
capped in that way without serious injury. while
others had received serious mortal injuries
Persons in the front Of the commuters
train were thrown from their seats and rudely
shaken. and some received slight cuts from
broken glass but otherwise they unintured.
Nobody was hurt in the cars OF the express
train, although many were frightened badly.
FRAGMENTS STRUCK A THIRD TRAIN
At the moment the wreck occurred train
running New-York was passing the two other
trains 1t was on an outside track, but the fyT-
ing fragments Of cars struck the last two cars
of the eastbound train and damaged thenn se-
vereIv No person in the east5ound train vas
hurt but the train stopped for a tine.
Flames added additional horror to the wreck
Immediately Considerable wreckage OF three
cars was heaped above the express locomotive.
Hot Goals from the locomotive set the wreckags
blazing In a minute the flames were sweeping
over the broken remains OF the cars. Pas
sengers from other to give what aid
they could Dead and dying were pulled away
from the flames rapidly as possible, but many
of the injured were imprisoned in the burninS
mass of wreckage and could not be saved
Their cries and means were soon hushed. There
was no means of fighting fire at hand and be-
fore long the wreckage was burned to ashes
Three of the four tracks at the place OF ths
wreck had been torn up in the collision No
signals could be sent from the place OF the
wreck for time. There seemed to be no way
of keeping the flames from attacking the unin-
jured cars There vas place Of safety to-
which to carry the injured people
Opposite the scene of the wreck was the
house of Mrs Alfred HARRISON, but the grounds
of the house were shut off from the railway
tracks by high board fence Mrs. Harkson
crash of the collision. She looked from her win
dow at the scene of horror She not slow
to act. She telephoned TO call the ponce anu
fremen of Westfield TO the scene OF disaster
Then she got and cut down section
of the high board fence. Before the hremen
and police responded to her call she direct
ing people to carry some of the injured per-
sons into her home The house was soon
turned into emergency hospital Several OF.
those who mortally hurt were carried into
the house in advance of others. Eight of the
injured persons died in the house before surgical
aid could be summoned
HOMES TURNED INTO HOSPITALS.
Further from the place OF the wreck was the
house of Mrs. John GIuck. Some of the injured