Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-01-29
MANY DIE IN WRECK.
ROYAL BLUE EXPRESS CRASHES
INTO LOCAL TRAIN.

Twenty-four Bodies Recovered, Many
of Them Charred Beyond Recog-
nition-pisaster Occurs on Central
Railroad of New Jersey.
New York, Jan. 2S.-The most ap-
palling railroad wreck that has oc-
Cured in the vicinity of New York in
many years, the loss of life being estI-
mated at not less than thirty persons,
took place last night at Graceland, N.
j., on the Central railroad OF New
Jersey when the Royal Blue line ex-
press, westbound, plunged at top speed
into the rear of local train.
Seven bodies only have been iden-
tilted, while sixteen more almost I'M
recognizable corpses, have been re-
covered. 1t is almost certain that
many bodies remain in the
wreck. Immediately after the crash
three of the shattered cars of the local
train took fire rendering impossible
the rescue of many of the wounded,
who were pinned fast in the wreck.
List of identified dead: Edgar Will
Jams, New York lawyer; c. G. Sayer,
Harry G.. Sand, Harry Paterson,
George F. Reed, Thomas Cumming,
Rowland Chandler. Edward Flynn.
Freiaht Train Blocks Track.
A freight train was blocked on track
No. 4 and the local received orders to
proceed on the express track to
Dunellen. Shortly after receiving or
ders the train had to stop for hot
box. which caused delay, so that when
1t got under way again it was due at
Dunellen. The train had just started
and was moving slowly when the
Rotal Blue. travelling apparently at
full speed. which at that point usually
aDproyimates sixty-five miles an hour.
crashed into the rear end The engine
of the ROYAL Blue tore into the rear
car, and drove the forward end of the
car into the car ahead which. in turn.
was driven into the third car and. this,
in turn. into the fourth car from the
rear. The fourth car was only partly
wrecked. but the last three were torn
to pieces.
Engineer and Fireman Injured.
The engine of the Royal Blue left
the rails and turned over on its side,
the engineer and fireman sticking to
their posts and going down in the
wreck. They are now in the Muehlen-
burg hospital at Plainfield. The engi-
neer is not believed to have chance
of living more than few hours.
Passengers on the flyer say the en-
gineer applied brakes hard minute
or so before the wreck The train
ahead had sent fagman back. but 1t
seems he was recalled when the train
got under way, and although he left
torpedoes on the track, 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 on to
the rear OF his train and is among the
dead.
Fire Adds to the Horror.
The engine and the three cars worst
wrecked were piled in an awful heap.
From the mass came fearful cries for
aid. minute later the wreck caught
fire from the f1rebox of the locomo-
tive. The screams Of the injured In
the heap were Intensified as they
found themselves hemmed in by the
flames. The passengers in the two for
ward cars OF the first train and all
the men from the express and every
one in the neighborhood started work
at once to get out the injured before
the flames could reach them At times
the flames reached the rescuers and
their clothing took fire, but they
worked on, though in constant danger
of being killed themselves. Some OF
the injured were burned to death.
Wrecked Cars Blaze Around Victims.
The firemen after time mastered
the flames. Then the wreckage was
attacked again and the work of res
cuing the bodies was begun. Out Of
the first car eight bodies were taken.
Men could be seen in the wreekage
pinned fast amid the timbers 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.
When the engine ploughed into the
rear car 1t partly split the car. open
and at the same time lifted it up onto
itself Most Of those in 1t are dead.
Those in the car ahead. which was
lifted over the rear car. suffered the
most, for some time before the flames
reached them from the car below and
behind them, they We're enveloped in
sn'oFe and steam. 1t was here that
the worst scenes were Witnessed. 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 wreck
age.