The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-28
TWENTY-FIVE
KILLED IN WRECK.
Horrible Railroad Accident On New
Jersey Central Road, for Which
Dead Engineer Is Blamed.

The screams OF the injured were intensi-
fed as they found themselves hemmed in
by the flames.
The passengers In the two forward
cars OF the irst train. and all the men
from the express. and everyone in the
neighborhood. started work at once in
trying 10 get out the injured before the
flames could reach them. AT times
while toiling In the wreckage the flames
reached them and their clothing took
fire. but they worked on In constant dan
ger OF being killed themselves. Some OF
the injured were burned to death in sight
OF the would-be rescuers. who stood by
them as long as possible, but the flames
gained complete mastery Of the last two
cars.
The fremen from westheid were sum
moned by telephone. but arrived too late
10 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 hos
pitals
The dead. as they were taken out were
laid in row alongside the track until
means could be found to convey them TO
Plainfleld
The fremen after a time mastered the
flames. Then the wreckage was attacked
bodies was begun.
out OF the first car eight bodies were
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 help
less to aid them. as they had already
been burned and scorched in the fire be-
flr a..
one OF those who tried TO take out a
man pinned I'm found that he was held
down by one leg near the ankle. and.
seeing IL would be useless 10 do any
thing else. is said TO have severed the
mans leg and then carried him to one
of the parlor cars Both rescued and
rescuer were burned.
SPLIT CAR OPEN
When the engine ploughed into the
rear car IL partly split the car open. and
at the same time lifted IT up and on to
itself. In this manner, those in the car.
besides being crushed, were scalded and
burned by the engine. This car was the
first 10 take fire, and most OF those I'm
II are dead. Some OF them are believed
10 be beneath the overturned engine
Those in the car ahead. which was
lifted on TO the rear car were those who
before the flames reached them from
the car below and behind them they were
cnveloped in smoke and steam, and IL
was here that the worst sights were
witnessed. The imprisoned ones begged
for death to end their agonies. and inn
plored those who were laboring TO get
them free to crush their heads with the
axes they were using to chop away the
wreckage.
h,r, far
moro prayed, some cursed and prayed
Persons who claim to know the facts
the wreck say that the signals
were displayed, but were unheeded by the
engineer OF the express, which with un-
slackened speed. crashed into the rear of
the local train. carrying death and de-
strucuon 10 those who had no thought
OF danger.
To make matters stin worse. a long
mail train eastward bound was passing
on a parallel track just as the wreck oc-
Cured Many who were hurled aside by
the engine would have escaped with but
slight injuries. but were
thrown back into the wreck by the cars
of the mail train, which was so injured
that IT was stalled for several hours
The crash OF the collision was heard in
all parts Of this suburban village and
from every direction came those anxious
to give assistance. From the cars Of
the Royal Blue and from the forward
cars OF the local train passengers des-
cended, though some of them were so
panic stricken that they were unable to
give assistance.
Three trains were halted close together.
and for few minutes the flames threat
ened the destruction OF all. 10 became
necessary TO assist from the threatened
cars nearly a score OF women who had
tainted. In the third Of the telescoped
cars were found three women and two
men. stunned but otherwise uninjured. all
of whom would have been burned 10
death had they not been found by a fire.
man belonging TO the local department
sHRIEKs OF INJURED.
From the heavy engine OF the Royal
BllsSps came a succession OF explosions.
and tho railroad men feared the boiler
would burst The Kissing OF escaping
steam and the cracking OF the flames
as the cars were destroyed could not
drown the shrieks OF the injured. pinned
under the train timbers. who saw the