The Indianapolis journal., 1903-02-20
FOUR MEN KILLED AND SEVEN IN
JURED AT FORT LAFAYETTE.
Twenty Passengers Hurt I'm a Rail-
way Wreck mt whitby Junction,
0nt.-Other Serious Accidents.


press train on the Delaware, Lackawanna
& Western Railroad to-day cut through a
trolley car crowded with school children
at the Clifton-avenue crossing killing eight
of the children and injuring a score of
them. The motorman of the car, who
stuck to his post will die. and the engineer
of the exIfess was so severely hurt there is
little hope of his recovery Both the ex-
press and the trolley car were on steep
grades going at right angles. The train
was signaled and the crossing gates were
lowered while the trolley car was only half
way down the hill. The motorman shut
on 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 the oncoming train. The locomo-
tive plowed its way through the car. throw
ing the children in every direction.
The Dead
VIOLA ILL.
MAUDE BAKER.
ERNESTINE p. MUELLER.
MABEL f. -SARSCHNER. Tifin. o.
ALMA LOEHNBERG.
ROSEBUD KOHN.
ELLA wERPUHP.
EVAN L. EASTWOOD, JR.
The Injured
PETER BRADY. motorman, skull
crushed
OSCAR BACKLIFF. engineer. skull frac-
tured.
JENNIE MLELLAND. skull fractured.
probably fatally.
FLORENCE DOLL. ankle broken and
hurt about head and shoulders.
MABEL SMITH. head injured.
FREDERICK ALLSOP. injured about
body.
GEORGE SMITH. leg fractured.
CARL RAQUET, cut about face.
MAUD VAN yALEN, bruised about
head.
WALTER BAUERMANN. ribs broken.
SUSAN DE CAMP. arm. fractured
Others received bruises and lacerations.
All the girls and boys lived in Newark. ex-
cept Nabel Karschner. of Tiffin, o. The
ages rsage from twelve to eighteen years
NEARLY 100 IN THE CAR.
The accident happened within three
blocks of the High School building, and in
the car at the time were nearly one hun
dred pupils AS many as thirty others had
managed to throw themselves from the
car before the crash came. The trolley
car was one OF the specials which every
day took the children to school. 1t had
to the cold 1t contained every child that
could squeeze inside, and others stood on
the rear platform. Because this car had
been crowded many who were waiting
for u before the hill was reached could
not get on. although some climbed on the
front platform with the motorman.
A score or more children were compelled
to walk. and they followed the car a-foot
hev saw ha hen he car
than half way down the hill the railroad
gates began to drop. Peter Brady, the
motorman, promptly put off the power and
applied the brakes. The speed of the car
was checked, but it continued to descend
There was no thought of danger. Then it
began to move faster The ice-covered
rails afforded no hold for the wheels. and
although Brady jammed his brake harder
and then swung on the reverse, the mo-
mentum of the car grew at every yard.
and the car shot down toward the rail-
road. When II was right at the gates the
express thundered into vieY. Warned by
the cries of those afoot and by their own
sense OF danger those on the platforms be-
10 throw themselves of into the snow.
and, as the car sped along the few remain
Ing feet to the rails. perhaps one-third es-
capped death or injury in this way. but
there was no time for those within the
to do more than crush towards the
rear door.
The conductor of the trolley car. George
Gould, said: 1t is the custom for trolley
conductors 10 leave their cars as this
crossing Is approached and after the car
stops TO run ahead and see If the track is
clear. / should have done that this MORN
ing had / not seen that the gates were
car would stop and the first thing | knew
of danger was when We went crashing
through the gates
CAR CUT IN TWO.
The gates were snapped like twies and
the car was struck by the locomtive. which
had slowed down. The air was filed with
the cries of the helpless children. The
wreck OF the trolley car was complete The
locomotive turned IL partly around and then
cut IL I'm two. The children were hurled i'm
every direction. One-half OF the car was
thrown one side and lay on the tracks
The other section was hurled some distance
away. In every direction lay the injured
and dead The engine was brought to a
standsull and from the train and nearby
houses men rushed TO the rescue
From the high school pupils and teachers
came to aid the injured. lad who had
feet from the crossing arose. brushed the
snow out OF his eyes and with shrek
rushed up the street TO fire box and