Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-02-20
TROLLEY ACCIDENT.
Fast Express Crashes Through
Crowded Street
Car.
EIGHT KILLED, SCORE INJURED
Casualty ON Grade Crossing Caused by
Icy Rails - School Children the
victIms-Many Saved by Throwing
Themselves Off the Car.

Newark. N. J., Feb. 20.--A fast ex-
press on the Lackawanna railroad cut
through a trolley car crowded with
school children at the Clifton avenue
crossing yesterday. Eight of the chill
dren were killed and score or more
of them injured. The motorman OF
the car, who stuck to his po5t, VIII
die and the engineer of the express
was so badly hurt that there is little
hope of his recovery.
Both the express and the trolley
were on steep grades, going at right
angles. The express was signalled,
and the crossing gates were lowered
while the trolley car was yet har
way doyn the hill The motorman
shut off 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
locomotive ploughed its way through
the trolley, throwing the children in
every direction.
The dead are: Viola Ill, Maud
Baker, Ernestine P. Mueller, Mabel E,
Karschner, Alma Loehnberg, Rosebud
Kohn, Ella Werpupp, Evan l.. East
wood, Jr.
The accident happened within three
blocks of the high school building and
in the car at the time were nearly
100 pupils AS many as 30 others had
managed to throw themselves from
the car before the crash came. The
trolley was one of the specials which
every day bring the children to school.
1t had more than its ordinary load
yesterday owing to the cold. 1t coD-
tanned every child that could squeeze
in, and others stood on the rear plat
form Because this car had been so
crowded many who were waiting for
1t 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 COM
PEELED to walk and they followed the
car afoot. They say that when the
car was still less than half way down
the hill the railroad gates began to
drop. Peter Brady, the motorman,
promptly shut off the power and ap-
Piled the brakes The speed of the
car was checked but it continued to
move slowly down the incline. There
was no thought of danger. Then it
began to move faster and faster. The
ice covered rails afforded no hold for
the wheels and although Brady JAM
med his brake harder and then swung
on the reverse, the momentum of the
car grew at every yard and the car
shot down toward the railroad When
il was right at the gates the express
Numbered into view.
There was no time for those within
to do more than crush toward the rear
door. The gates were swept aside like
toothpicks and before cracking of the
gates died out came the crash Then
for 80 seconds the air was filled with
frantic cries of those who saw death
dashing down upon them.
The wreck Of the trolley car was
complete, The pilot of the engine
struck 1t almost amidships, and turned
it partly around and then the ponder
Gus engine cut it in two. The upper
part of the trolley was reduced to frag-
ments under the drivers of the loco
motive One half of the car was
thrown to one side and lay ON the
tracks. The other section was hurled
some distance away. In every direc-
ton lay the injured and dead. The
engine was brought to a standstill
and from the train and from nearby
houses men rushed to the rescue. The
spectacle was appalling and many who
started to work had to give up I'M
nerved
the crash had been heard and from
the windows of which some had wit
messed the accident came pupils and
teachers to aid in succoring their
companions. A lad who had been
hurled to safety in snowbank 80
feet from the crossing, arose, brushed
the snow out Of his eyes and with
shrek rushed up the street to fire
box and turned In an alarm.
Within five minutes as many dead
bodies had been laid side by side In
the snow alongside the track. One of
the bodies, that of girl, was found
a block beyond. 1t had been carried
there by the pilot Of the engine Load
after load of the injured was sent
away in patrol wagons and ambu-
lances. Within a short time there
was not one injured person near the
scene of the wreck and the dead were