Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-11
A DAYLIGHT. COLLISION
SEVENTEEN PERSONS KILLED IN
WRECK IN NEW JERSEY.
About Fifty Injured-Caused by Error
Of the Signal Tower Operator
Engine Crew Fled.

dispatch from New York last night
says: Seventeen persons were killed and
about fifty injured in a collision which oc-
Cured at Midvale, N. j., just before noon
today, when a regular passenger train on
the Greenwood Lake branch of the Erie
railroad into an excursion train That
had stopped to take water. All the dead and
injured lived in Hoboken Jersey City and
New York The dead: Henry Otterstedt,
Hoboken; William Weidmeyer, jr., Hobo
ken; William REM. New York; Mrs. Anna
Lemkohl, New York; William Lane. Hobo
ken; Henry Becker, Hoboken; William
Rohfing, Hoboken; William Winderknecht
Hoboken: George Scheer, Hoboken; Henry
Koch Hoboken; Isadore Manser, Hoboken;
Frank Holnweddell, child, Hoboken; George
McDermott Hoboken; William Wisto. West
Hoboken; E. K Kelly, Jersey City; Agnes
Lemkohl, child, New York, and boy
name supposed to be Patterson.
The injured: John Starr, Hoboken. bruised
about body and possibly internally; Alex
ander Farrell, Hoboken, confused wounds
on arms and body; Otto Johnert. New
York, confused wounds on body; Frank
Holnweddell, Hoboken, foot crushed; An
drew Holnweddell, Hoboken, leg broken;
F. Crenses, Hoboken. badly bruised about
body; Adolph Bluhm, Newark, confused
wounds on body; James McGrath. Hoboken,
bruised; Mrs. Est..er Manser, New YORK
shock; lsador Manser, jr., severely bruised
about body; P. ]. Sullivan, Hoboken, both
legs fractured; John Wiley, Hoboken, bad
Iy confused wounds; Joseph Sommerland.
Hoboken, head and face cut; Martin Lange,
Hoboken. body bruised; Miss Barbara
Stefer, New York, legs crushed, and Otto
Johnert, Hoboken, arms bruised and head
cut.
In addition to these, thirty-five others are
known to have received injuries, but were
able to return to their homes.
Due to Error of Tower Operator.
The accident is believed to have resulted
from a tower operator having lowered his
signal too soon, and this was admitted by
D. w. Cooke, general passenger agent or
the Erie railroad, who gave out a state
ment in which he said:
THE operator in the tower failed to set
the block signal against the train follow
ing"
The train which was run into was a spe-
cial carrying members of the First Platt-
deucher Association of Hoboken on their
annual outing, and had 500 passengers. 1t
consisted of twelve cars and two engines
The first engine had taken water, and the
train had moved up and stopped, with the
second engine beside the tank, when the
regular train drew near. The fagman OF
the special signaled the engineer OF the on
coming train, but owing to a curve In the
road his flag was not seen until 100 iate.
1t was claimed that the engineer OF the
regular train had slowed down to about ten
miles an hour before he crashed into the
special but his engine tore through the
rear car the greater part of its length and
drove the forward end of that car into the
car ahead. The killed and injured were In
these two cars.
Wreckage Did Not Catch Fire.
The wreckage did not catch fire. and the
work of taking out the dead and MANNED
was accomplished quickly. The passen-
gers from the uninjured coaches ran back
and joined In the work. and the residents or
Midvale, many of whom had heard the
crash, assisted them.
The fourteen dead were soon LAID Deslde
the track and the injured were carried to
the nearby houses. While physicians were
being sent for, women of Midvale brought
bandages and other articles that couid De
used in caring for the injured.
An engine and cars were sent for from
Little Falls to the scene of the wreck, ana
rapidly as possible the most seriously
hurt were prepared for Transportation by
City or Hoboken. The less severely hurt
were continued under treatment In Mldvale
until later in the day. All those hurt were
eventually taken either to their homes or
to hospitals. Ea.
Engine Crew Disappeared.
The engineer and firemanaof the regular
train disappeared from the scene just after
the accident. They both escaped injury by
jumping just before the crash.
The operator in the tower was Walter
Richards. He would make no statement,
and was relieved, and left the scene soon
after the accident.
A great crowd remained at the scene all
afternoon many Of whom were passengers
who were seeking information regarding
relatives and friends who were on the train.
Mrs. William Wistow whose name was
In the list of dead, has been founo at ner
home uninjured. The body which was iden-
titled as that Of Mrs Wistow is that OF a
woman about thirty years old.
Another body, supposed to be tnat OF
E. ]. Kelly of Jersey City, was identined
later today as that of Owen Murphy OF
Jersey City. e. ]. Kelly is missing.
Coroner Blauvelt of Paterson, N. j., today
impaneled jury to hold an inquest as TO
the Midvale accident, and adjourned the In
curry until later In the week.