The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-03
ERIE RAILROAD WRECK
Express Crashes Into Excursion al
Wanaque-Midvale, N. j.
Train on Way From Hoboken t.
Greenwood Lake Taking Water at
Tank is Telescope

New York City In a rear-end COLI.
sion at Wanaque-Midvale, n. j., on the
Greenwood Lake branch Of the Erie
Railroad a score Of persons, mostly res.
idents Of Hoboken, were killed and a
large number were injured. Disregard
of a block signal caused the wreck.
The blame lies between an operator. an
engineer and whoever is supposed to
keep the signals in order. General Pas
senger Agent Cooke puts the blame Oh
the operator.
At $50 in the morning the First
P~lattdeutscher Verein OF HOboken
started on its annual excursion, the
destination being Greenwood Lake, n.
J. 1t was 4 big excursion, for the club
is popular in the region about Jersey
City, and twelve cars, drawn by two
engines, were found necessary. What
with this load and q defect in n Of
the engines the excursion train made
poor time. The regular morning train
to Greenwood Lake, which started
nearly an hour afterward, had almost
caught up by the time it reached Mid
vale, thirty-three miles up the line.
This was also a heavy train and a
double header. Engineer John Land
wasser drove the leading engine and
Engineer Mckeown the trailer.
The excursion train rounded the
sharp curve into Midvale and drew up
TOO feet beyond the station for water.
Just back of the Midvale station
there is a block signal. The curve is
so sharp and the intervening buildings
are so placed that a train has to pass
the Midvale station for some distance
before the engineer can see what IS
happening at the water tank. The Sig
mailman, knowing that the regular train
was due, set the block for stop" or
says he did. Some Of the excursion
lists tumbled out to pick a few flowers
or gathered on the back platform. But
it was a cool morning, and most OF
them stayed in their seats.
Down the line came the regular train.
It makes no stop at Midvale. Whether
or not the signal for a ''clear track"
was displayed. Landwasser thought it
was. He threw on a bit Of speed to
bring her level with the water tank.
A man, yelling like mad, rushed from
the station and waved his arms. People
on the platform were waving their
arms and pointing. Landwasser
looked ahead.
Four hundred feet away, just in sight
around the curve, stood another train.
Landwasser reversed, put on the air
brakes so hard that they pared the
wheels, and threw out sand. He would
have made a stop but for the engine
behind him. His helper did not reverse
until the drag in front showed him that
something was wrong. The leading en-
CINE was pushed into the standing
train.
John R. Thompson, Of New York,
was smoking on the rear platform.
Looking up he saw the other engine
towering above him.
Wreck! Get out for your lives" he
cried, and jumped.
Pale men and screaming women
looked out, saw the danger, rushed
for the front door Of the car and piled
up in a confused crowd. At that mo-
ment the monster struck them.
IL scarcely uenteu Tue uach pldLloim
at all. 1t drove the car, as the cue
drives the billiard ball. into the second
car, through it, and into the end of the
first car, where was that struggling,
fighting mass of humanity.
Church was just out at Midvale. The
village people strolling home noticed
that the morning train was slowing up
as it passed the station. Then they
heard a noise as though a few freight
cars were humping together. but &C.
companied by a singular ripping noise.
"Never heard freight cars sound that
way" they said.
Then q moment Of silence and then
the murmur of a crowd and over 1t all
the shrieks and wailing of women.
They tore to the station. There was
the wreckage, and there a mob surging
back and forward in panic.
BY 1 o'clock, when the company's
hospital train arrived. they were max
ing the injured comfortable on straw
touches in two empty box cars.