The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-11
About 60 Injured in a Rear End
Collision
On Greenwood Lake Division OF
the Erie Railroad.
MANY SERIOUSLY HURT
Some of the Injured Are Elk.
pected to Die.
Majority of Dead We're Residents
of HobOken.

New York July lin a collision in
Midvale, N. J., shortly before noon to-
day seventeen persons We're killed and
fifty injured. A regular passenger train
on the Greenwood Lake branch of the
Erie railroad ran into an excursion
train that had stopped to take water.
The dead and injured lived in Hoboken,
Jersey City and this city.
The accident is believed to have re-
suited from the lowering of a tower op-
orators signal too soon.
The List of Dead.
BECKER, HENRY, -Hoboken.
HODGEWEDDELL, WALTER, a
child, Jersey City.
KANZER, HENRY, New York.
KANZER, WALTER, child, New
York.
KELLY, E. J., Jersey City.
KOCH. HENRY, Hoboken.
KANE, WILLIAM, Hoboken.
LENKKOHE, MRS. AGNES, New
York.
McDERMOTT, EDWARD, Hoboken.
OTTERSTEDT, HENRY, Hoboken.
REM, WILLIAM, New York.
ROHFLING, HENRY, Hoboken.
SCHEER. GEORGE, Hoboken.
WEIDMYER, WILLIM, JR., Ho-
boken.
WINDENECHT, WILLIAM, Ho-
boken.
WISTO. MRS. WILLIAM, Hoboken.
Tower Operator Blamed.
d. w. Cooke, general passenger
agent of the Erie railroad. gave out a
statement in which he said:
THE operator in the tower failed
to set the block signal against the
train following
The train which was run into was a
special, carrying members of the first
Plattdeutscher Association of Hobo
ken, on its annual outing, and had 500
passengers. 1t consisted of twelve
cars and two engines. The first en-
gine had taken water and the train
had moved up and stopped with the
the regular train drew near. The
hagman of the special signaled the
engineer of the oncoming train, but,
owing to a curve in the road. his flag
was not seen until too late. 1t is
claimed that the engineer of the regu-
lar 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
The wreckage did not catch fire and
the work of taking out the dead and
manned was accomplished quickly.
The passengers from the uninjured
coaches ran back and joined in the
work and the residents of Midvale,
many of whom had heard the crash,
assisted them.
The dead were soon laid beside 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 could be used in
caring for the injured.
An engine and cars were sent from
Little Falls to the scene of the wreck
and as rapidly as possible the most SER
iously hurt were prepared for transpor-
tation by train to Little Falls and
thence to Jersey City or Hoboken. The
less severely hurt were continued un-
der treatment in Midvale until later in
the day All those hurt were event
ually taken either to their homes or to
hospitals.
The engineer and fireman of the reg
ular train disappeared from the scene
lust after the accident. They both
escaped injury by jumping just before
the crash.
The operator in the tower was Wal
ter Richards. He would make no state
ment and was relieved and left the
scene soon after the accident.
A great crowd remained at the
scene all afternoon. many of whom were
who were seeking informa-
ton regarding relatives and friends VINO
were on the train.