The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-12
SEVENTEEN PERSONS KILLED
AND FIFTY OTHERS HURT
At MIDvALE, N. J.
ExCuRsIoNIsTs THE VICTIMS
CRUSHED TO DEATH IN THEIR
SPECIAL TRAIN BY ONE OF
THE REGULARS.

New York, July 11.-Seventeen per-
sons killed and about fifty in.
jured in a collision hic1aoccurred at
Midvale, N. j., just before moo Sum
day, when q regular passenger train
on the Greenwood Lake branch of the
Erie road, ran into an excursion train
which had stopped to take water. All
the dead and injured lived in Hoboken,
Jersey City and New York. The ac-
cident is believed to have resulLeA
from a towerman lowering his sigAa4
too soon, and this was admitted by u.
w. Cooke, general passenger agent o.
the Erie, who gave out a statement III
which he said:
"The operator in the tower failed to
set the clock signal against the train
following"
h train that was run into was a
special train carrying members OF the
First Plattdestcher association of HO-
boken on their annual outing and had
about 500 passengers. 1t consisted of
twelve cars and two engines. The
first engine had taken water and the
train had moved up with the second
engine beside the tank, when the regu-
lar train approached.
The lagman of the special train
signalled the oncoming train, but ow-
ing to a curve in the track his signal
was not seen. It is said the engineer
Of the regular train had slackened
down to twelve miles an hour, but his
engine pierced the rear car the great
er part of it's length and drove the
front end of the 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 injured 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 cries, as
sisted them.
Dead Placed Beside the Track.
The seventeen dead were placed be-
side the track and the injured were
carried to the nearby houses. While
physicians were being sen for, wo-
men 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
seriously hurt were prepared for
transportation by train for Little Falls
and thence to Jersey City and Ho-
boken. Those most seriously hurt
were continued under treatment in
Midvale until later in the day.
Those less seriously injured were
sent to their homes or to hospitals.
Those killed In the accident are:
Henry Otterstredt, William Weide-
meyer, William REM, Mrs. Anna Lem
kohl, William Lane, Henry Becker,
William Rohfing, William Winder-
knecht, George Scheer, Henry Koch,
Isadore Manner, Frank Holnweddell
(child), George McDermott, William
Wistow, E. K. Kelly, Agnes Lemkohl
(child), and a boy, name supposed to
be PATTERSON.
The engineer and fireman of the
regular train disappeared from the
scene just after the accident. They
escaped injury by jumping just be-
fore the crash.
The operator in the tower was Wal
ter 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 In
formation regarding relatives and
friends who were on the train.
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