Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-10-29

ATLANTIC CITY. n. J., Oct. 90
Sixty persons dead, drowned or crush
ed, twelve more persons seriously in
jured, many of whom will die, is the
awful record made by plunge of a
West Jersey And Seashore electric rail
road train on the Pennsylvania tracks
from the drawbridge over tidewater
creek that separates Atlantic City
from the mainland yesterday after
noon. Almost within stones throw
is the scene of the meadows accident
ten years ago, when forty-four men,
women and children lost their lives.
Many of the dead are still locked in
cars lying twenty feet below the sur
face of the water, and there they must
remain until the coming of the divers.
Fourteen bodies have been recovered,
and the injured are at the hospital.
The streets of the city and around the
scene of the accident, where. lighted
by huge searchlights. are thousands OF
persons, relatives or friends of those
who may have been among the Ill fat
ed passengers. are places of heart
rending grief y. 5
How the accident happened is still a
mystery. 1t is generally believed that
the drawbridge was improperly closed
The company in its statement does not
attempt to explain, asking for forbear-
ance until it can make its investiga-
ton. There was no Waterman at the
bridge at the time. The motorman IS
dead at the control box, buried under
the water, and the eyewitnesses OF
the tragedy were too far off to see All
they can tell is that the train of three
cars went upon the bridge at high
speed. There came a swerve, and it
shot through the guard rails into the
water and was swallowed up almost
entirely as If by magic.
The cars were submerged in thirty
feet of water. All who were in the
first two cars were drowned. Some of
those in the third car escaped but just
how many has not been established
Many bodies have been taken out, but
the total loss will not be definitely
known until the submerged cars are
raised and the bodies recovered
Wrecking crews and divers are now
engaged in this work. 1t Is said that
there were fully hundred persons
on the train, quite number of whom
escaped from the rear coach. There
are also number of injured. who have
been removed to hospital in Atlantic
City. Twelve bodies have already
been brought up by means of oyster
tongs.
When the accident occurred the tide
was running at flood. Those in the first
two cars had no chance to escape, but
those in the third car. which was pois-
ed for a brief time on the edge of the
trestle, allowed many to escape. Aft
erward the car toppled over into the
water, but was not completely sub
merged, one passenger. Harry Roemer
of Philadelphia, escaping and was the
means of rescuing several of those who
were thrown into the water.
5 A number of men apd a few women
leaped out of windH4gs and the rear
door either into the water or caught
hold of post and were rescued. IT
was stated that fully eighty to hun
tdred passengers were aboard, mostly
all crowded into the first and second
cars. These are entombed Among
the passengers were twenty men of the
Royal Artillery band.
Fully 5000 people crowded the mead
ows and the trestle, many relatives
and friends crying out in despair ask
ing for loved ones. Chief of Police
Maxwell had a Gordon of police swung
around the death circle, and Chief
Black of the fire department called out
his men on an emergency call and
made them police temporarily.
1t is said that all of the Royal Artil.
Iiery band were saved except two. The
brakeman Of the train. Walter Scott
was d-swnal. Tsse ron etor rame-