Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-11-02
LATEST FACTS ABOUT AWFUL
TREsTLE HORROR NEAR At
LANTlc CITY, N. j.
CORONER SAYS LIST
WILL BE INCREASED
Declares at Least Ten More Than
Supposed Perished-cause Laid
to River Pirates-one Passengers
Thrilling Escape.

the authorities and railroad officials
are certain that the number killed
on Sunday in the draw-bridge dis
aster on the West Jersey Seashore
electric railroad will not exceed 60.
Fifty-two bodies have been claimed.
two of those placed among the miss
ing are known to be dead, and five are
still unaccounted for.
These seven victims are believed to
be wedged beneath the second pas
senger coach, which is held fast in
the muddy bottom of the Thorough
fare. Efforts Monday night to dis
lodge this car produced little re-
suit. The ponderous trucks, weigh
ing about 100 tons, have sunk deep
into the mud. AS a last resort, it
was suggested that the wreckers use
dynamite to blow up the car, but this
will not be done unless all other plans
fail,
Coroner Says More Are Dead.
Following a conference Tuesday
with City Solicitor Wooten,. Coroner
Gaskill declared that 1t is absolutely
certain that more persons were killed
in the Pennsylvania railroad electric
train disaster than is shown by the
number of bodies recovered. The
coroner says he has information
which proves that the number of pos
sengers on the train was at least vi,
as originally stated; that there were
76 through passengers from Camden,
,,iI
few got off at way stations, but more
got on at Pleasantville and other
points The official number of iden-
titled dead shown by the coroner's re-
port made at noon Tuesday on the
basis of death certificates issued is
4S. There is one body partially iden-
titled, and two unclaimed, making q
total of 81. Five are known to have
been killed whose bodies have not
been recovered, increasing the total
| to So. Basing calculations on the
coroner's statement there are So to
be accounted for. About 25 are known
to have escaped, leaving at least ten
more persons who are supposed to
have persisted in the accident.
| The investigation on Thursday,
| which will be conducted by the cor
ooner promises to- be one of great
Importance to this city and to- the
Pennsylvania railroad. Upon the
Ems faai4S Of tba lsgz and the result e
viii depend whether the railroad will
4 be compelled to build a new bridge
lover the Fhoroqghfare for its cleo
trio trains:
Disaster Laid to Wreckers.
That wreckers were responsible for
the terrible disaster is the theory adj
yanced by Chief Of Police Maxwell.
He believes river pirates may have
purposely wrecked the train for spite.
The police have discovered that DAN
lei Stewart, tender of the bridge, re-
| Gently had trouble with river pirates,
and twice had been assaulted because
Of his warfare upon them. Chief Max
well believes it is more than possible
some of the, rough element may have
tempered with the draw out Of re-
yenge. Detectives are now looking
for three men who may be able to
throw light on the disaster
Mans Remarkable Story.
Among those reported missing was
William H. Stewart, Of Wenonah, N.
j., whose wife and son are included
in the list of dead. Stewart was To-
Gated Monday night in the city hos
pital, suffering from shock and
brpises. He tells remarkable story
Of his experience. With his wife
and their adopted son, Stewart occu-
pied seats in the second coach. When
the train plunged into the stream, he
saw his wife and sou hurled to the
aeor Of the ear. Stewart. who had
been sitIlns aeaf q window. was
thrown into the water When he
came to the surface, he floated
through an open window back into
the coach, and his hand came in con-
tact with the pell rope By means
Of this rope Stewart dragged himself
to the door Of the car and was sooA
on the roof. The coach had been
completely engulfed and from his
perile4g position he was rescued and
hurried to the hospitaal In an uncon-
scious condition,
Trucks Arc Examined.
A railroad official said Tuesday that
an examination of the trucks on the
wrecked cars indicated that the first
car Of the train could not have been
the car that twisted the rail- The
truck of the second car it is assert
ed, displays signs of having caused
the trouble. 1t is said that when
the second car entered the draw sec
ton of the bridge the structure be-
gan to jostle under the heavy strain,
and the second ear laft the tracks,
dragging the others along. phis the
DRY of the railroad officials is not |
agreed to by witnesses who saw the
train go overheard. They claim that
the front car left the bridge first aud
dragged the others with 1t. The eye
witnesses point to the fact that the
first and second cars were discovered
well out IN the water, while the
third car was temporarily suspended
on the abutments. There appears to
pc an attempt to hold Scott, the dead
motornian. responsible for the acct
dent. It is declared that the acct
dent could not have occurred had not
the motorman tried to cross the bridge
~ speed greater than allowed by
Inc rules of the company The rail
road man .a4;aG.l /