The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-29
PANHANDLE TRAIN
JUMPED TRESTLE;;
30 WERE DROWNED
Continued from Page One.)

al saws about half an hour He de-
k1ared that when he closed the draw
the rails settled back into their place,
and he gave the on-coming. train the
signal for clear road. This is dis
puted by railroad officials.
Twelve Bodies Recovered.
At 10 O'Clock IL bodies had been re-
covered.
No accurate estimate of the num-
Der of dead can be obtained tonight.
James s. Curtis, the conductor of the
train is alive, but he is SO frenzied
with grief and shocked that he was
unable to say just how many tickets
he collected His estimates vary from
Sc to 100
1t is known that the train was fairly
we'll filled when It left Camden for
this city at / o'clock, and it took on
more passengers at Newfeld, the
junction point of the Cape May div1s-
ion, and at Pleasantville on the other
side of the Meadows from here.
Passengers who survive the wreck
declare that there were at least 100
persons in the three cars, which have
a capacity of about So each.
Nobody is trying to determine the
number of victims tonight. Every
effort is beng bent toward receiving
the bodies. A hundred yachts and
motor boats and skiffs are out at the
drawbridge, filling the waters of the
narrow Thoroughfare. These boats
are manned by men who are working
like fiends, although pitiably there is
little they can do.
A wrecking train is drawn up just
above the spot where the three sub
merged cars are lying. But it's power
full derricks cannot attempt to raise
the cars, for the bridge is light struc-
ture and any strong pull would drag
the derricks into the Thoroughfare.
1t has been impossible, SO far to at
tach hoisting chains to the cars under
the water. In the light OF acetylene
automobile lamps, electric search
lights and locomotive headlights, there
are 200 men in small boats. Crap
ping for bodies, that may possibly
be swept out of the cars, with oyster
tongs and heavy fish lines.
Graphic Description.
John Cooney, diver, has been down
besides the submerged cars time after
time, until his physical strength is
completely gone. All he could do was
to bring up with him heart render
ing story of what he saw below.
Rough and hardened men as he is.
tears were streaming down his cheeks,
as his voice was broken with sobs,
as he came up for the first time and
removed the rubber helmet from his
head.
MY God, people, he said, they're
living down there by dozens and doz-
ems, and all damned together, dead.
sThey did not have a seconds chance
for their lives. / could only get good
look at the car.
up in front of that, there's 20 or
so people all in bunch. The body
of man in uniform-he must haveI
been the moterman-is sort of hall
floating and half resting on one II
these brass hat rack things along tie
upper part of one of the side of he
car.
There's one woman with her kby
right up against her breast, tigR as
she could get it. The two dies
were lying across seat.
And 1 saw a baby with a e cut
on it's little cheek; it's bodyE came
kind of humping and bumping7 against
the window as 1 was looking Through
as if it was asking me to tai y it out.
Men, do not ask me to tel3you any
more about it. 1 cant. It's DO awful.
It's worse than hell down 4ere. And
could not do anything. I've got
is this leaky old rubber living suit
and a beer pump rugged kp to give
me air.