The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-29

-eTudllys
Edward Morgan, Scranton, Pa, con-
cussion OF brain.
A. L. Reese. Scranton. contusions-
Oreste Roy NateilIo. Philadelphia
conclusion Of brain.
II. B. Joseph, Camden, n. J., con-
John Dougherty, Philadelphia. cut
about head by broken glass
George MCGEE, Philadelphia. injured
about body
Draw Failed to Work.
The wreck occurred at the draw
bridge which spans the Thoroughfare,
a small waterway about one mile out
side of this city, just on the eastern
edge Of the Meadows, and was directly
due to the draw falling to work prop
erly- The fishing schooner Sinbad
which was recently wrecked on Win
terquarter shoals light short dis
tance from the Delaware breakwater,
had Just passed through the draw
bridge As the schooner was entering
the draw, the electric train hove in
sight and started across the Meadows
from the direction Of Pleasantvflle.
Before the draw had swung into place
the three cars which were running at
a high rate Of speed, dashed on the
trestle- With a lurch the forward car
left the rails and dashed into the guard
rail the other cars following. At the
point where the cars jumped the track
the top of the tres1e Is nearly twenty
feet high The first two cars were in
stantly submerged, but the third car
Of the train caught on an abutment
and remained suspended It was this
car from which all Of the injured
Cars stood on End
The news of the disaster was quickly
telegraphed to this city and in less
than an hour the work of rescue had
been begun At the time of the acci-
dent the tide, which rises about 10
feet, was running in and the work Of
The divers was necessarily slow It
was not until several hours later that
the divers we're able to make any pro
gress Then the awful evidences Of
the disaster became more apparent
When the two cars struck to bottom
Of the waterway they stood almost on
end and the first man to descend re-
ported that the victims were packed
in the lower ends of the submerged
cars so tightly that IT was difhcult TO
move them
one by one the bodies were carried
to a waiting train and laid side by
side later to be borae to this city and
placed in the Empire theater which
was pressed into service as temper
ary morgue- Thousands OF persons
quickly gathered at the scene OF the
disaster and d score Of boats soon sur
rounded the spot where the cars dis
appeared, but they were unable to rem
der any aid and could only await the
arrival of the divers
AT the mOrgue the scenes were pa
tbetic Persons who had friends on
the fllfated cars crowded about the
door and were with difficulty re-
strained from forcing their way into
the building One of the most heart
rending incidents was furnished by
Frederick Benckert who lost his en-
tire family a wife and two children
Benckert was not informed OF the ac-
.ident until too late to catch train
and he hurried here in an automobile
When he saw the bodies of his wife,
and Two little boys lying side by side
on the floor Benckert collapsed and
had TO be carried from the building
Benckert had intended to come TO At
lantic City with his family yesterday,
but was unable to get away
He swapped Runs
Walter Scott, the motorman, was
killed because of his anxiety to spena
part of the day with his wife here. It
was ScOtt's custom to run only as Iar
as Mfliville. but today he swapped runs
with another motorman and his death
was the result. Dr. Hudders and his
wife were on their way to this city TO
purchase a cottage and intended visit
ing Mrs. German, the doctors sister
in-laW, who resides in this city. The
latter was at the station waiting for
the arrival of the doctor and his wife,
and when she learned of the accident
the woman collapsed. The bodies Of the
doctor and his wife were among the
last brought in from the wreck
Prosecutor Albertson, Coroner Gask1I,
Captain woodruff and Chief of Police
Maxwell superintended the removal of
the bodies from the scene of the dis
aster. As each body was brought to
the surface it was searched and the ef-
+ fectS were taken in charge by captain
! Woodruff The vaIua bles were placed
I In packages Which were numbered and
a number corresponding was placed on
the body
The divers were so completely ex-
hausted by their continued efforts that
/ they We're compelled to suspend opera
tions a short time before daybreak-
Their work was particularly arduous
i because the WTeCkiug crews, which had
! been summoned to the scene of the ac-
Cident. We're unable to raise the sub
merged cars. The huge derrick which
was run out upon the long trestle with
/ the added weight of the wrecked cars
/ suspended from the crane was more
than the bridge would sustain and 1t
was feared the stress would cause 1t to
collapse.
An attempt was made to cut the first
+ and second cars asunder and lift sin
gle car out of the waters, but the ca
bles broke at the first attempt and on
the second the already twisted cars
The attempts to lift the coaches We're
/ then temporarily abandoned and all ef-
! forts were directed toward getting the
bodies of the victims out of the wreck
age. When 1t is certain that no more
+ bodies are in the tangled and twisted
Z coaches they will be broken up and
pulled ashore.
General Manager w ". Waterbury.
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
7 which owns the line on which the acct
dent occurred. is here. but thus far has
declined to make any statement with
reference to the wreck. He intimated
that a statement might be looked for la
ter IN the day.
AngrusO Is safe.
Philadelphia, Oct. 29.-AIiss Martha
Hersh of this city and Arnold A. Tede-
SEQ, New York travelling man. friend
of the Hersh family are believed to be
among the dead Together the couple
started for Atlantic City yesterday af-
ternoon and they did not return last ev-
ening as planned, nor has anything been
heard from them since.