The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-29

iN'Nr - INV NIEIh W ANAN Wv INV " eNN
larm soon brought railroad men n two
companies - iiremen to the scene. All
sorts Of water craft were pressed into ser
vice aud fircmen with axes cut through
che roUfs Of the cars, while others with
oyster tOngs and boat hooks grappied for
bodies.
Every ambulance and undertaken wagon
in the city was pressed into service by tele-
phone and the gasping and hysterical SUR
yivors, with all sorts OF injuries, were car
ried to the hospital a. quickly as possible.
Most If the rescued will live. One woman
WhOs had been bruised and cut before she
was caught and overcome by the water
was pulled out Of the 'front.' car, but she
died before she reached the hospital.
Vincent Bonivle, another survivor, picked
up by the first relay of r~escuers, also died
Or his injuries later in the evening. He
lived in Philadelphia, but never recovered
consciousness long enough TO tell his ad-
dress.
Fifteen members of Tasco's Royal Artil-
lery Band of Philadelphia were in the rear
car, and thirteen Of them escaped, all suffer
ing more or less serious injuries. Bonivle,
who died in the hospital, and Pasqualo
MnzelIo, who lives in Christian street, Phil2-
dPIphia, are the only ones known to be
dead. Mazello's body was recovered late
tonight.
Within a half hour after the wreck thou
sands had gone to the scene and stood
shivering with cold and horror to watch
-he hundred or more men working to get
ont the bodies.
Every physician in the city was sum
inoned. but by the time they arrived most
Of those rescued from the water who had
"A spark OF life had been taken to the hos
pital.
Under Chief Maxwell of the police de-
parFmcnt and Chief Black of the fire
department the rescuers went TO work
10 break open the cars. hut the swift cur
rent of the Thoroughfare made their ef-
forts puny. and the risin; tide quickly
covered the submerged cars with two feet
of water.
John ". Cooncy. formerly a diver, now
ono OF Atlantic City'S most pros porous
builders. donncd his old divers suit and
helmet in response to "A hurry call in order
10 attach a cable 10 draw the first car to
the bank.
1t was not till he was ready for the start
that no discovered that his air pump would
not work and a hand pump was substituted.
His story of what he saw in the first car
gives an idea Of the horrors that were
enacted there.
mere are llltly tNfDly -llNt DOIltN III ne
rear end of the first car. which lies at an
angle Of forty-fve degrees he said.
THE first body | saw was that of a man
n uniform who lies on one Of the long
shelves for luggage, just beneath the roof.
AS il ne had tried TO escape through the
yentiator lust above. On top Of the mass
Of bodies is that Of a baby with a great cash
m its head, clutched tightly in the arms OF
It's dead mother.
The baby looks as if it was just sleeping
---FlL.' L,N sIA - n. r.Zefr n ON rho fnna
of the mother is something terrible.
Right beneath her was an old woman
whose face | ouldn' see. | only sta yed in
tho water at the end of the car Il couple of
minutes the first trip to get my bearings,
and when ] went beneath the second time
I attached the cable"
Divers who arrived from camden this after-
ncon with first class apparatus were able
~ work more effectively, but the task OF
separating the tangled bodies was the
most difficult and terrible that they had
aver undertaken, and many trips 10 the
surface were necessary.
the best stories of the wreck and its hof-
~crs are being told by the few survivors
who escaped death.
A dozen heroes who risked their lives
will probably remain unknown TO fame.
hut tales Of heroism are told with the stories
Of almost miraculous escapes.
One of the heroes of the catastrophe is
Harry G. Deemer Of 257O Reese street, Phila-
delphia, who, encased in bandaRes, Tonight
told of his escape and his rescue Of his wife
Deemer was in the last car when the crash
came. He says that every window was
closed.
when the first car left the track. " he said,
Eve felt the jar and saw the Onward car
swerve al il went over into the water. b
second car followed like a fash, but our
car appeared to almost stop and the pas
sengeIs with us believed that we would be
saved.
"In a moment, however. we felt our car
begin to sinh and instantly we were drop
ping into the water.
T felt the car strike on the draw abut-
ment and was thrown from my seat, where
was sitting with my wife. fell into the
water, hut managed to get out into the air
and at once thought Of the window, My
first blow with my fiat failed to break the
glass, so / made a hole with my elbow
was badly cut in getting through. but
got out and was able to breathe. My first
thought was for my wife. | cTawled along
the car breaking the windows as | went
until ! heard her cry Save me, Harry
Don't, Harry; It's broken but held on
and with the help Of another nan VINO had
crawled out got her from the car"
Mr.. and Mrs. Decrer were taken to the
Hotel MCrvine, where Ii was found that the
woman had sustained q fracture of the
shoulder and an injured spine. The man ID
not seriously hurt.
Stories Of other survivors from the last
Z car agree that DeeneT DTedhlnR OF the
windows accounts for the saving OF q half
score Of lives, most OF the band men crawl
ing through the car.
Deemer says that the saving of his life
and THAT Of several others was due To the
. efforts OF an unknown bOatman IN a punt,
who paddled close enough to allow them
TO Jump INTO the boat. He declares thai
everybody alive in the car after the crash
was pulled out with the exception OF a
large man. who wBs unable to get through
the W ndow and was drowned while held
Iy the broken glass. The clothes Of both
NJ. and Mrs Deemer were stripped 70
ribbons n Their pas~sagethrough the broker
.winhows
JohnE. Kelley Of % Kerlin street Camden
was s,ttin I in the front seat Of the forward
ear. where he had posted himself to watch
the oNpration Of the train by the motorman
Kelley escaped by breaking n window, anC
was only slightly injured. He was takeT
To tho hospital. where he was found SILVER
ing in front OF the basement heater, Will
o messenger went for dry clothing for hin
Il felt the car leave the track, he said
~but the series Of shocks as we rushed owe
the ties was little worse than we had fell
when the motorman put on full speed OF
other rough parts Of the new road, and i
was not until the car plunged OF the bridg'
that ( realized the full terror Of the accident
'WO were beneath the water before
could think. My first sensation was tina
of falling and / landed in a heap on the foo
in the corner of the car.
A I fell | had noticed that light came