Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-07-06
AMERICANS DIE IN WRECK.
MAD RACE AGAINST TIME RESULTS
IN DISASTER TO S. S. NEW
YORK'S PASSENGERS.
MANY PERSONS INJURED.
Prominent People from Kew York, Chi
cago and Other Large Cities Figure
in Wholesale Tragedies.

leans were Killed and ten or more III
jured Sunday III the most deadly wreck
in the history Of British railroading,
when the American line express, carry
ing forty-three of the steamer New
York S passengers, literally was smashed
to match wood almost in the shadow OF
Salisbury cathedral.
The Great Western last week took
party of German editors from London
to plymouth, BAG miles, in about four
and One-half hours, establishing new
record. Tie South western attempted to
beat this Saturday night, with the re-
sulting death roll. The distance run
from the start to the scene of the wreck,
146 miles, occupied 147 minutes.
Many Owe Lives to Mere Chance.
The New York, with full passenger
list, had had a rather slow voyage. 1t
should have arrived III plymouth IL the
middle OF Saturday afternoon. In that
case all the London bound passengers,
according to custom, would have landed
at that port. they had the option, how
ever, OF continuing the voyage to Cher
bourg and Southampton, as Mr.. and
Mrs. LongWorth did under similar CIR
cumstancCs Il month ago.
NNS1NNN
yesterday, when it became evident the
lateness Of the steamer arrival would
necessitate a long night journey, to stick
to the ship and make Il more comfort
able daylight trip from Southampton
this afternoon.
Each passenger in making this appar-
emily unimportant choice literally decld-
ed the question Of life or death. Mayor
Mcclellan Of New York was one of the
lnSt n ,.hoGSn tho Sout "a
Story CT the Disaster.
1t was comparatively u small COM
pany that babe their fellow passengers
good-Oy when the tender went alongside
the New York inside Plymouth break
water. About an hour was occupied in
customs inspection and preparations,
and the London and Southwestern com
pany's train pulled out just after II
o'clock.
1t is customary to run these boat spe-
Gals at an average speed of fifty miles
an hour for the whole go miles from
Plymouth to London, and the engineer,
with Il clear track before him. put the
locomotive to its best pace from the
start. He had a light train. only three
passenger coaches and the baggage van.
He reached Salisbury. cighty-tve niles
from London, at just 2 O'Clock. Signals
were set safety, and the train dashed
through the covered station at seventy
miles an hour.
Nobody is able to explain what hap
pened neA;. Just at the eastern exit of
the station the locomotive leaDed from
the rails. TO the left a milk train on
an adjoining track Was drawing SLOWLY
out in the same direction as the boat
special, and the deraiied engine dashed
hrSt INTO the guards van at the rear
of the milk train. This was demolished
n -
stantly killed.
Snashes into Fridge Orders.
Passing through this wreckage. tie en-
CINE struck diagonally the heavy iron
Orders which hold up the bridge over
the principal street OF TIE town. over
which tie railroad passes. The piancing
blow threw the great engine in a re-
bounding semicircle against an engine
standing on the opposite track. and both
were reduced to Il steam clOuded wreck
The engineer and fireman in the second
engine were scalded to death.
The first passenger coach also dashed
against the girderS, and it's whole left
side was torn out as though it was paper.
In fact the car literally was cut in two
lengthwise, half falling in bits to tie
road below. Jne passenger was shot
from the car twenty-five feet through the
bridge, landing dead and terribly mangied
in the Shrubbery.
The second coach swung to the right.
shot over the other, and landed on top of
the wreck of the two engines, where it
collapsed like 4 house of cards Its pas
sengCgs all were damned il the center in
an awful mass, and here most Of the
fatalities occurred.
The third coach dashed into the gem
eral wreck, but it was not entirely de-
stroycG, and three or four Of it's occupants
escaped almost unhurt.
11,, ,t,,i,, j
kitchen compartments, and carried six
walters. besides the conductor. The lat
ter applied the air brakes the moment
the fast shock was felt, and the effect
was sufficient to keep tie last wheels Of
this car on Tie rails.
Scene of Horror Enacted.
The scene for 4 few moments was one
of Understandable horror. Most of the dead
and injured were imprisoned i'll the gen
eral wreck. which formed great heap
thirty feet high. The first danger was
fire, and within five minutes flames be-
came visible at the bottom Of the awful
pile, where the fires Of two locomotives
were mixed with the general debris. 1t
WAS fortunate the scene CT the accident
wis Wnum easy reach OF means to COM
bat this danger. Otherwise the dead ANA
III funeral pyre.
Even those who escaped almost unhurt
were so dazed by the fearful shock they
We're unable to give Il clear account OF
what happened. Nearly all were doing
or quite asleep when the crash came.
The first portion of the journey from
Plymouth to Exeter is over heavy
grades. where the speed was necessarily
lower. There is straight run of
twelve miles before Salisbury is reached
and this is taken at flying pace. There
is q long but not sharp curve at the
station, and it was i'll the middle of this
that the train jumped the track. 1t is
clear that the speed was not reduced
and the comparatively light English en-
CINE and cars could not stand the strain.
Salisbury cathedral, built 200 years
before Columbus discovered America.
rang its chimes last night for a score
Of American dead who met their fate
under the shadow of its beautiful spire.
MASCNS TO RECEIVE TROWEL.