Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-07
3 AMERICANS
KILLED IN WRECK
ENGLISH TRAIN CARRYING AMER
icAN PASSENGERS TO LON
DON is WRECKED.
TRAVELS AT A MAD PACE
ENGINE JUMPS THE TRACK AND
COACHES ARE DEMOLISHED
MANY INJURED.

Salisbury, England, July 3.-Travel-
ng at mad pace over the London &
| Southwestern railway, the American
line express, carrying forty-three OF
the steamer New York's passengers
from Plymouth to London, plunged
from the track just after passing the
station here at 1857 o'clock yesterday
morning and mangled to death in it's
wreckage twenty-three passengers
who sailed from New York June %
and four of the trainmen. Besides
those to whom death came speedily,
dozen persons were injured. some Sc
riously.
Prominent Americans Dead.
Among the dead were Walter Ber-
wick, prominent lawyer of Toronto,
Ont; Louis Cassier, Trumbull, Conn,
editor of the Electrical Review and
The Engineer; F. H. Cossitt, New
York; Frank W. Koch, a wealthy man
Of Allentown, Pa; Charles E. Sentill,
wife and two daughters of New York.
The late hour of the New York's ar
rival at Plymouth saved many lives.
She carried more than sixty travellers
Tor London, but many of them elected
Of Allentown, Pa; Charles E. Sentell,
lmpton in preference to the late land
Ing at Plymouth and the long night
ride across the country.
A Mile a Minute.
The i'll fated train consisted of a
power express engine, three first
class corridor carriages and one COM
bination guards van and buffet. The
passengers were entrained and at
1870 the express pulled out. It was
given a clear track on the run of 230
miles to London, on which the express
generally maintains an average speed
Of a mile q minute.
The train ran on safely and without
Incident until it entered the long rail-
way yard of Salisbury, when the pas
sengers noted that the coaches began
swaying from side to side. Suddenly,
1t the end of the long platform, where
the track begins to curve toward the
bridge spanning Fisherton street, the
main avenue of the city, the engine
seemed fairly to
Leap From the Track.
1t swung across the adjoining track
with terrific force and destroyed the
guards van of a milk train that was
slowly steanang in the opposite direc-
ton, killing guard. Lurching for
ward the locomotive plunged against
fhn Cto ride ir6n nf
bridge. The bridge stood the impact,
and, rebounding, the engine crashed
into another engine that was stand
Ing OH a siding and overturned. The
Wreckage of the two engines interlock-
ed in a great broken mass of twisted
steel and iron. Throughout the wild
plunging of the engine Driver Robbins,
whether alive or dead. remained in
his cab. Hours afterward his charred
body was found grilled over the fire
box
All Killed or Manned
The first coach shot over the engine
and careened onward until it was
hurled against the parapet of the
bridge and smashed into fragments,
killing or manning almost every oc-
cupant. One man was shot through
the window, cleared the parapet and
.ell to his death in the street below
The second coach lurched forward
and rolled towards a stationary train
md practically destroyed itself before
It's wild flight was ended
The third coach dashed forward
with the rest, left the rails and en-
countered some obstruction, overturn-
I'd and collapsed.
Guard Saves Van.
The guards van and buffet, the rear
most car of the train, was saved by
the courage and quickness of Guard
Richardson. With the first shock
Richardson jumped forward and set
the brakes and saved himself and his
comrades.
The surviving passengers and train
men describe the shock Of the wreck
as like the discharge of heavy guns of
varied caliber, and when the crashing
of the wreck was passed, then came
cries of the injured, some shrieking
with pain and fear and others moaning
as if bewildered by the shock.
The darkness and incredible de-
struction made the work of rescue ex-
'ceedingly difficult. Several of the
dead and injured were imprisoned in
compartments and it was necessary to
saw away the partitions in order to
effect their release. Others were
caught under heavy wreckage. Sew
eral of the bodies were badly mangled
and one woman was decapitated.