Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1906-10-31
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
Woman BY Diving For Husband SAVED
Four Men.

Woman BY Diving For Husband Saved
Four Men.
Stories of terrible experiences are
told by those who escaped death in
the submerged coaches. A Mrs. Nc
Donald, of Philadelphia. who was in
the third car. had the following to
say of her experience:
when the cars went overheard
was looking out of the window. 1t
was terrible. l saw that we were all
doomed and my first thought was of
my husband. The cars plunged over
and the water rushed into the windows
and doorways. Fortunately | am a
good swimmer The Lord only knows
how I broke my way through a win
dow but | did it. AS rose to the sur
face thought of my husband and dove
down in the faint hope that | could
rescue him. | went down and finally
grabbed hold of a body. came up
with it. but discovered that | had res
cued some other man and he got safe
" ashore. I dove twice more and each
time brought up a strange man. The
fourth time went down reached my
husband and succeeded in landing him
safely ashore"
Mrs Mcdonald is now at the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. T. V. Townsend, on
Pennsylvania avenue. in this city, and
her husband is with her. Both are
pretty we'll bruised and suffering from
shock.
Joseph F. Kelley, of Chester, one of
the few persons who escaped from the
first car, gave a vivid account of his
| escape.
81 remember that everything was
running smoothly when we struck the
bridge" said Mr.. Kelley. Suddenly
there was a heavy grating sound and
our car gave a lurch and pitched head
long off the bridge. remember break
| ing a window with my right arm and
| jumping through just as the car struck
the water l sank. and as l rose to
| the surface, seized a piece of log,
which proved to be part of the rear
car could not swim a stroke, and |
was indeed fortunte to escape alive"
Saw Train Plunge Into Water.
]. S. Deford, a trainman, who was
on the meadows, about so yards from
the bridge, when the accident occurred
said:
Il was looking out of my bunk win
dow and noticed the electric express
as it entered on the bridge. AS l look
ed l saw it give a twist, and the next
instant l saw the whole train go over
into the water At this time the tide
had justed started to run in. l hurried
over to do what l could, and caught
two dead bodies and saved one man
AS we were all working hard the tide
began to rise and the cars. which frs
showed the tops of their roofs, gradu
ally disappeared. l can we'll imagin,
the horrible state of affairs that existed
within the cars. l saw woman's hant
sticking out through the ventilator il
the roof of the first car, and the sigh
almost caused me to faint. There wer
hats. coats, umbrellas and every sor
of wearing apparel floating around Of
the surface.
1T was not long before crowds be
: gan to arrive and the work of rescu
commenced Charles Kessler, a loca
: commission merchant, was the frs
{ man to jump in, and, acting as leader
I he seized an axe and began to hac
1 away at the top of the car. trying t
{ liberate the entombed passengers. H
Z could not make much Roadway, how
T. ever. About this time John Coone,
Q a diver, arrived and, hastily donnin
7 his diving suit, he went down an
made a survey of the situation an
commenced to break the windows an
= pull out the bodies. 1t was dark b
e this time and he had to quit AS tn
n electricity was shut off we could e,
p no electric lights to work by, and tn
II wrecking crew had to work as be-
q they could"
J. When it became evident that I'll
b bodies could not be reached by the us
X of graphing irons. divers were sci
" for, and upon their arrival the wor
of removing the dead renewed.