Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-30
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT ON WEST
JERSEY ELECTRIC LINE SUM-
DAY AFTERNOON
THROWN FROM BRIDGE
Draw Falls to work After Allowing
Schooner to Pass-Three Cars With
Loads are Plunged Into the 'Thor-
oushfare"-Many Injured Are Res
cued.

Atlantic City. N. j., Oct 29.-As de-
lis Of yesterdays terrible wreck on
se electric lines of tie West Jersey
and Seashore developed during the
night, the disaster became more appal-
ing. The total number Of persons
whose lives were snuffed out almost
Instantly Is probably fifty three, with
nearly score injured. Several OF
hem it is thought will oie. Forty
light bodies have already been brought
% the surface. There we're ninety one
persons on the train, fifteen passes
nd seventy-six fares. Twenty-Five of
his number have been accounted for,
which, with the todies recovered.
brings the total to seventy-three. This
leaves eighteen persons not accounted
for and who are supposed to have been
drowned. It is possible that some Of
these may never be found as 1t is the
belief Of the divers that some bodies
foated through the broken windows
out into the "Throughfare" and were
carried by the swift current out into
the Atlantic. Early morning trains
brought many persons from Philadiel-
phia and other points anxious to learn
IL dear ones had been swept to death
by the awful disaster. 7 he dead thus
far identified were residents either cf
Penns ylyania or New Jersey.
A. Draw Bridge.
The wreck occurred at the draw
bridge which spans the Thorough
fare" small waterway about mile
outside the city, just on the eastern
edge Of the meadows and was directly
due to the draw failing to work prop
erly The fishing schooner Sinbad
had just passed through the draw
bridge. AS the schooner was entering
the draw, the electric train hove in
sight and started across the meadow
from the direction Of Pleasantville.
Before the draw had swung into posi-
tion the three cars which were run
ming at high rate of speed, dashed
onto the trestle With a lurch the
forward car left the rails and dashed
Into the guard rail, the other two cars
following. At the point where the cars
jumped the track the top trestle is
nearly twenty feet high. The first two
cars were instantly submerged, but the
third car caught on the abutment and
remained suspended 1t was this car
from which nearly all the injured es-
capped. News of the disaster was
quickly telegraphed to this city and in
less than an hour the work of rescue
had been begun.
Tide Running In.
At the time of the accident the tide
which rises about ten feet, was run.
ming in and the work of the divers was
necessarily slow 1t was not until sew.
LOT f1a I0 oYoy
cogress. Then the awful evidences
# the disaster became more apparent
When the two cars struck the bottom
on end and the first man to descend
reported the victims packed in the
lower ends of the submerged cars sc
tightly that it was difficult to move
them. One by one the bodies were
side by side later to be borne to the
city and placed in the Empire theater
which was pressed into service as q
temporary morgue. Thousands of per
4 sons quickly gathered at the scene o1
surrounded the spot where the cars
disappeared, but they were unable tc
render any aid and could only await
Iu5 dIIlNdl VI Iuc uiVSIS. AL tuS
morgue the scenes were pathetic. Per
sons who had friends on the i'll fatet
cars crowded about the door and with
difficulty were restrained from forcing
their way into the building.
At II: so one of the bodies had beer
recovered from the first car of the
train. OF the dead twenty-nine bodies
have been identified. How many if any
remain the second car is not known
but with the additional three divers
VINO were brought here today from
Philadelphia, it is thought the SECOND
car will be completely surveyed before
night.
FEAR FOR CONGRESSMAN HoAF