Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-29
Electric Car Goes Over Bridge
Into Water, Dragging Trail
ers With 1t
IS OF LIVES LOST
SCORES
Probably Eighty People Drowned Like
Rats in a Trap - Unfortunate Vic
tins Carried Beneath tho Water,
While Imprisoned in the cars-only
a Few Escape.

Atlantic City, N. j., Oct "a rail-
road accident that was even worse
than the Meadow wreck of July 80,
1896, sent about eighty persons to sud-
den death Sunday afternoon, catching
them like rats in a trap. The cars of
an electric train OF the West Jersey s.
Seashore railroad line jumped the
track on the trestle over the, thor
oughfare and the passengers We're
hurled to watery grave. The tres
tie is about fifteen feet above the
water.
The entire city was thrown into a
state Of excitement as the news reach-
ed town about $3.50 o'clock. Fully 5000
persons crowded the meadows and the
trestle, many crying out in despair and
asking for friends or relatives. Chief
of Police Maxwell had Gordon of 20.
lice around the death circle and Chief
Black Of the fire department called
out his men and made them police
temporarily.
The wrecking train is trying to hoist
the submerged cars, where fully sew
enty dead bodies must be entombed.
The accident was due to a rail
turning In" The rail, which was an
outside one must have been out Of
plumb about an eighth Of an inch. The
sharp flange of the electric car caught
this and twisted 1t inwards. Had it
spread the accident you'd not have
happened. The twist threw the first
car of the track and into the water
The second and third cars were
dragged In also.
The rear of the third car struck
the abutment, hung for short time,
and then slid into the water. But this
brief stop saved several lives. Several
men and few women leaped out OF
windows and rear door, either into the
water or caught hold Of posts and
were rescued.
hundred passengers were aboard.
mostly all crowded into the first and
second cars. These are entombed.
Among them were twenty members of
the Royal Artillery band who were on
their way here from Philadelphia. "A
few bodies OF the bandmen have been
recovered.
Few Escape.
John Taylor of Camden was among
those who went overheard with the
cars. He kicked his way thru a win
dow and swan to the piling, where he
was rescued by ]. F. Deford, a railroad
employee.
Charles Kessler, merchant here, Sc
cured an ak, jumped on the submerged
car and began to hack the roof to lib
crate the imprisoned passengers. The
task was difficult and he was unable to
rescue many. He managed to get some
women out.
T. C. Schmidt Of Newfeld and A. r.
Kelley of Jefferscnvillle N. z, who
were passengers on the train, got off
at Pleasantville for no other reason
than that something told them to
change their minds about coming to
Atlantic City. They heard Of the acci-
dent afterwards and came over thank
full that they had not remained on
board.
They said fully one hundred passen-
gers were on the train, Including many
women. John Fades of this city, es-
capped by crawling thru window Of
the rear car and swimming ashore.
A man who attends the bridge de-
clared that the bridge had been opened
about thirty minutes before the train
came along. A yacht passed thru. He
says that he saw the bridge properly
closed ard that the tracks were in
spected. He cannot explain why the
rails twisted.
A man lying in the hospital is named
Vincent. residence unknown. He has a
fractured skull and is dying.
An Investigation.
Coroner Gaskill personally hurried to
the scene and made a minute investi-
CATION Of the twisted track and the
territory, and will summon a Jury to-
Pleasant Abbott was also on the
ground to search for any criminal neg
ligence on the part Of the railroad COM
pany.
At the big hotels there Is much anxi-
ETY., as the guests are not sure whether
relatives and friends caught this train
or delayed their visit.
One of the rescuers discovered a
woman's jeweled hand sticking thru
the roof ventilator. He worked hero
ically to get her body and finally sue
ceeded in drawing it thru the aperture
It has not yet been identified.
When the rear car Of the train
caught on the abutment there was
frantic rush for the rear door. Proba-
bly, a score or more got out after the
car plunged over the edge, others leap
ed into the water. The last car fell
upon the others and slowly slid into the
water. The delay gave several pas
sengers an opportunity to leap into the
water.
When the third car dropped into the
water Henry Roemer was crawling
from a window Roemer swan along
the side of the first car and kicked out
the glass and thus gave several pas
sengers an opportunity to escape. One
man was caught in a window and was
drowned before he could extricate HIM
self
The accident was witnessed by many
persons and rescue work was prompt.
Strong swimmers endeavored to dive
to the submerged cars, but so strong
was the tide that they were forced to
desist Professional divers were then
secured, but even they were unable to
do anything against the tide.
Marco Bona, an Italian, was rescued
from the third car, but died from his
injuries. Boats soon swarmed about