The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-29
MANY PERISH Ike RATS
LOCKED IN A CRUEL TRAP
Accident Due to Rails Spread
ina or Draw Failing to
to WOrk-FeW who SurVlV-
ed Had Miraculous ES-
capeS.
Publishers Pr ess1

Publishers ress1
Atlantic City, n. j.. Oct. 2S.-
Through the supposed spreading OF a
raial. or the failure of the draw to
close properly 80 of sc passengers
were drowned like rats in a trip lock
ed in vestibule coaches of the Penn
sylvania railroads electric train this
afternoon which left Camden at 1
O'Clock and was due here at 2:30.
The scene of the wreck is mile
the rail 200 feet from the ueginning
of the long trestle, which covers
mile or more and kept to the bridge
for 200 feet.
Then the forward car broke
through the guard rail and plunged
into twenty feet of water. The other.
two cars followed in succession, the
rear end of the rear car impaling it
self on the abutment of the draw.
This held the door out of water and
through this opening some twenty or
more persons were saved, most of
them musicians, who were on their
way here to open an engagement on
Young's new pier. The leader and the
manager We're among those who es-
capped death. They are members of.
the Royal Artillery band.
Miraculous Escape.
A half dozen persons We're picked
up who were struggling in the water
by boats which were first to put out
to the rescue.
The scene of the accident was the
trestle bridge across the so-called
Beach '.thoroughfare" and it was ex
actly 2:24 when the wreck occurred
Not a single inmate of either of the
first two cars had the slightest OPP
pcrtunity to escape and some of
those in the last car who did man
age to preserve their lives Lad most
miraculous experience. James Cur
It's the conductor of the train was sit
ting in the second seat from the for
ward end When he felt the jar as the
wheels left the rails he kicked the
glass out of the window and as the
car went over jumped, pulling with
him as he did so his seat mate. ne
were picked up by couple Cf boat
men who chanced to be only a short
distance away when the train iumped
the trestle-
The negro was SO frightened that
he took to his heels as soon as he
could climb the trestle work and his
name could not be learned.
Only eleven of the dead have so far
been identified although twenty bod
les have been recovered They are:
Mrs. Wonfer, of Camden. N ].
Mrs. Theodore Lawrence. 1O1S
Brandyville street, Philadelphia.
Mrs Walter Bradish Eastport.
Maine. sister of Mrs George West.
whose husband is manager of the ho-
tel Walton, Philadelphia.
p. Angurse, 533 Catherine street.
Philadelphia
James Paul Dempsey and wife, Cam
den, \. J.
Frank Munroe and wife, Camden.
y. J.
Frank Desacesero, Philadelphia.
John b. Dempsey, boss car cleaner.
Camden. y. J.
p. Anguroso. Italian bandsman.
Camden. y J.
Walter Scott. motorman of the
train Atlanta City
a dozen or more who were injured /
and rescued, were immediately plac
ed on board the train dispatched to |
the scene of the disaster from this
end of the line. and they were brought /
here and dispatched tn the hospital |
in busses or whatevef5 other kind of /
vehicles could be secured.
Blame On An Cd Man.
Conductor James Curtis declares |
that he has no idea what caused the
catastrophe as to the number of mas
sengerS on the train he is not certain
but believes he had somewhere in the
neighborhood of one hundred. Six
teen of these got off the train at Pleas |
antville. He believes there must have
been somewhere so or 80 persons in
the cars when they topped into the
ditch.
The blame for the accident is placed |
upon the shoulders of Daniel Stew
ard. the old man who opens and clos
es the draw in the bridge The rails
of the tracks are arranged in such a
way that when the mechanism is at
turned upon the draw. they raise about
four inches. and then the bridge
swings on a pivot.
The draw had been opened some
time before the train was due Stew