The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-11-01
81 DROWN IN CAkS
Loads of Passengers Dumped
Into Deep Water
WAS MOMENT OF WILD TERROR
Twisted Prom Track on Tregtie Over
Thoro1ghfare Inlet by TurEee-in
Rail, Cars Of Electric Train From
Camden Poise on Edge and Then
Drop 15 Feet into so Feet Of Water
With Terrified Passengers.

1IiaItlc lily, ~. -, Speciality
the wreclzing OF a tlIree-coaeh cleo
tric train or the West Jersey s Sea
shore Railroad Sunday afternoon al
least so passengers pcrished and the
first may reach the total Of - whcn
al Is known.
While crossing over drawbridge
spanning the waterway known ase
"the Thoroughfare, which separates
Atlantic City from the mainland, the
train left the track and plunged into
the water. with one or two cxcep-
tions, were drowned. Up to mid
night 25 bodies have been recovered
and it is believed that at least p.
and possibly 80, more bodies still are
in the submerged coaches.
The disaster, the worst that has
happened since the terrible Meadow
wreck of July 30, 1896, occurred at
half-past 2 o clock Sunday afternoon.
The train, made mp IF three heavy
coaches, which left Camden at
| o clock in the afternoon carried at
least 50 passengers, as that number
| of tickets are held by the conductor.
| That official is uncertain, however.
| just how many passengers were Oil
| the train, and until all the bodies
have been taken from the submerged
cars, it viii not be possible to give
| the true figures Of tie dead.
Recuers Could Do Little.
The accident was. witnessed by
many persons on shore and assistance
was promptly sent from Atlantic
City. Little could be done, however,
towards saving the lives Of those i'm
prisoned in the submerged coaches.
| The water at the point where the
train plunged IN was not deep enough
| to cover the coaches at first, but as
| they quickly settled IN the mud, and
as the tide rose, they were soon hid
den from sight except for the trolley
| poles. Divers were sent down to try
10 reach the dead bodies in the coach
es, but as darkness set IN and as the
tide ran more swiftly, they were un-
able for a long time to reach them.
Late in the evening a wrecking crew
arrived Oh the scene and with their
AID and tie use of derrick, a dozen
or more bodies were taken out and
brought to the city. OF the 25 bod
les, about 20 have been identified,
and 1t is believed no difficulty will be
experienced in establishing the iden-
tity Of the others.
General Manager W. ". Atterbur.
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
rany, arrived on the scene and will
make a thorough investigation into
he cause Of the accident. Until this
investigation shall have been made,
hir. Atte~burv declined to make any
statement.
r. C. Smith, of Newfeld, and A. R.
Kelley, Of Jeffersonville, n. Y, who
were passengers on the train, got
off at Pleasantville for no other rea-
son than that something told them to
change their minds about coming to
Atlantic City. About Is people got
off at Pleasantville, said they. and
nearly as many more got aboard
They said fully 100 passengers were
: on the train, a great many women
= John Fades, of 112 Bay street, this
city, a parlor car man, was on the
train and escaped by crawling
: through a window of the rear ear ant
, swimming ashore.
!. The old man who attends tht
: bridge, in speaking of the accident
declared that the bridge had beel
a opened about three minutes befor'
the train came along. A yacht pass
: cd through. He says that he saw tha
the bridge was properly closed an'
V that the tracks were inspected. H
: cannot explain why the rails behaved
: as they did.