Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-29

where fully seventy dead bodies must
be entombed.
The accident was due to a rail "turn-
ing in" 1t appears that the rail, which
was an outside one, on the right hand
side coming down must have been out
of plumb about an eighth of an inch.
The sharp flange of the electric car
caught this and twisted it inward. Had
| 1t spread instead of twisting inward
the accident never would have hap
pened.
This twist threw the first car off the
| track and into the water.
The result was that the second and
third cars were dragged with it, and
while the third car was descending
the rear portion struck a piece of the
abutment, hung there for short time
and then slid into the water.
Stop Saved Several Lives
But this brief stop saved several
lives. A number of men and women
leaped out of the windows and tie rear
door either into the water or caught
hold of post and were rescued.
1t was stated that fully so to 100 pas
tsengerS were aboard. mostly all
fcrowded into the first and second cars.
These are engulfed.
| Among the passengers were twenty
members of the royal artillery band,
Philadelphia. One or two bodies of the
band men were recovered early in the
afternoon.
John Taylor of Camden was among
those who went overheard with the
cars, but kicked himself loose and es-
capped from window, and swan to the
piling OF the bridge where he held
fast until rescued.
! Charles Kessler, a merchant, was the
| first to reach the scene of the wreck
| He secured an ak on top of the sub
merged car and began to chop through
to liberate the imprisoned passengers.
This task was a difficult one and he
was unable to rescue many.
He managed to get some women out
T. c. Smith of Newfield and A. r.
Kelley of Jeffersonville, N. Y, who
were passengers on the train, got off at
| Pleasantville for no other reason thar
that something told them to change
their minds about coming to Atlantic
City.
About fifteen people got off at
Pleasantville, they said, and as many
more got aboard. They said fully 100
passengers were on the train, a great
many being womer
Several Narrowly Escape
John Eads of this city was on the
| train and escaped by crawling through
a window of the rear car and swimming
ashore.
The man who attends the bridge de-
clared that the bridge had been opened
about thirty minutes before the train
came along. yacht passed through.
He said that he saw that the bridge
was properly closed and that the tracks
were inspected. He cannot explain why
the rails turned as they did.
A man dying at the hospital is named
Vincent, residence unknown, with
fractured skull. Oreste Roy Meatille,
supposed to be a resident of Atlantic
City. is also at the hospital badly in
jured.
Coroner Gaskill personally hurried to
the scene and made a minute investi-
CATION of the twisted track and will
summon jury tomorrow to hold an in
quest.
Prosecutor Abbot was also on the
ground to search for any criminal negli-
gence on the part of the railroad COM
pany.
One of the rescuers at work on the
top of a submerged car discovered
woman's jeweled hand sticking through
the ventilator. He worked heroically to
get her body, and finally succeeded In
drawing it through. 1t has not yet
been identified.
]. S. De Ford, a railroad man, saw
man clinglng to the trestle crying for
help and pulled him up. The man was
cut and bruised and declined to give
his name.
The wrecking train will work all
night trying TO hoist the submerged
cars.
Twenty Escape
When the rear car caught on the
abutment of the bridge there was a
frantic rush of passengers for the rear
door. Probably a score or more got
out, and as the car plunged into the
water others leaped into the water.
The last car that went over fell upon
the Others and slowly slid off into the
water. The moments delay, however,
gave several passengers an opportunity
to leap into the water before the car
was finally submerged.
Motorman Scott stuck to his post and
went down with his train. Conductor
Curtis also perished
The third trainman, Brakeman Wood,
proved himself a hero.
When the train left the rails he ran
to the rear door of the last car, threw II
wide open and held It for the passen-
gers 10 escape. He held the door open
unffI fha car slid off thA hF-idQa and