Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-29
EIGHTY DIE IN
TRAIN WRECK
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1t was comfortably filed, women and
children being in the majority. They
occupied the two forward cars.
At Newf1eld Junction, few miles
from here. about twenty passengers
were taken aboard. The conductor
does not appear to be certain as to the
exact number Of people on the train.
He had lightweight tickets in his pos
session when he was brought to this
city, but thinks several were lost. 1t
is his opinion that there were 125 to 1870
passengers on the train.
This, however, seems too high an eS-
innate.
Not q single passenger in the rear
car was killed but not one Of them got
away uninjured. AS soon as the first
coach was precipitated into the water
there were screams of men, women and
children.
Caught like SO many rats in trap
they were thrown in heaps and the
little chance they might have had to
escape was cut off by the wild scram-
BILE which ensued.
1t is doubtful il more than half
dozen persons escaped from these two
coaches.
One instance of heroic and almost
miraculous escape from the first coach
who rea ched Atlantic City suffering
from bruises about the face and body,
carrying in his lacerated arms S-year-
old Helen Miller.
Emily Saves Child
At the first intmation of danger Enly
| leaped to the platform. taking the child
with him. AS the coach plunged down
ward he sprang into the water and Suc-
| ceeded in swimming ashore with the
little one.
The living devoted their time to the
rescue of those who were imperiled in
the last coach. Most of the passeng gers
in this coach were able to help them
selves, and with the arrival of assist
ance from the city they were removed
to hospitals.
Perched on the roof of the last car,
the reScuers found Conductor Curtis,
almost crazed with horror and fright.
| He was bleeding from several cuts on
the head and was otherwise injured.
When asked how the accident hap
pened. his only reply was:
Good Cod what is it?"
| When finally induced to talk he could
| give no clear story.
Stories of terrible experiences are told
by those who escaped death in the sub
merged coaches. A Mrs. Mcdonald OF
Philadelphia, who was in the third car
had the following to say of her eX-
perrences:
"When the cars went overheard ]
was looking out of the window 1t was
| terrible. / saw that we were all doomed
and my first thought was of my hus-
band. The cars plunged over and the
wafer rushed into the doorwayS anC
windows.
Fortunately I am a good swimmer
The Lord only knows how / broke my
Il I.~,r l,,+ 4 Il A.
| I rose to the surface l thought of my
husband. and dove down in the faint
hope that | could reach him. / went
down and down and finally grabbed {
body. I came up with it and discovered
that I had rescued some other man.
\ Saves Her Husband
"I dove two times more and each time
brought up a strange man. The fourti
time 1 went down 1 reached my hus
band and succeeded in landing hin
safely ashore"
Mrs. Mcdonald is now at the home o
Mr.. and Mrs. r. V. Townsend in th
city and her husband is with her. Boil
are pretty well bruised and suffer from
the shock.
j. s. Deford, trainman who was or
the Meadows, about fifty yards iron
the bridge when the accident occurred
said:
81 was looking out of my bunk win
dow and noticed the train as it entered
, the bridge. AS / looked saw it giy
twist, and the next instant the who'll
3 train went over into the water. l hur
red over to do what ] could and caugh
two dead bodies and saved one man.
LAS we were working the water be
, gan to rise, and the cars, which at frs
Y showed the tops of their roogs, gradu
! ally disappeared. / can well in1agin
: the horrible state of affairs that existe
$ within the cars. There were hats, coat
/ and umbrellas and every sort of wear
E ing apparel floating around on the sur
Q face.
I at was not long before crowds begal
/ to arrive and the work of rescue com
4 menced. Charles Kessler a local CON
= mission merchant, was the first man
o Jump in and act, as leader
f "He seized an ak and began to hac
away at the top of the car. trying to lii
crate the entombed passengers. II
could not make much headway.
y "About this time John Cooney,
! diver. arrived and hastily donned h
!. diving suit and went down and made
Q survey OF the situation, and tried
Q break the windows and pull out til
G bodies. As the electricity was shut o
II we could get no lights to work by, an
G the wrecklng crew had to work as bel
i they could"
! RAILROAD OFFICIALS
II IcCIIE cTATEMEN