Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-18
ROC HELD RESPONSIBLE
FOR RAILROAD WRECK

Continued from Page One
wreckage piled up on each side Of the
track
The centre Of two investigations begun
this morning, one by the pennsv1vanin
state Public Service Commission and the
other by the railroad officials, is the sig
nal light several hundred feet south of
the FELTON, station, which is one and n
half miles south Of Chester. This signal
guards the switch from the siding to the
horthbound track of the main line be-
tween this city and Baltimore. S. b.
| Cantrell, division superintendent, and an
other official of the Baltimore and Ohio.
named Hopkins, asserted today that the
signal showed red to the engineer of the
special train of 10 cars. which was rum
ming empty to this city
The signal was thoroughly tested this
morning. said Hopkins. lit was work
ing accurately and the engineer should
have seen it. You can say that It is a
simple case Of an engineer passing a
signal when the danger sign was up 1t
was up when I got there today"
IF the engineer had seen the signal"
said Mr.. Cantrell, there would have
been no wreck"
c. G. Spurier of Baltimore was en-
glneer of the special train c. w TAYLOR
Of the same city. was the conductor. and
John w, Warren, of Baltimore, was the
fireman.
The accident occurred Mt 5l5 o'clock
last night. The local train was due i'm
this city. at Path and Chestnut streets, 12
minutes ahead OF the Royal Blue Linn
tied, the crack train of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company But the local
train was late, and under one of the old
est-established laws of railroading it was
up to the engineer to take a siding that
the superior train"-in this case the
Royal Bluc-might pass along undelayed.
The express train ran past a moment
later. knowing nothing of the special
train of empty cars, the engineer Of the
local pulled slowly over the switch to
the main track. lie had hardly cleared
the switch when the special train struck
the rear coach of the local.
There were three passenger coaches on
the local and milk car. The heavy en-
gine of he special cut through the three
wooden coaches and stopped only when 1t
nit the milk car. Wreckage was strewn
over both sides Of the right of way, in
cluding the southbound main track.
Seventy-five feet of the FELTON, station, on
the northbound track, was torn away.
Most of the injuries to the passengers
had been done before Train No. H. the
express from this city to Baltimore, hit
the debris. Nevertheless this Compli-
Gated the work of rescue The express
train held to the tracks, but 1t threw
back on the northbound track what had
been thrown aside by the special train,
covering up the passengers pinned under
the wreckage and making far more diff
cult the work of rescue.
Five minutes after the accident oc-
CURED trainmen managed to uncouple the
engine of the local train. It was sent
rceling UP the track to Chester for help
Before it reached that city the hospitals,
police stations and many physicians had
been notified by telephone of the wreck
and automobiles were plowing through
the slush and mud to the FELTON, station.
Some of the injured were found nearly
n hundred feet from the track. They had
been hurled over the station into a field.
whore the soft earth probably saved
them from being killed. The rcscucrs
did not reach these injured, however. un-
til they had gone down into the debris
and taken out the dead and more seri-
ousy wounded.
one of the finest pieces of heroism
recorded of the many that marked the
wreCr vas the action of Paul Helms, Of
Twin Caks. He narrowly escaped blind
ness in the accident one Of his eyes was
partly gouged out when he was taken
from beneath n train. ResCuers found
him with his head pinned to the ground
by heavy beam, Levers were applied
to this, and Helms. still conscious, was
instructed how to crawl out.
Instead of obeying, the man turned and
plunged deeper into the wreckagc. For
10 minutes he struggled, then he reap
peared. dragging the body of an injured
woman.
There was one incident of tragic irony
The Baltimore and Ohio officials sent for
Daniel Tollnger, n car inspector to help
in the work of rescue. They were told
at his home in this city that he had not
returned from a visit to Wilmington or
Baltimore. 1t was not until today that
officials learned he was one of the five
men killed in the wreck.