The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-07-31
A Terrible Accident.

One Of the most horrible accidents
that has been recorded in this county
occurred on Saturday at Edgewater
Park. An oil tank wagon of the Texas
Oil Company was crossing the railroad
track at Edgewater Park about eight
o'clock in the morning when it was
struck by freight train. The heavy
wagon was thrown over two hundred
feet into an adjoining field and took
fire. Edward Scanlon, of Camden,
was driver of the tank wagon and he
was thrown quite a distance 1t was
thought he was fatally injured but he
will recover, although he was seriously
hurt. The tank was a compartment
affair and contained 900 gallons of gas
oline. The collision tore one of the
compartments out and a fire ensued.
How the flames started is not known
but it is supposed that fire from the
box In the engine ignited the escaping
gas.
Alarms were sent to Burlington and
Beverly and firemen from both of
those places responded but there was
lack of water, the nearest supply being
at the river, some distance away. A
pumping engine was stationed at the
river bank and sent two streams of
water to the fire but the flames had
burned out before the water was of anv
use.
Fire from the burning tank spread
to the freight station at Edeewater
Park and the fremen gave their at.
tention to that building. Some cars
also took fire. Whilethe firemen were
working at the station there was an ex-
plosion caused by the flames reaching
the gas in the two other compart.
ments of the tank. There was not any
noise connected with this but the burn
ing oil and pieces of the tank were
thrown in all directions. Those who
were fighting the fire as well as persons
who were simply looking on,
were badly injured. A large piece of
the tank struck Richard Whittick, a
member of a Burlington fire company,
in the stomach. He was picked up
and rushed to Burlington, but he died
before reaching that city Loring s.
Borton, of Mount Holly, was standing
at the side of Whittick and the burn
ing oil hit him. Involuntarily he
turned his back as he saw what was
coming and put his hand to his neck.
The result was that he received burns
on his neck and arms but they were
not serious. Whittick was thrown
several feet and one leg was nearly torn
off
John Austin, of the Beverly Salvage
Corps, was endeavoring to get crowd
back from the railroad track when the
explosion took place and he was hurl-
ed at least so feet. He landed on soft
ground in a cornfield, and his clothing
was in blaze, but he managed to put
the fire out before he was seriously
burned.
Edward Marter, caretaker of the Odd
Fellows cemetery, at Burlington, was
covered with shower of flame. Res
cuers tore his clothing away from him
but he was so badly burned that it was
feared he would not live. He is inn
proving and his chances of recovery
are good.
There was signal bell at the rail-
road crossing and that was ringing but
the men on the tank say that the en-
gineer of the train did not blow his
whistle, while others in the neighbor-
hood are positive that the regular road
crossing signal was given. Arthur
Rosenfeld, who was assistant to the
driver OF the tank wagon, escaped with
cut behind his ear.
The railroad tracks were twisted into
various shapes. The large iron pole
which held the crossing bell was thrown
$50 feet from its position. The damage
to the station and other railroad prop
erty will probably reach $4,000.
The Beverly Red Cross went to work
to care for the injured and the local
physicians were kept busy. Scanion
and Marter were taken to the River.
side hospital and it is hoped they will
soon be able to be removed to their
homes.
Coroner Gaskill visited the scene
and examined the cause of the