The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-12-06
Flames Break Out IN Wreck
age, Following Fatal Coli
sion on the Reading-An-
guished Cries As Victims
Burn to Death.

Philadelphia. Dec. 5-TwCnt$-tvo per-
sons lost their lives today and % or
more injured are in hospitals as a re
suit OF a head-on collision between TWO
passenger trains on the Newton oranch
OF the Philadelphia 4 Reading railway
about sixteen miles north OF Philadel-
mia. Fourteen bodies have been re-
covered. and one Of the injured died N
n hospital. AL were residents OF towns
lalong the Newton branch or PhiladeI-
iphians.
/ Most OF the victims persisted from
the effects OF the flames which broke OUT
almost Immediately after tho coIlision'
Both trains were made up or WOODEN
: coaches and burned rapidly when the
blazing Goals from the twisted hulSs OF
the locomotives were showereo upon
them
Rescuers were obliged TO stand help
less At the top OF the cut where the
crash occurred while the victims i'm
prtsoned IN the wreckage shrteked as the
flames trapped them in the inferno.
The accident occurred when an put
bound train from Philadelphia ran INTO
an inbound train from Newton In q
S5-foot deep cut. narrow and curved. us
sides were covered with snow and Ice
and It was with the greatest difficulty
that the injured were dragged TO the
top.
Several Of the charred bodies had not
been identified tonight and II was
thought possible that more might lie IN
the mass OF wreckaSe.
4 A statement issued from the railway
officers said the accident seems 10 be
due 70 train Isl Chat from PhtladeI-
phIa) o~yerrunnlng It's orders" An IN
~vestiKation has been started by the raii-
way, another has been ordered by the
state. while Bucks county OFFICIALS nave
announced that they will conduct a
third.
Como Together In d
! The scene Of the accident is located
between tho woodmont and Paper NILS
stations, just north OF Bryn Athyn. Ihe
road Is single tracked The eastoouno
train. n popular one for ommuters
along tho branch who work In fni'-
adelphia, makes no stops until II reaches
southampton and Bryn Athyn. The out
J bound train usually walt on q siding
for Il TO pass. The engineer Is said 70
have waited for ten minutes, and when
- local that was late passed. to have as
sumed Il 70 be the other and proceeoeo.
The curve, with It's steep. rocky walls
hides any oncoming train from the en-
rineer OF the other. Full in the middle
Of the cut. the two locomotives crashed.
The locomotive Of the northbound train
rosa In the air and then toppled back
ward, falling upside down over the
track, its smoke stack crashing down
through &e tender and a part or the
first car. The nose OF the southoound
locomotive veered to the east and
wedged itself IN between the rock wall
and the wreckaSe.
Altar the Disaster.
Ala was summoned from nearby sta
tfons, and ambulanceS. wrecking crews
and fire companies FASTENED TO the
scene. A special train was sent OUT oE
the Reading officials. with all the
nurses available from the Jewish hos
pitaL, and with blankets from the Rail
road Y. NJ. c. 4. The unhurt passengers
and tho country folk had accomplished
nearly all tho rescue work possible
when they arrived. however.
Railroad men. discovering that the
last car was not so damaged that II
could not be used. ~uncoupled Il ana
placed the most seriously hurt lnslHe'
then aided by scores OF willing hands
they pushed the car back to a crossing
where an ambulance from an Abingdon
hospital waited.
The aght OF the bremen from Bryn
Athyr, Berthayres and Huntingdon Val
lev was extremely difficult because OF
the precipItioas sides OF the gulch. They
poured water pumped from a NEARBY
creek into the burning debris, and
climbed down the slippery sides. &c
work their way slowly upward again
bearing tho hurt and dying. The roads
in the section were heavy with snow
and that increased the difficulties OF the
rescue parties.
Tho Reading was hampered by the
isolated situation OF the accident tor
there Is neither telephone nor telegraph
communication available at the spot.