Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-05

my feet and yelled to the naer, who were
not hurt to run forward. that we might
be needed
I'VE found the engines Of the trains
piled together, with the first coach OF
the Newtown train piled on top Of the
tender, and the first coach Of the out .
bound train in almost the same posi- =
tion. Fire started almost Immediately
and burned fercely. Some OF the unin =
jured in the first coach of the Newtown
train crawled through windows to the
roof and slid down to the ground. Every
uninjured man assisted in the rescue
work.
II saw one dead man. presumably the
'ugineer Of the outbound train, lying by
the tracks, and It II my belief that at
east two men and three women died In
the wrecknge, and their bodies will be
found there"
Mr.. Bellman's only injury vase a
slight cut on the leg. =
William. Sinkler, Of Southampton,
who IL looking for his wife, Mrs. Alice
NJ. Sinkler, and Mrs. Emma Vnn Hart,
wife Of Morris Van Hart. arrived at
the Abingdon Hospital In II highly ex-
cited condition.
II saw my wife and Mrs. Van Hart
board the train at Southampton, and
saw them go into the first coach" he
anid. II have looked everywhere at the
scene Of The wreck, inquired among
friends from Southampton, and have
made an examination Of ali the injured
in the Abingdon Hospital. but ] have
been unable to locate either Mrs. Sink
lCr or Mrs. Van Hart.
Miss Helen Rook, one Of the injured,
insisted, when taken to the Arlington
Hospital. that she be left to the last,
ns others were more seriously injured.
She is n niece Of James Rock, engineer,
wHo is one Of the injured in the hos
Iital.
Saw Score Burned Alive
George j. Campbell, manufacturers,
and secretary of the United Business
Mems Association, said he saw about
twenty persons roasted alive In for
ward coach of the southbound train.
Mr. Campbell gave n gruesome ac-
count of the tragedy, as men and women
trapped in blazing coaches screamed for
aid as the flames burst about them.
Il was at the Bryn Athyn Station
waiting for the southbound train from
Ncwtown." Mr.. Campbell said when he
reached the Reading Terminal on a re-
lief train Mt II 80 o'clock.
The northbornd train was Just pull
ing out of Brya AtAyn as walked to
the edge of the platform. It had gone
about a hundred yards when Clayton,
station agent at Bryn Athyn, ran out
on the platform and yelled: MY
God, he has gone ahead without
orders.
Knew Tragedy Was Certain
II will never forget the note Of an
guiSh in Clayton's voice. ] saw him
run back into the station and heard
him calling for ambulances. That was
before the wreck occurred, SO certain
was he that death was waiting for
many in the NUT about three quarters
of Il mile away.
II did not henr any crash. but
saw huge jets of steam burst above the
cliffs on either side Of the cut. 1t
must have been NJ that moment that
the trains collidcd.
'With several others who had been
waiting at the station ! ran up the
track toward the 'cut.' 1t is n difficult
place TO reach. There nre no roads
there. II IS the loneliest place imagine
able. | ran across a field and finally
reached point where ] could see the
wreck.
First View Of Wreck Scene
Flames were shooting from the
coaches. One locomotive was piled on
the other and a baggage coach was on
the top Of the heap. ] ran with several
others toward the forward coach Of the
southbound train.
FLAMES were lcaping about the
coach and it was impossible to reach
1t. From little elevation | could see
into the coach. Th, scene was terrible,
indeScribablc. About twenty persons
were pinned on the floor under seats
and other debris.
The fire had reached them and their
cries were heart -rending. | and others
there could see the flames envelop n
man and then, when the fire PASSED.
nothing could be seen but a blackened
mass.
when the uninjured saw nothing
could be done for those caught in the
flaming coaches, they tried TO pull the
rear coach"" from the train.
II, Nodies in Snow
coach '",ru T.. the trucks and there
" as ..''F .Nr' lOT lnt luHlcS, NOluH-
teers - Nd ;harred bodies from the
wrccka'". and placed them on the snow.
covrrr1 .round.
THE memory Of that sight will stay
with me while I live. The bodies were
dark patches on the white ground and
appeared to number anywhere from
thirty to forty.
1.-THE attention of nearly all the un.
injured was given to those who were
hurt. The injured had to be carried
acress a field and then over narrow
bridge spanning creek. There was
road on the other side Of the creek.
1t was there the first ambulance was
parked as it could get no nearer to the
wreck.
"TLc first relief train did not reach
the wreck until o'clock, two hours
after the wreck. didn't see the rail
road men d" much even when they did
get there. They didn't seem to know
what to do. Most of the first air work
was done by persons living in the vi.
cinIty or by motorists who began ar
riving about a half hour nfter the
wreck"