Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-04
ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESS
IN FRIGHTFUL WRECK
Engine, Two Pullmans, Three
Day Coaches Pile Into
50-Foot Cut.
EMPLoYE BLAMEs HIMSELF
Veteran Worker. Twenty-Four Yerxs
Mt Difficult Post. Is Shatteree
by Cntastruphe.
tBy United Newsl

ATLANTIC CITY. July 3.-Crazed
With srief. John F. de Walt tower
man at "insiow Junction. lies in his
home at Hammon,on and begs for
death. SO he can join those who lost
their lives when racing cxpress
train plunged from tho track. be
cause OF an Improperly set witch.
The wreck OF the train-a Phila.
deiphia aud Reading expr.ss-cos,
the livcs OF zine. About seventy
were injured. number Of wnon will
die.
De Walt was in charge OF The .jg-
nails at the Junction when the train.
laden with pleasure-seekers. swervcd
TO a branch line. instead o. con-
tinuinS straight ahead The branch
line WAS curve, and the ira, had
not -a:ked Its speed !, l4t5 tn,
track. oIowed across stretch Of
ground. ard the engine. two Pull
mans and three day coaches crashed
into q dft?-foot cut.
sends Frantic Me.,nuc.
- "" ci man, VINO Tor INenty-
tour years had routed trains past
the point. ttcked this message to
Atlantic City:
Ny God! have sent No 80 on
the wrong track"
Then the wire was cut. and ira
operator at Atlantic City could get
no answer to frantic calls.
De Walt was found later a, his
homo by State troopers. who cam.
to investigate the wreck An az
tempt was made to take him 10 tail
at Camden TO bo questioned.
But his enfeebled condition made
this impossible-he is so. He be-
came hysterical and collapsed.
Pleads for His Own Death.
MY Cod" he screamed. "I sent
the engine through the wrong
switch. ! sent those people to their
death.
"oh, why did I do il? I'll hear
those screams and shrek. the resi-
OF my life. Let me die. don't want
10 live. want to join those whoro
] sent 70 their death"
4 guard was placed at the boms
and De Walt was sent to he'd. He
VIII he questioned in the rigid ,r.
vestiEatinn. which is already being
organized.
Physicians called 10 attend u.
Walt said his mind is shattered
Lawrence de Walt. a son. insisted
his father was not to blame.
The wreck has unbalanced him
temporarily" he said. The inyes-
igation will show he was not re-
sponsible."
De Wallis post is said TO be On.
OF the most difficult points on tho
DIVISION. ana he had worked there
since 1925 without trouble. The
Pennsylvania tracks Join with the
Reading at the junction. In addition
to the main lines of both roads run
ming to Atlantic City The Central
or New Jersey also makes connec-
ton with the Reading at the juno
tion.
Reading OflcinI Explains Tragedy.
Vtce-President Charles Il Ewing,
of the Reading, said the towerman
set the switches for the movement
OF train to the branch, evidently
believing train OF empty coaches
which already had passed was the
express. The engineer, according 20
De walt, apparently did not noti~e
the signal. and the train raced ahead,
at speed OF seventy or seventy-hve
miles an hour.
Prosecutor Wolverton. of Camden
County, said De Walt gave piaus-
ibie account Of the accident
He told me that he had expressed
No. 49," said the prosecutor. "and
had placed freight train on a sid
Ing to permit the flyer To- so through.
Then along came a string Of pas
senger coaches over the route ira
versed by the express. 1T was rain
ing heavily at the time. and he be-
lieved the string OF coaches to be
No. S3. He then arranged to swing
the freight train back to the main
track. Before he could do this the
flyer came along"