The New York herald., 1922-07-04
Thought Fast Freighter Pass
ing in Rain Was Atlantic
City 'Flier.'
TURNED WRONG SWITCH
Total Casualties in Winslow
Junction Disaster Are Six
Dead, Thirty-two Hurt.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD
HAMMoNToN, n. j., July Six
persons We're killed and thirty-tw
others were injured, many of them
severely, when the Philadelphia At
lantic City "Owl Train" of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railroad. racing
at seventy five miles an hour through
rainstorm, hit an open switch at
Winslow Junction. three miles north
of here, and went over a thirty foot
embankment to the tracks Of the
Pennsylvania railroad.
There were approximately ninety
men, women and children, mostly the
latter, aboard the train bound for At
lantic City to spend the holiday.
Three investigations have been begun
to place the blame. John De Walt,
IS. towerman at Winslow Junction,
set the switch which diverted the
train from its direct course on to the
Cape May and Wildwood division. To-
night he is virtual prisoner in his
home here. although all of the investi-
eating authorities deny that he has
been placed under arrest. He is un-
der the guard of the State police.
The action Immediately preceding the
wreck has been pieced together as fol-
lows: De Walt, in his tower house, saw
n freight train approaching and knew
the flyer was about due. He sent the
freight train off onto a siding and threw
the switch for the main line to Atlantic
City. A moment later along came string
of empty cars travelling at terrific rate.
1t was raining hard and De Wal. could
rot make out what the train was, but
thought Il was the flyer" De Walt
then threw the switch so the freight
train could go off on the Cape May
Wildwood division. A moment later the
express raced by and it was too late to
avoid the wreck.
The Dead.
A checking up of the casualties late
tonight placed the number of dead def
initely at six. They were:
Joseph Dilasua, 35. of 113 Lucien ave-
nue., Pleasantville. N. J.
William Westcott. engineer of the
wrecked train, whose home was in Glou-
cester n. j.
William A. Souder, 80. OF 1l3 South
Francis l.. Corbett, 2s. Of North
Twelfth street. Philadelphia.
John Linehan. "a. Of 1714 Allegheny
avenue, Philadelphia.
James Owen. negro porter. whose
address is not known.
Railroad officials at the scene of the
wreck said even with the open switch !
the wreck could have been avoided II
the train had not been travelling at such |
terrific rate. There is a signal that |
warns an engineer when he is approach |
ing an open switch. No train travelling |
at forty miles an hour would have left |
the tracks. they said. That westcott |
was going at almost twice that rate
when he hit the switch was evidenced |
by the fact that the train ripped up more |
than 300 feet of the roadbed before II |
plowed through the mire OF mud to the !
edge OF the cmbankment and catapulted |
Oft
Prosecutor Wolverton OF Camden /
county. who assumed charge Of the in |
vestigation for the state early in the |
day, said tonight that no arrests would |
be made at this time. The prosecutor |
added that he would defer any action /
Until the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the Public Utility Commission
had completed their Investigations.
1t was from De walt that Prosecutor |
wolverton obtained the most connected /
story of what had preceded the accident. |
He thought that blame for the accident |
might be placed on westcott. the dead |
engineer for having disobeyed the sig
nal. Mr.. wolverton feels certain that
Westcott ran past a red signal. but also
believes that the signal may have been
flashed on him SO suddenly that IL was
humanity impossible 10 stop the train
The flier left Camden at 11:io p. NJ.
and 1t was due in Atlantic City at 1888
A. NJ. AS best the authorities can fig
-------------
CcG,'r't - fl~a rhree.