New-York tribune., 1922-07-05
Conductor Dies
OF Injuries in
Reading Wreck
! Victims Identified and
8 in Hospitals Not Ex-
nected to Live; One Body
Proves To Be a Puzzle
Blame Split Three Ways
Towerman, Engineer and
Possibly Dispatcher Ex-
pected To Be Involved

HAMMoNToN. N. j. July 4-The
-. 4 identified dead growing out of
- =. wreek of the Reading Railroads s
g:a,;ght Flyer at Winslow Junction
snndav night was increased to seven
On ~ When John F. Mace, conductor
~. y - train, succumbed to his injuries
~ Atlantic City hospital.
u sn,side =, rable confusion exists as to
-s.shsr this list includes the body of
as NAN taken to Mays Landing, which
%. A. arst though to be that of Solo
20 .sn North, railroad telegrapher, of
..lsn.ic City, whose name was found
slip Of paper in the mans pockets.
X, Identification was upset when
y.rh s.h himself appeared and explained
81, The name was a memorandum of a
sr.il loan he had made TO another
m.r' @ whose name he could not remem-
T., Later North said that the loan
Ssa heen made to Francis L. Corbett,
- Atlantic City. who had already been
listed among the identified dead. This
ssrsrsntly leaves one victim still un-
identified.
Three Others Feared Dying
Three Of the injured at the Atlantic
CITY Hospital, including Louis Colker,
bridegroom OF only few hours at
tae time Of the accident, are In criti-
eal condition and but little hope is
held out for their recovery. Eighteen
others were seriously hurt, but all are
expected to survive.
INVESTIGATIONS by the railroad Of
authorities and the Interstate Com
ateoi -
dsy. 1t is believed that responsibility
for the wreck will be divided, possibly
N three ways. Where the chief re-
sycnsibility will be placed is not
known, but it is thought that it will
rest between Walter Westcott, engineer
ei the dergiled express, who ran past
liz red danger signal, presumably
scientifically set against his train, and
jahn Dewalt. the signalman in the
wxer at Winslow Junction, who threw
the switch against the flyer because,
he said, he had mistaken train of
empty passenger coaches which had
Just passed for the fast train.
Dispatcher May Share Blame
II 1t is fact that this train of
empty coaches was sent over the track
from Camden without warning, how
ever, it may bring the Camden dis
patcher's Office in for a share Of the
blame, it was said here to-day, al
though the rules of the Interstate Com
merce Commission do not, it is under
stood, require such warnings. 1t is
pointed out that if Dewalt had been
informed that train of empties was
preceding the express the switch would
not have been thrown against the lat
ter. and the accident would not have
occurred.
1t was planned to question Dewalt,
should his physical condition permit,
In an effort to learn why the switch to
the Cape May cutoff was left open,
the thing which is held by the railroad
eficials to have caused the train to
leave the track. Dewalt is under sur
sssilance by the state police at his
home In Hammonton. Since the acci-
dent be has been in a highly nervous
state Reports that ne nad assumed
responsibility for the wreck were de-
MED by Reading authorities.
Line Cleared of Wreck
'Wrecking crews had been success
mi in clearing away most of the wreck
age this morning. The Reading line
was clear, and with the replacing of
the torn-up sections of the track later
to-day 1t was expected that the Penn
sylvania line to Cape May would be
Clear before the heavy stream of re-
turning holiday-seekers started. The
body of Westcott, the dead engineer
was found, completely buried in mud
With the exception Of the fingers of
one hand, about 120 feet hack from th q
spot where the locom olive dug it's way
into the ditch. Westcott, who weighed
zoo pounds, is believed to have been
snrown from the cab by the jar when
IN me big locomotive started to plow up
the rails.
The scene of the disaster was crowd
"a by curious motorists to-day. and
Lieutenant John Sickler and his detail
o. state police. many of whom have
Sesn on duty almost continuously since
sunday night. had much difficulty in
keeplng the way clear for the men at
work on the wreckage.