The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-07-05
R.R. WRECK DEATH
LIST INCREASES
Conductor Dies and Several
Others in Critical State,
Four Investigations of Winsiew Juns.
ton Horror Get Under Way-peath
List is Eight.

Philadelphia, July 5.-The Winslow
Junction horror claimed another vic
tim when John F. Mace, 40 years old
Of Camden, conductor OF the ill-fateO
Reading "Owl" flyer, succumbed tc
his injuries in the Atlantic City Hos
pitai.
Mace was among tLcse GIried be
nealh the Wreckage. When extricateC
both legs were found 10 have beeI
broken and his entire body scaldeC
and burned He fingered IN agony fo1
81; hours.
The casualty list stands al sighl
dead and siXtynine injured.
The body of Francis j. Corbett, 4
carpenter. another victim of the &C
cident, was shipped 20 his former home
at Wilkes-Barre. Pa.
Louis Colker, the 26year-old Phila
delphia bridegroom. who was en- rputs
to the shore on his honeymoon, is II
very critical ccrdition at the Allan
tic City hospital. and his life has beer
almost despaired of by tile attending
surgeons. He is suffering from ffac
tured skull and leg. and internal in.
juries, and has been UNCONSCIOUS since
the accident His bride. Bessie. is suf
fering from internal injuries. d broken
leg. and back injuries, but her condi.
ton IS much more favorable than that
of her husband, and the surgeons be.
lieve she will recover.
Tho nf Wnctaott on.
gineer Of the train, was taken to his
late home. Alp Market street, Glouces-
ter City 1t was not his body that was
buried under the engine. but WAS thai
Of the colored porter. I. \. Selden
Westcott's body was found fifty feet
away and was sent to Atlantic City
His head was SO badly mangled anc
it is the general impression of the
railroad men and. his family that wher
the engine struck the embankfnent he
was hurled out.
The family and friends Of Westeot,
declare that there are three thing
which may have caused the wreck
There was severe thunder storm d.
the time and trainmen say that West
colt. leaning out Of his cab may have
been killed by lightning The sigma
may have been thrown on hirn wlses u
was TOO late to slow, up and take the
switch at lower speed. while the othe,
is that the brakes may have refused tt
work Ii is the. opinion of Mrs. West
cott and Of his relatives that the tow
crman threw the signal and turned the
switch when the flyer was within {
few hundred feet Of it, and TOO latt
TO sIacken. speed.
Edward Siekler. brother-in-law o.
Westcott and former railroad EN-
ploye. said that Westcott never passet
the signal with it against him Wesr
coir, he said, was too careful an en-
gineer. a fact which ,is we'll known
to all engineers and employees of tht
line. 1t is his opinion, after hearing
The version of the railroad men, tina
the man in the tower threw the leTel
too late for the train TO be slowed Up
Four Investigations to fix responsi
bility for the wreck are we'll undei
way. Inquiries are being made by
railroad officials, county and state au
thorities and the interstate commerce
commission. It was planned to ques
-tion John Dewalt, the veteran tower
man at Winslew Junction. should hi:
physical condition permit, in an effor
to learn why the switch to the Cape
May cut-over was left open, which Il:
held by railroad officials to have caus
ed the train to lump the track This
flyer took the switch at full speed, ant
the locomotive was unable to hold tn,
rail on the sharp curve.
Dewalt is under surveillance by ths
state police at his home in Harmon
ton. Since the disaster, he has beer
In a highly nervous state. Report:
thai lie mad assumed responslbiit! 70
the wreck were denied by Reading Off
cialS