Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-28
Crash Kills Eight
Continued from PAGE One)

view of passengers waiting to board
train for New York Bethlehem
hospitals. private doctors and nurses
answered calls for aid a few minutes
after the wreck. Scores of volunteers
aided in removing tn edead and injured
from the twisted steel coach.
An official statement by the Lehigh
Valley placed the blame for the wreck
upon Henry Schmidt, Mauch Chunk,
engineer Of the Jersey Central train
There was no disagreement in any
official quarter that the trains met
at a point where they were in plain
view of each other for several humid
red yards. The junction is under the
new Hill to- Hill" bridge which con-
meets Bethlehem and South Bethle-
hem. Nothing breaks the clear view
Of the crossing from either track.
Witnesses said both trains were
running about Is miles an hour.
Most of the dead were killed out
right. Many of them lost their lives
when heavy plush seats on the left
side of the overturned car were
wrenched loose and hurled about.
Railroad officials were unable to
understand how the engineers failed
to see each other in time to stop.
Some of them said the Lehigh Valley
train had the right of way at the
junction. Coroner w. ]. Gattrell has
impanelled a jury to investigate the
wreck, while officials Of both rail-
roads started inquiries Immediately
after the accident.
The crossing of the two railroads
is not more than SO feet from the
river bank. All the CenTars train
had not left the bridge when its en-
CINE hit the Lehigh Limited. The
engineer of the Limited was Henry
Conlin, who his driven the Lehigh's
train 19 years without an accioenC
He declared his train had the right
of way at the junction.
Because of the proximity OF the
wreck to the new station many OF the
injured were sent to hospitals in
taxicabs which were readily avail
able. High school students also lent
their aid in the work of getting the
dead and injured from the coaches.
Edward Cassler, retired WOOL
merchant and former resident OF
Philadelphia, told a graphic story OF
the wreck.
81 was sitting on the left hand side
of the car, looking out OF the WIN
dow" he said. II saw the other train
approaching but felt sure 1t was 60
ing to go on another siding and run
parallel with our train until 1t was
within a few feet Of us. The engineer
of our train blew his whistle franti-
cally.
II jumped from my seat and grab
bed two little girls who were playing
with dolls in front of me.
"Then the crash came. There was
a kissing of steam-screams from
women and children. I could not
think of myself but only Of the TWO
little girls. Glass crashed about us
and great gusts of steam swept In
the coach. 1 threw my topcoat, which
I had on my lap, over the two girls
but the flying glass had already In
jured them.
"When the train finally rested on
its side I started to look for them but
could find only one. Her name was
Eleanor. She was crying and kneei-
ing beside her father. Two young
boys. about % years Of age, who were
sitting beside me taking about foot-
ball, were lying half out OF the WIN
dow, both of them crushed to death.
It was a scene Of horror.
But dlI1OSI lIiSl eiASAS
physicians and police helping the IN
ured get away from the gusts VI
steam"
How the crew Of the Central train
escaped death was remarkable. rail-
road officials said. Henry Schmidt
the engineer was seriously hurt, but
the fireman, Joseph Hartley. was
only slightly hurt.
Both Schmidt and the engineer OF
the Lehigh Valley train asserted tnat
they had been given clear" track
by the automatic signal devices. =, ,
at don't like to talk about IT,
Schmidt said. at was terrible. some
thing must have gone wrong WIN
the signals. / was coming INTO
Bethlehem when I saw train NO. p
make the crossing. I threw on my
brakes and blew my whistle, but l