The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 31, 1896, Page 1

This Paper not | to be taken from | | the Library. s «es VOLUME LXXX.—NO. 61. FORTY-TWO PERSONS KILLED An Appalling Disaster Occurs on the West Jersey Rai'lroad. IN. ADDITION TO FATALITIES -~ "MANY ARE WOUNDED. :'S;Sec'ial Excursi.onc of the Red Men Cut Down at a.Crossing by an Express 2 Train. Horrors of the Wreck Increased by the Bursting of a Boiler, Scalding Several to Death : and Scattering Boiling Spray -~ Over the Injured. ATLANTIO COITY, N. J., July 30.—A terrible railroad cat: _.rophe took place on the Meadows, about two miles out of this city, shortly after 6:30 F: ., resultingin the death of forty-two people, so far as - ‘can’now be learned, and the wounding of . eighty others. A train left here consisti_ng * of seven cars over the West Jersey Rail- road, bearing: 8 special excursion‘of Red Men and their friends of Bridgeton, N. J.; “.and Salem, and had reached the crosing | of the Reading Railroad when ‘it was struck by the 5:40 down express from Philadelphia, demelishing two cars and | telescoping the two following. The engine of the Reading train became & total wreck, killing the engineer and fatally injuring the fireman and the car behind it also was thrown from the track and many of its occupants killed or in- jurea. ° The list of the identified dead is: Mg. axp Mzs. TRENCHARD, Bridgeton. Epwarp FARr, engineer of the Reading train, Atlantic City. Samver THORN, baggageman, Atlantic gits. P. 8. "Moreay, Millville; N. 3. J. D. Jomxerox. ° D. BoxoneHas, Bridgeton. G. B. Tavror. 5 Mr. AND Mgs. P. H. Goupsurra, Bridge- ton. % =) Samver Syrra, Atlantic City. D. E. Woop, Philadelphia. Jorx GrerNer, Bridgeton. ~CHARLES ACKLER, Salem. CeARLES McGAR, Bridgeton. Fra~kLiy Dusots, Woodruff, N. J. “Mgs, J. EArxest, Bridgeton. 7 R e responsibility of the collision has not yet been placed, but William Thurlow, the operator.at the block-tower situated at the crossing, has been placed under arrest by order of the Coroner. 3 Leaving this city the tracks of the West Jeryss:y road run pdrallel to those pf the Camgden and Atlentic until after they cross the drawbridge, wken they switch off tothe south, crossing the Reading at an obtlise angle. : John Grenier, the engineer of the West Jetsey train, saw the Reading train ap- prpacning the.crossing at a swift speed, ‘but as° the fignals were. open for him w. procéed on his way be cont inued, His ‘engine had barely cleared the track of the Reading when the:ldcomotive of the lat- ter train, which’ left Phlladelphia at 5:40 ». M. strick.the first ear full in the center, * throwing it far off the track into a ditch near by, in which it was completely sub- merged. g . ."'Fhe second car of the West Jersey train ‘was also carried into the-ditch, the-third . and fourth being telescoped. The’ engine : of the Reading train’ was® thrown to the other side of the track, carrying with it * the first coach, - A few minutes after the collision, to add to the horror of the situation, the boiler of the Reading locomotive exploded, * _scalding several to death and casting its “boiling spray over many of the injured passengers. As s00n as the news reached “-this city it spreaa broadcast and thous- ands of people flocked to the sceae. &3 The road leading to the place of the col- lision was a constant procession of hacks, busés and bicycles and all kinds of vehi- cles, while thousands of pedestrians hur- ried along the path to render what assist- cance they could or to satisfy their curi- osity. 2 Darkness quickly fell, and the work of rescuing the injured and recovering the dead bodies was carried out under the lurid elare of huge bonfires. It was a gruesome sight presented to on- lookers as the mangled and burnt forms of the dead were carried from the wreckage which bound them and laid side by side on the gravel bank near the track with no other pall than the fewold newspapers gathered from the passengers. The wounded were quickly gathered to- gether and carried by train and wagon to the Atlantic °City Hospital, where six of them died shortly after their arrival. The old excursion-house at the foot of Missis- sippi avenue was converted intoa morgue, and thither the dead were taken. At & late hour this evening there were twenty-nine bodies laid out there, few of which had been identified. This city was terribly excited over the accident. The streets in the vicinity of the excursion-house and the Oity Hospital, as well as the road leading to the scene of the accident, were packed with people anxious to learn the last news. ‘The Bridgeton and Salem excursionists who escaped injury were brought back to this city and sent home on a special train several hours later in the evening. James Hoyt, secretary of the Depart- ment of Public Safety, immediately upon learning the extent of the catastrophe, telegraphed for the Philadelphia Emer- gency Corps, 150 of whom responded and harried to this city on a special train, which left Philadelphia st 10:45. These surgeons materially aided the volanteer corps of this city, which embraced almost every physician at present within its ton- fines. Many of the injured were taken to hotels, as the City Hospital soon becaiae overcrowded. About thirty of the wounded had their injuries dressed and were able to proceed on their way. It is expected that fully a dozen of those now lying in the hospital will not survive their injuries. Mrs. Edward Farr, the wife of the Réad- ing engineer who met death while per- forming his duty .ad was found Wish one hand on the throttle ard the other on the braxe, when informed of the accident and ber hushand’s tragic death, was una- bleto withstand the shock and fell to the floor dead. Following is a list of the injured: * Mrs. M. Keiger, Eimer, N. J., back .| badly hurt and head cut. Jacob Johnson, Shirley, N. J., head burt; wife supposed _to be dead and child badly hurt. ¥ e Stanley A. Wensell, Alloway, N. J., scalp nearly torn off.’ RS Frea Sheeney, Bridgeton, back hurt and internal injuries. Mrs. 8. Johnson, Shirley, N. I., shoul- der, head and oreast bruised. Mary Shimp, Freesbore, N. J., head cut. William Baughn, Bridgeton, back hart and head cut. Charles Rynick, Bridgeton, badly cut about head. Violet Alfred, Bridgeton, face and nose fractured. ¥ - Mrs. Laura Pierce, Bridgeton, badly cit kead apd body bruised. William Simpkins, Salem, head lac- ° Mason Worth, 825 North Twelfth street, Philadelphia, back injured. Albert Trainer, Bridgeton, head cut. William Houghton, Bridgeton, internal injuries. Edward Zeeley, Bridgeton, head cut. Chester Burger, Bridgeton, hip injured. . Howard Woodlawn. Bridgeton, arm broken. ~ Ex-Judge Hitchman, Bridgeton, inter- nal injuries. B Mrs. ifliwhmln. concussion of brain. Mrs. E. A. Abbott, Bridgeton, back broken. B David Friese (address unknown), neck dislocated. Mrs. Job Rega, Eimer, N.Y., bruised and hurt about head. : Alert Taylo¥, Bridgeton, three scilp wounds. : Jacob Hiltoh, Bridgeton, bruised badly about head. ¥ 9 Thomas F. Morrell, Bridgeton, com- pound fracture of arm. ¢ Charles Horner, Bridgeton, broken leg and internal injuries. Harry Watson, Yorktown, N. J., leg broken, head injured. Lizzie Rutter, Bridgeton, contusion of back. e Charles W. Horner, fractured leg and internal injury. ¢ Frank Morrell, East Orange, N. J., dis- located sEoulder-and bruised head. Wesley Lee, Bridgeton, internal inju- ries. Frederick Chenway, Bridgeton, internal injuries and scalp wound. Mrs. Faunce Fratinger. Philadelphis, broken leg, have to be amputated. John 8. Keiley, Camden, compound fracture of arm, internal injuries, probably fatal. Bamuel Mutz, Bridgeton. W. R. Spaulding, guest of Royal Col- lege, Howard. ' Howard Smalley, Bridgeton. W. C. Hamsley. L. C. Hamsley and wife, Bridgeton. Mrs. E. A. Abbott, Rnodestown, N, J, Lizzie Smalley, Bridgeton. C. D. Frazer ana wife, Bridgeton. Irwin Dubois. 2L et i Zi PRICE FIVE CENTS. T — ¢ LS LIGHTENING THE BALLOON. Charles C. Rynick of Bridgeton, who | was in the excursion party, was in one of the chaircars. He escaped with severe bruises, and so far as his agitation would permit, told the story of h# experience. *“When we saw that a collision was un- avoidable,” he said, “‘the scene in our car was terrific. Women f~ipted, and men rushed in a mad panic for the door; but it came almost before we had time to think, “‘One car was cut right in two and the lower portion of it lifted bodily from the track and tumbled over. Every car was crowded and it is horrible to think of the number who must be lying under those ruinss *“The roof of oneof the cars fell in a mass and everyboay in that car was buried un- derit. Itsimply dropped on top of the people. I know positively of two in our car who were killed. They were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bell of Bridgeton. “Their daughter was in another car fur- ther back and was not hurt. I don‘'t know who is to blame. When we were about two miles from Atlantic City we came to a stop out in the meadows and stayed thers for several minates, but I don’t know why. “I think there must have been fully eighty killed. The only person with me was my six-year-old son, and he was not hurt, thank God.” NEWFOUNDLAND'S MINES, Rich in Deposits of Irom Ore and Coal. ST. JOHNS, Newrouspraxy, July 30.— 8ir Archibala Gelkie, directur-isneml of the British Geological Survey, states in a letter to Joseph Chamberlain, British .| Colonial Secretary, that the Newfound- land coal and iron deposits are immensely valuable. Bir Archibald advises the ap- pointment of special experts to report upon the size and character of the de- posits, giving general particulars regard- ing them, with ‘& view to their develop- ment. The Admiralty willtest the coalon British warships and every effort will be made to induce British capitalists to in- vest their money in the development of Newfoundland’s mineral resources, | household affacta. FTAL L0 THECHID VALLE Many People Drowned and Hundreds Made Home- less. HOUSES WASHED AWAY Crops Destroyed and Farmers Left on the Verge of Starvation. WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION. Cloudbursts Fo'low Long Spells of Rainy Weather and Swell the Waterways. NEW YORK, N. Y., July 30.—A special to the Tribune from Parkersburg, W. Va., says: *hc news of another cloudburst, and by far the most destructive which has oc- curred in this State in the last month, reached here yesterday. This time the scene of destruction was in Calhoun County, in the central part of the State, 1n the territory bordering on Steer, Yellow and Straight creeks. ; The elements broke loose with terrific force, flooding the entire country with a deluge of water ten feet deep. The three creeks swelled to enormous proportions, and hardly a building of any kind remains to mark the course of the streams. Three fatalities ae reported. Mrs. ‘Wooiter and her daughter and Sarah Stephens, in their ‘to save their wara carried awav in therr own homes and drowned. Mrs. ‘Woofter and her daughter were awukened from their sleep to hear the rush of the waters, and upon finding their bed sur- rounded by water made an attempt tosave themselves from drowning by placing-the organ on top of the table and taking refuge there, but the waters rapidly rose to their position and they were drowned like rats. The house was torn from its foundation and carried a considerable distance away. Sarah Stephens, an elderly woman and alone in her room, met her faie in a simi- lar manner. On Yellow Creek four housesand a saw- mill were carried the entire course of the stream. Several booms containing thou- sands of logs were forced from their moor- ings. There is not even a fence to be seen to mark off the division of the farm lands. The scene of this disaster is in the wilds of West Virginia, where there are neither telegraphic communications nor railroads. Itis a poor class of people that makes up the population and they are without a single possession. All the crops were destroyed, leaving them without food. Unless assistance can be sent to them starvation will follow. A heavy rain continues to flood the country, and until this ceases it will be impossible to transport anything to the scene of the disaster. Farmers wno were in good cir- cumstances last week are penniless to- day. ~The State has never met with such a calamity before. To estimate the loss is impossible. @This is the fifth cloudburst occurrirg in this State during the iast month, each one being worse than the former. Entire reconstruction was necessary on the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad for a distance of fifty miles. Traffic was resumed yesterday afternoon after a suspension of four days. .- The Onio River at this point continues to rise and a flood in Parkersburg is inevi- table. A stage of thirty-five feet has been reached and by to-morrow the lower part of the city will be under water. ATHENS, On1o, July 30.—The most de- structive storm in the history of Sunday Creek Valley swept down on Glouster, a mining town twelve miles north of here, last night, which resuited in the loss of fifteen lives and the almost total destruc- tion of one of the principal streets of the town, and doing damage in otber piaces to theamount of thousands of dollars. Build- ings were toppled over, trees torn from their roots, and the town this morning is a scene of desolation. J. L. Daugherty was struck by a section of a plank walk and instantly killed. Four others are reported dead and several others seriously injured. The details are meager yet. A livery stable, with six horses and a number of vehicles, was blown into the creek and swept away. The streets are covered with broken timbers and debris of allkinds. To aad to the horror Sunday Creek is sweeping everything before it. The list of dead will reach fifteen. WHEELING, W. Va., July 30.—Heavy rain this morning caused immense damage to property in this vicinity. The small creeks became raging torrents and bridges were swept away. Farmhouses were flooded and crops irreparably damaged. SPRINGFIELD, Oxro, July 30.—The worst storm that has visited this vicinity in years ogcurred lastevening. The finan- cial loss will amount to $50,000. Sixteen houses were unroofed and otherwise damaged. Henry Dipple, night watch- man, was electrocuted by loose wire. At Lawrenceburg, Tremont, Paris and other small places farmers report great damage to fruit and grain crops. STEUBENVILLE, Oxnip, July 30.—Two hundred veople of this vicinity are home- less to-night as the result of a cloudburst. which occurred this afternoon in the west- ern part of this city. The people in th lowlands, alarmed by the recent flood: were prepared for disaster and fled to the hills, thus no lives were lost, although many were'in imminent danger. Warn- ing was also given by a party of men who had been on watch and ran down the valley shouting that the flood was coming. When the houses in the track of the angry waters were reached they went down as though built of card- board. Thirty or forty residences were wrecked, the chief sufferers being Rebecca Philabaum, William Risden, Robert Ritchie, James Burdes, Andrew Albaugh, Benjamin Wise, Grant Stroud, John Hart and Henry Bowman. The latter was pro- prietor of a store, which, with all its stock, is gone. Two culverts of the Panhandle road were carried away, and at Gould’s there 1s 650 feet of track washed out. No trains are running, and it will take twenty-four hours to repair the dama, PORTLAND, Osro, fi:fy 80. — During last night's storm 1.75 inches of rain fell in 45 miputes. A high wind accompanted the rain and did great damage to crops. The oil fields also suffered greatly, many derricks being prostrated. WARNS ALL FLIBUSTERS President Cleveland Is Out With a Rather Pointed Proclamation. SAYS NEUTRALITY LAWS ARE VIOLATED. Strict Enforcement Threatened in Order to Check the Sym- pathy for Cuba. ° SPAIN HAS A TRUSTED FRIEND IN THE PRESIDENT, Executive Officers Called Upon to Exert Vigilance in Punishing Offenders. WASHINGTON, D. C., July 30.—The following prociamation was issued from the State Department this afterneon: BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA—A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, By a proclamation dated the 12th of June, A. D. 1895, attention was called to the serious civil disturbances accompanied by armed vesistance to the established Govern- ment of Spain then prevailing in the island of Cubs, and citizens of the United States and all other persons were admonished to abstain from taking part in such disturbance ia con- travention of the neutrality laws of the United States; and whereas, said civil disturbances and armed resistance to the authority of Spain, with which the United States is on terms of peace and amity, continue to° prevai in said island of Cuba; and whereas, since the date of said proclamation said neutrality laws of the United States have been the subject of authorized exposition by the judicial tribunal of last resort, and it has thus been declared that any combination of persons organized in the United Siates for the purpose of proceed- ing to its making war upon & foreign country with which the United States is at peace, and provided with arms to be used for such pur- pose, constitutes a “‘military expedition or en- terprise,” within the meaning of ssid neutral- ity Jaws. and that the providing or preparing enterprise,” which is expressly prohibited by said laws, includes furnishing or ziding in transportation for such “military .expedition or enterprise” ; and whereas, by express enact- ment, if two or more persons conspire to com- mit an offense against the United States, any act of one conspirator to effect the necessary object of such conspiracy renders ail the conspirators liable to fine and imprisonment; and whereas, there is Teason to believe that citizens of the United States and others within its jurisdiction fail to apprehend the meaning and operation of the neutrality laws of the United States as authoritdtively interpreted as aforesaid, and may be misled into participa- tion under the transactions which are viola- tions of said laws, and will render them liable to the severe penalties provided for such viola- tions. Now, therefore, that the laws above referred to as judicially construed may. be duly executed; that the obligations of the United States may be fully satisfied, and that their citizens and all others within their juris< diction, being seasonably apprised of their legal duty in the premises, mey abstain from disobealence to the laws of the United States, and thereby escape the forfeitures and penal. ties legally consequent thereon, 1, Grover Cleveland, President of the Unitea States, do nereby solemnly warn all citizens of the United States and all others within their jurisdiction against violations of said laws in- terpreted as hereinbefore explained, and give notice that &1l such violations will be vigor- ously prosecuted. And I do hereby invoke the co-operstion of all good citizens in the enforcement of said laws and in the detention and apprehension of any offenders sgainst the same, and do hereby enjoin upon all the ex- ecutive officers to exert the utmost vigilance in preventing, prosecuting and punishing any infractions thereof. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused theseal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this 27th day of July, in the year of our Lord one thou- sand eight hundred and ninety-six, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-first. GROVER CLEVELAND. By the President: RICHARD OLNEY, Secretary of State. The President’s warning proclamation as to Cuban filibusters is understood to be one of the results of Secretary Olney’s recent visit to Gray Gables and is thought to be in some measure at least, the answer of the administration to the petitions and complaints against Spain’s treatment of Americans in Cuba, which continually pour in on the State Department. Msny of these have contained pleas of ignorance of the laws under which the suspects were arrested and imprisoned, and it has ap- parently been deemed advisable to leave American citizens no longer 1 doubt as to the protection they may expect if they 0 so far in their sympathies as to violate United States statutes. —_— | CONSPIRACY ON PINES ISLE. Men Deported From Cuba Formed a Plot to Return. HAVANA, Cusa, July 30.—The latest details of the uprising among the political prisoners on the Isle of Pines show that 250 people who had been deported from Cuba were engaged in the conspiracy. They had partially succeeded in their plan of making away with Colonel Berrin, the Governor of the island, having over- powered and bound him preparatory to hanging him, when they were interrupted in their work by a patrol which was pas3- ing and which rescued the Governor from their hands. The plotters intended to gain possession of the capital of the island and to capture the Spanish gunboat Fradeva, on board of which they proposed to cross to Cuba, about fifty miles away, and join the in. surgents. £ When the revolters found that their scheme had miscarried all who could get away fled to the woods in the interior of the isiand, The authorities express confi- of the means$ for such “military expedition or . °