AN EXCURSION PARTY SUDDENLY STOPPED IN ITS JOURNEY—MANY OF THE PASSENGERS SERIOUSLY INJURED.
PHILADELPHIA, Penn., June 14.—A collision occurred on the Camden and Atlantic Road at Pike's Peak, about eight miles from Camden, this morning, which resulted in the death of seven men and one little boy. Many other persons were injured. An excursion train with five coaches left Camden at 7:40, having on board the children and teachers of the Sunday-schools of the Second Presbyterian Church of Camden and the Presbyterian Church of Wenonah, N. J., bound for Lakeside Park, a pleasure resort on the Camden and Atlantic Road. When the train was rounding a curve at a place called Pike's Peak it came into collision with the accommodation train from Atlantic City due in Camden at 9:10 A. M. Both trains were running at a high rate of speed, and neither engineer was aware of his danger until a few seconds before the locomotives came together. The passengers were startled from their seats by the screaming of the whistles and the grating of the air-brakes and the next instant were thrown headlong by a terrific crash and the sudden stoppage of the trains. The engines and baggage cars of both trains were completely demolished and were piled up in a confused mass of wood and iron 15 feet high, and the whole so enveloped in scalding steam that for some minutes nothing could be done to rescue or recover the persons buried in the ruins. The collision was at once followed by a scene of wild excitement and confusion. Men, women, and children jumped from the cars, many coming out through the windows. Many were screaming and crying, and all were half-crazed with fright, while the cries of the wounded and those who were being scalded to death in the ruins mingled with the hissing of the escaping steam.
As soon as it was possible to approach the ruins without being scalded men went to work to get out the killed and injured. The list of the killed includes the engineers of both trains, the mail agent and fireman of the accommodation train, the Civil Engineer of the Camden and Atlantic Road, the conductor of the excursion train, a brakeman, and a Sunday-school scholar, a boy 10 years old, who, crushed and lacerated, lived until 5 o'clock this evening. The first man taken from the ruins was Express Agent John Rosenbaum, of the accommodation train. He presented a shocking appearance, being terribly cut about the head. He is still alive, but may die, as besides the cuts he is badly injured. The back fireman, Nicholas Barber, of the accommodation train, was next taken out. He was dead. His entrails protruded from his body, and he was otherwise mangled. Fireman Louis McLain was then picked up living, but badly scalded and gashed about the face and head. Mail Agent Winfield Hiles was with great difficulty gotten out. He was lying dead under the débris, and it was some time before he was discovered. Attention was attracted to him by a faint cry, "I am here." He was terribly injured internally and died in a short time. Of the excursionists only one was fatally hurt. This was little Willie Caskey, aged 10, who has since died. His brother John, aged 12, is injured about the face, but not dangerously. Mr. Frank Fenton, the civil engineer of the road, was also the Superintendent of the Second Presbyterian School. He was taken out dead after about two hours' work mangled in a terrible manner. His daughter was on the train. Immediately after the accident she began to search for her father, but was told that he was safe and had gone ahead to flag the trains. She then walked to Haddonfield. After she had gone her father was taken out of the ruins, his head almost flattened where it had been crushed. Conductor Albert Smith and the brakeman, Gustavus Edwards, of the Lakeside train, were taken out dead. Smith was counting his tickets in the front car. It was nearly an hour and a half after the accident before medical assistance arrived.
The dead were all brought to Camden, where the Coroner began an inquest to-night. The injured were removed to their homes. The following is the list of the dead:
GEORGE BAXTER, engineer, Lakeside train; aged 35. He leaves a widow and four children residing in Camden.
NICHOLAS BARBER, aged 34; fireman on the accommodation train.
JOSEPH A. SEFFARLEN, of the firm of Seffarlen & Fritz, at No. 240 North Third-street, Philadelphia; injured about the shoulder.
A number of others were hurt, but not seriously. Coming from the scene of the disaster in the special train the first to run over the fatal spot and resume the traffic of the road was Superintendent Bannard, of the Camden and Atlantic Road. The crushed and mangled body of Engineer Palmer lay in the baggage car covered with two crates. "The management of the road is clear of blame from this disaster," said Mr. Bannard. "The orders dispatched by myself were plain and explicit, directing both trains to stop at Ashland and there pass each other. The Atlantic City accommodation train did not obey that order. Why it did not I cannot imagine. There is no doubt the order was given to both Conductor Glenn and Engineer Palmer. I have in my possession a receipt for that order bearing both their signatures. Palmer was the oldest engineer on the road, and was known to be trustworthy and cautious. Conductor Glenn has the same honorable record."
Conductor Glenn, who was one of the injured, was seen by a reporter lying on a bunch of cushions. He covered his face with his hand, and spoke very reluctantly, and evidently with painful effort. "I rang the bell to stop twice," he moaned, "I knew we had to stop off at Ashland, and so did Palmer, and when he didn't pull up I did my best to stop the train."
Samuel Archer, a Camden member of the wrecking crew engaged in clearing the track, was fatally injured by a singular accident late this afternoon. The wrecked engines and baggage cars were piled up on the track. In clearing it away a hawser was attached to one of the wrecked engines, while the other end was fastened to a locomotive on the track. When the word was given the locomotive moved away at a rapid rate. The slack hawser snapped and in doing so hurled into the air a great mass of broken iron. One of these flying pieces struck Archer, who was standing several feet away, in the back of the head. A boy who was standing between Archer and the wreck dodged the missile which brought Archer down as though he had been struck by a cannon ball. He was picked up, and it was found that his skull had been crushed in. His brains were oozing out. He was brought to Camden and is still alive, but will die.
