Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1899 — MANY DIE IN WRECK. [ARTICLE]

MANY DIE IN WRECK.

TERRIBLE RAILWAY DISASTER ON EASTERN ROAD. Pleasure Seekers Meet Awful Death at Exeter, Pa.—Express and Excursion Trains Collider-Twenty-five Reported Killed and Fifty Injured. A collision of passenger trains occurred on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad at Exeter, about «ix miles south of Reading, Pa., Friday night, and the number of killed was stated to be twenty-five. Fully fifty others are injured. The regular express train from Pottsville to Philadelphia connected at the station in Reading with a train from Harrisburg, which was crowded with excursionists who had been to the State capital to witness the ceremonies in connection with the unveiling of the Hartranft monument. Many of the Harrisburg passengers at Reading went aboard the Philadelphia express, but, it being found that all could not be accommodated, it was decided to send an extra train to Philadelphia to run as the second section of the express. The extra train left twenty minutes later than the express. At Exeter the express stopped for orders, and while standing still the extra train crashed into it while moving at great speed. Three of the rear cars of the express were telescoped and the first car of the extra train was also wrecked. The passengers in these cars were terribly mangled, many being killed outright, while others had limbs and bodies maimed. Word was at once sent to Reading and a special train with physicians and nurses was sent to the scene as quickly as it could 'possibly be put in readiness. According to the account of the passengers the engine of the second train plowed through the rear car of the first train, then through the parlor car and half way through the third car. The first car on the second train was also telescoped. The passengers on the second trahi were-most-ly from Norristown. Some say that the signal man. neglected to display the proper lights. He claims, however, that he had the warning signals up, but he thinks on account of a curve the "engineer did not see them until too late. United States Senator Boies Penrose and Gen. E. Burd Grubb were .passengers in the Pullman car of the wrecked train. The rear end of the car in which they were riding was crushed, Hut they were uninjuzed.