Ambler Gazette, January 10, 1895

Crash at Hatfield.

Fifteen Passengers killed and More Than Forth Injured--Wm. C. Blackburn, of Ambler, Killed Instantly--Atlantic City Express Crashes into Milk Train.

The first section of the Atlantic City special excursion Sunday morning shortly before 7 o'clock crashed into the rear end of the milk train at Hatfield station killing 15 and injuring over 40 persons. The excursion was traveling at the rate of about 50 miles per hour and had not stopped after leaving Bethlehem. When the collision occurred the excursion engine cut right through the milk train like a knife, casting the debris and broken parts on either side. The resistance was sufficient to throw the engine over backwards, crushing the first car of the excursion train and shearing every part of the mechanism off the boiler and standing it right up in the air. The injured and killed were in the rear coaches of the milk train and the first car of the excursion.

The heavy fog prevented the engineer of the excursion train from seeing the train standing at Hatfield. Abraham Billger, of Hatfield, claims that he was standing near the tracks, about 200 yards above Hatfield station, and knowing that the milk train had stopped at the depot frantically waved his arms and shouted to Davis, engineer of the excursion, to stop. The latter, he says, immediately put on the air breaks and he saw sparks flying from the rails and heard the whistle of the escaping air. The distance, however, was too short to permit of the speed being appreciably lessened before his engine crashed into the milk train.

Superintendent Tomlinson says: "The train dispatcher's office at Philadelphia had orders to instruct the operator at Souderton to hold the first section of the excursion train at that place until the milk train was out of the way at Lansdale. If the train dispatcher's office at Philadelphia had done its duty the accident would not have happened."

The dead are:

William C. Blackburn, aged 58, proprietor of the Ambler hotel, Ambler.

Harvey Landis, aged 38, farmer, Hatfield.

Annie Sheriday, aged 20, South Bethlehem.

William Erd, Bethlehem.

Richard Bachman, aged 40, South Bethlehem.

Godfried Kalen, a railroad section man, aged 42, Telford, died on train while being taken to Bethlehem.

Mamie Kalen, aged 14, daughter of Godfried Kalen.

Robert Miller, South Bethlehem.

Thomas Day, aged 29, machinist, Allentown.

Charles McGonigle, aged 20 years, machinist, Allentown.

Ira Ehret and William Ehret, aged 20 and 22, respectively, South Bethlehem

William M---, South Bethlehem.

Hugh McGovern, South Bethlehem.

Unknown man, about 55, probably of German descent.

Following is a list of the injured, the first 10 of whom were taken to St. Luke's hospital, Bethlehem, and the others to their homes or hospitals elsewhere:

John Davis, 28 years old, North Bancroft street, Philadelphia, engineer of excursion train, skull fractured; will probably die.

Albert M. Wagner, 28, 2425 Warnock street, Philadelphia, fireman of excursion train, lacerated scalp, contused wound in back, wound on right leg; will recover.

Michael Tighe, 34, 31 Front street, Allentown, car inspector of excursion train, serious burns and bruises; will recover.

Wilson Crosland, 91 Broad street, South Bethlehem, baggage master of excursion train, lacerated scalp, probably fracture of skull and fractured leg; condition searious.

John McHugh, 27, 312 Grant street, South Bethlehem, a constable, leg fractured.

John Gorman, 21, 730 Buttonwood street, South Bethlehem, crushed leg, will lose the limb.

Abraham Transue, Jr., 24, 331 New street, South Bethlehem, injured internally.

Edward Reese, 33, 820 Cedar street, Allentown, a carpenter, internal injuries; serious.

Walter Frinkinger, South Bethlehem, clerk in Lehigh Valley railroad office, lacerated finger, dislocated wrist and severe bruises.

Miss Gertrude Bachmann, South Bethlehem, fractured skull; probably fatal.

I.T. Hartzog, 45, Wyandotte street, South Bethlehem, insurance, leg crushed.

Miss Annie Edwards, 19, New street, South Bethlehem, leg broken.

Clinton A. Struss, Allentown, lacerated wound of head.

P.J. McMahon, 27, formerly assistant postmaster of South Bethlehem, right leg crushed.

Miss Jennie Shaeffer, 24, Allentown, leg broken.

B.T. Keyser, Allentown, foot crushed.

G.A. Slough, 35, Allentown, druggist, both legs broken.

Charles Rentz, 20, Wood street, South Bethlehem, badly cut on head and eye; seriously injured.

Harry Schlott, 18, Fifth street, South Bethlehem, left leg crushed.

Edward Rogers, 23, Easton, clerk, scalp wound.

Mrs. Howard Uhlmann, Union street, Bethlehem, slight body wounds.

Charles Lafaw, West Bethlehem, slight bruises.

Mrs. Charles Lafaw, West Bethlehem, slight injuries.

Gus. Conradi, 34, Bethlehem, artist, scalp wound.

John Reichley, 20 New street, South Bethlehem, both legs crushed.

John Conlin, 24, Fifth street, South Bethlehem, machinist, scalp wound.

Mrs. Jennie Harrison, 55, Hillside avenue South Bethlehem, right arm broken in two places.

Miss Mary Davis, 20, Third street, South Bethlehem, internal injuries.

Joseph Davis, 18 Third street, South Bethlehem, internal injuries.

William Kenecht, 35, New Street, South Bethlehem, right leg crushed.

Mrs. William Burkhart, 32, East Second street, South Bethlehem, skull fractured and hips crushed; will died.

Miss Gertrude Burkhart, 18, East Second street, South Bethlehem, head injured and right leg crushed.

Fred Schantz, 35, Allentown, left arm and left hip crushed.

Frank Schantz, 30, Allentown, left leg crushed and chest injured.

Miss Annie McLarin, 23, Fifth street, South Bethlehem, suffering from slight bruises and shock;

Miss Alice Smoyer, 30, Bethlehem, body bruises.

Miss Mabel Kluge, 19, 116 Linden street, Bethlehem, foot crushed.

John Krause, 35, South Bethlehem, slightly bruised.

Abraham Rosenberger, farmer, Hatfield, removed to his residence.

State Representative Wellington H. Rosenberry, 35 years, carriage dealer, Lansdale, probably injured internally. Removed to his residence.

Jonas Kulp farmer, Hatfield, superficial wounds.

Morris Frederick, Telford, passenger on milk train, badly hurt, removed to his residence.

Granville Schauch, saddler, Allentown, both legs fractured at the ankles.

B.F. Keyser, hotelkeeper, Allentown, injured internally.

Lucas Straub, restaurant keeper Allentown, injured internally.

Manger Sweigard says:

"I wish to state in detail the causes leading up to Sunday's accident, so far as I have been able to learn them in the absence of interviews with some of the more important witnesses concerned. The primary cause was the fog. Had there been no fog, there would have been no accident. The next cause was the telegraph wires, which worked badly. The moisture in the atmosphere made them slow and heavy, rendering it difficult to get messages through.

"The third cause may be found in the possibility that the dispatcher at the terminal, who had charge of the running of trains, waited too long in sending necessary orders when he knew the condition of the wires. This man is at the terminal and has direct charge of running of trains. He has an operator at his side constantly and, as the trains are reported at various points, the operator turns the time over to him.

"The sheet on which the operator marks the tie is marked for all trains from Bethlehem. William S. Groves, the dispatcher, has been handling the trains for five years past. He was with me when I was superintendent. He has held every position--brakeman, conductor, operator--everything that can go to make an all-round, practical railroad man. I have all along considered William S. Groves one of the best men this road has. I had the utmost confidence in him, and when I placed him in charge, I knew that he could be relied upon. I think this man made a mistake--that is, he waited too long."

Coroner McGlathery has been making an examination and will probably hold an inquest this Thursday.

Submitted by Nancy.