Atlantic City Railroad Accident (1896)
The Atlantic City rail accident in 1896 was the flanking of an express train on a special train on July 30, 1896 west of Atlantic City , New Jersey , which resulted in 50 deaths.
Starting position
The accident occurred on a level crossing of a railway line of the West Jersey Railroad with a railway line of the Reading Railroad . The intersection ran at an inclined angle and was secured by interdependent signals , so that if "clear travel" was signaled on one route, the signal on the other route commanded "stop".
On the evening of the day of the accident, two trains moved towards the site of the accident: a special train of the West Jersey Railroad from Atlantic City to Bridgeton and Salem with seven passenger coaches and an express train from Philadelphia .
the accident
The locomotive driver of the special train saw the express train coming, but since the signal that was decisive for him showed "clear travel", he continued unabated. The express train hit the special train directly behind its locomotive and destroyed the first two cars . The next two cars hit the rubble and pushed into each other. The locomotive of the express train was thrown from the track , the engine drivers and stokers perished. The car following the locomotive was also thrown off the track. Numerous travelers died in this too . A few minutes after the collision there was a boiler explosion on the locomotive , which also claimed several lives and scalded numerous other travelers and railway workers with steam and hot water .
consequences
50 people were killed in the accident and another 60 injured. The rescue work turned out to be very difficult given the high number of victims and the fact that the road to Atlantic City was completely blocked by onlookers shortly after the accident. Some of the injured could be brought to the hospital in Atlantic City by train and, since it was soon overcrowded, others were also accommodated in hotels. 15 doctors were taken to the scene of the accident on a special train from Philadelphia.
examination
The responsible coroner began his investigation immediately, but was hindered by the railroad companies, who prohibited the dispatcher from giving evidence. The used later jury coroner was no consistent result in terms of the blame for the accident. The following sequence appeared most likely: The dispatcher had given the special train "free travel". After the latter had passed the signal, he changed it and gave the express train "free travel" because he had obviously completely wrongly estimated the speeds of the two trains. Both trains passed their signal in the position "Drive free", but the much faster express train then hit the slower moving special train in the flank.
See also
literature
- Collision between Trains at Atlantic City . In: The New York Times v. July 31, 1896, p. 1.
- The Coroner at Work . In: The New York Times v. August 1, 1896, p. 2.
- Farr, the Dead, Blamed . In: The New York Times v. August 5, 1896, p. 9.
- Three Meadow Wreck Verdicts . In: The New York Times v. August 8, 1896, p. 3.
Coordinates: 39 ° 21 '50.4 " N , 74 ° 26' 50.6" W.