1899 — May 12, Trains Collide, Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Exeter, PA — 29

–29  Adams and Seibold. Great Train Wrecks of Eastern Pennsylvania.  1992, p. 127.

–29  Evening Democrat (Warren, PA). “Responsibility For the Exeter Wreck,” 5-27-1899.

–29  Evening Herald (Syracuse, NY). “Brakeman Testifies,” 5-22-1899, p. 6, col. 4.

–29  Lebanon Daily Times (PA). “The Exeter Horror,” 5-16-1899, 2, Col. 4.

–29  New Oxford Item (PA). “Rear End Collision…Twenty-nine Killed…,” 5-19-1899, p.1.

–29  Snyder. “First History: Exeter Horror train crash killed 29…” Pottstown Mercury, 7-1-2012

–29  Titusville Morning Herald (PA). “The Reading Horror,” 5-15-1899, p. 1., col. 3.

–29  Tyrone Daily Herald (PA). “The Exeter Inquest,” 5-28-1899, p. 1, col. 7.

–29  Wellsboro Agitator (PA). “General News of the Week…,” 5-17-1899, p. 2.

 

Narrative Information

May 13: “Publishers’ Press Dispatch.  Reading, Pa., May 13. Daylight has revealed the horror of last night’s collision, that was caused by a fast running excursion train on the Reading Railroad crashing into the “Cannon Ball” express. A big pile of wreckage splintered timbers, twisted iron rods and broken car wheels and axles tells of the terrific impact of the trains.

“The whole is a grim, horrible witness to the great loss of life that occurred last night. From the ruins have been taken twenty-three bodies some of them dead, and some of them so badly injured that they have since died and beneath the mass are still more mangled forms. Men are working heroically to remove them, for it hoped almost without a thought that the hope can come true that life may be left in some of them.

“The list of dead will reach at least 25. Twenty dead bodies were brought here early this morning, and more are believed to be in the wreckage….

“Cause of the Wreck.

“Who is to blame for the horrible wreck has not yet been ascertained.  It is said that when Exeter was reached the engineer of the express saw the board was turned against him.  He backed to the station slowly to receive an order to cross over and pass around a coal train ahead, and before another start could be made the special crashed into the rear car, smashing it to splinters and driving the Pullman into the coach ahead. The Pullman was nearly cut in half.

“It is, thought that every passenger in the rear coach was instantly killed….

“In speaking of the accident [Engineer] Orvell said:

“My signals were all right. We were clipping along at about 35 or 40 miles an hour, and had just rounded the curve at Exeter when I saw just ahead of me the express.  I reversed and we had lost some speed when we struck the rear car and ploughed through it, striking the Pullman and sending that half way through the car ahead. It was all a blur for a minute and then I found myself on the ground covered with timbers and iron. There was no weight bearing down on me and I managed to make my way out.”

“Official Statement.

“Publishers’ Press Dispatch.

“Philadelphia, Pa., May 13. At noon today General Superintendent Sweigard of the Philadelphia and Reading gave out the following statement:

“Engine 574, running as second section of train No. 12, carrying excursionists returning from Harrisburg, collided with rear end of first section at Exeter station, six miles south of Reading, at about 8:45 last evening.  The last car of the first section was the through coach from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, and ahead of it was a Pullman parlor coach. The front end of this Pullman car was also crushed in by the car ahead. The first car of the second section was damaged to some extent, as was the car next to it.  The engine of second section was badly damaged.

‘The prime cause of the accident was the pulling out of a draw bar on a coal train which was taking side track at Birdsboro, to allow train No. 12 to pass. On account of this draw bar being pulled out considerable time was consumed in coupling up the coal train and it did not clear.  The block was against train No. 12 at Exeter, three miles north of Birdsboro. Train No. 12, with engine and eight cars, left Reading three minutes late and ran by the block at Exeter the entire length of the train, but immediately backed the length of the train while the conductor was receiving his orders at the telegraph office. The block ahead then being clear the train started, and just as it was leaving the second section collided with the rear of the train’.”….

“Reports of the dead and injured are still inadequate, but a fair estimate of the Norristown dead alone places it as eleven, two of whom have died since they arrived at the hospital.  In the charity hospital there are at least 15 injured persons, while at the insane asylum many more have been taken, making the total fully 30.  Without doubt many are so badly injured that they will die…. At 3 p.m. it was said the list of injured would reach fifty.” (Trenton Evening Times, NJ. “27 People Killed in a Collision,” 5-13-1899, p. 1.)

May 14: “Reading, May 14. – The total number of deaths as a result of Friday night’s [May 12] rear-end collision on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad at Exeter, six miles below her, reached twenty-nine today.

“William D. Jenkins of Norristown is dying today at the hospital at that place.  Of the large number of injured persons still in the hospitals here, three are in a serious condition, and small hopes are entertained for their recovery….All of the dead here have been identified and all the bodies have been claimed by relatives or friends and have been sent to their various homes.

“Almost 100,000 persons visited the scene of the wreck today.  Almost everybody was bent on carrying away some kind of a relic….”  (Titusville Morning Herald, PA. “The Reading Horror,” 5-15-1899, p. 1., col. 3.)

May 16: “Reading, Pa., May 16. – Coroner Rothermel last night announced his intention of beginning the inquiry into the cause of the wreck of the Philadelphia and Reading railway at Exeter on Monday next.  He spent the greater portion of yesterday in Philadelphia subpoenaing witnesses and making general inquiries concerning the wreck.  It is said that the district attorney may assist in the investigation….

“IT is the generally expressed opinion, although not from any official source, that the cause of the accident was a misunderstanding or mistake as to signals.  Train Dispatcher Rourke, it is said, ordered the tower man below Reading to turn the red light against the second section, and when the train came in sight to give him the green, or cautionary signal.  This was obeyed, but Orrell, running slow, saw a white signal about a mile north of Exeter and put on high speed, which was the fearful result of 29 killed and 50 injured.

“All but seven of the injured have been discharged from the hospitals in this city.  Although several of those still in the hospitals are in a serious condition, it is believed by the physicians that they will recover….” (Lebanon Daily Times, PA. “The Exeter Horror,” 5-16-1899, 2.)

May 18: “The Philadelphia ‘North America’ in an article on the railroad accident at Exeter makes the startling statement that ‘the Reading railroad officials have for some time past been more concerned with corrupt politics and outride business enterprises than with honest and efficient railroading.’  It declares also that “the political machine, misnamed a railroad, has bean an incubus on the business of this end of the state for some years past. The blood and groans of the Exeter dead cry loudly for the law’s vengeance.’

“In the same article some of the leading officials of this railroad company are charged with being engaged in personal schemes and active in politics.  It used to be said that the elder Garrett made the Baltimore & Ohio railroad the great success which it was in his time by attending strictly to the business of his road and not permitting anything else to distract or divide his attention. To be head or one of the mangers of a large railroad is a responsible position, one that requires a steady brain, clear mind and undivided attention, as too many lives are constantly at stake to permit any blunders to be made or employees to be indifferent in the discharge of their duties.

“The coroner’s investigation into the Exeter disaster no doubt will be thorough and it will be discovered then most likely upon whom the blame for it rests – whether upon one or more of the employees or the management.” (Lebanon Daily News, PA. “The Exeter Disaster,” 5-18-1899, p. 2, col. 1.)

May 22: “Reading, Pa., May 22. – Coroner W. H. Rothermel to-day began his inquiry into the Philadelphia & Reading railroad horror at Exeter, in which twenty-nine people were killed and nearly sixty injured. There was a large attendance and unusual interest was manifested by all.  District Attorney A. H. Rothermel, brother of the Coroner, examined the witnesses.

“The rear brakeman of the first train, Charles Miller, said he did not have time to run back very far before the collision.

“Major Henry Pennington said he stopped two men in uniform, probably soldiers, from robbing victims after they had taken valuables from dead bodies.” (Evening Herald, Syracuse, NY. “Brakeman Testifies,” 5-22-1899, p. 6, col. 4.)

May 23: “Reading, Pa., May 23. – Coroner W. M. Rothermel’s inquiry into the Philadelphia and Reading railway horror at Exeter, in which 29 people were killed and nearly 60 Injured, opened here yesterday…

“…testimony established the fact that the first train ran past Exeter station, and that it was while it was barking near the front of the depot that the accident occurred.  The rear brakeman of the first train, Charles Miller, said he did not have time to run back very far before the collision.

“Another fact fully established by the…witnesses was that the dead and injured were robbed with the greatest freedom.

“Edward Sentman, conductor of a freight train lying at Exeter on the night of the wreck, gave important testimony.  He saw the collision and saw the brakeman running up the track waving a red and white light.  The air brakes of the second section were put on too Into.  Other witnesses said the trains were running but three minutes apart….” (Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. “The Exeter Inquest,” 5-28-1899, p. 1, col. 7.)

May 24: “Reading, Pa., May 24. – The second day’s session of the coroner’s inquest into the horror at Exeter Station was attended by an audience even much larger than on the first day.  Additional witnesses have been subpoenaed, and the testimony will not all be in for some time.

“Calvin H. Lesher, the operator at Exeter, was the first witness. He declared he displayed the red signal to stop the express on orders from the train dispatcher’s office at Reading. The train arrived at 8:49 o’clock. He said;

“When the train stopped, I told Reading No. 12, the express, is here.’  ‘Wait a minute,’ Reading said, and next I was told, ‘Let No. 12 go,’ and I gave the fireman the clearance card. The fireman took the card, but the collision occurred before the train got away.”

“The second train came along at 8:51.  Lesher said he never saw a stop of this kind before where no man was sent back. Later he contradicted himself.  W. H. Wentzel, the agent and day operator at Exeter, said that trains are supposed to run five minutes apart.

“A. B. Magee of Norristown, conductor of the second section, who is an extra conductor, said his train left Reading at 8:42, the first section having departed six minutes earlier, at 8:36, and it was 8:53 by his watch when the second section reached Exeter.

“Harry Orrell, engineer of the second section, said his train was going about 45 miles an hour when he rounded the curve at Exeter. He saw two men on the north bound freight track with white lights, and he took them for signals.  He was told after the wreck that a freight flagman had been told to swing his red light, but by mistake took his white lantern.”  (Evening Democrat, Warren, PA. “Exeter Horror Inquest,” 5-24-1899, p. 1., col. 6.)

May 25: “Reading, Pa., May 25. – The taking of testimony in the inquest over the victims of the railroad wreck at Exeter was concluded at noon yesterday. The jury came in at midnight with a verdict. They found that the accident was due to negligence of certain employes of the company. They censure George C. Bowers, train master of Philadelphia, with equipping the special train with a crew unfamiliar with the main line; Engineer Orrell and Conductor Magee, for reckless running, Engineer Wildermuth for having passed the signal at Exeter and then backing up 236 feet, and Train Dispatcher J. Rourke is declared negligent in not notifying the special crew of the delay of the express. They recommend that the independent tower system below Reading be abolished and that the ten minute rule between passenger trains be enforced….”  (Lebanon Daily News, PA.  “Employees Are Blamed,” 5-25-1899, p. 1, col. 1)

May 26: “Reading, Pa., May 26. – By direction of the district attorney County Detective Kershner has sworn out warrants for four Philadelphia and Reading railroad men who were censured by the coroner’s jury for causing the disastrous wreck at Exeter. The accursed are:  William F. Wildermuth engineer of the first section, his conductor, A. E. Magee; James J. Rourke, dispatcher, and Engineer Harry Orrell of the second section. Bail in $1,000 will be demanded. Members of the jury expressed the desire that no manslaughter proceedings be brought against the men. The other legal remedy is charging them with a misdemeanor. The act of March 22, 1865, says the penalty shall not exceed $5,000 fine and imprisonment not exceeding five years, Trainmaster Bowers, who was also censured, will be prosecuted in Philadelphia.”  (Kane Daily Republican, PA. “The Exeter Horror,” 5-26-1899, p. 1, col. 4.)

May 27: “Norristown, May 27. – The coroners jury which has been inquiring into the wreck on the Reading Railroad at Exeter, in which twenty-nine persons were killed returned their verdict today finding the Reading Railroad Co., primarily responsible because of an inadequate system of signaling. They also found that the employees made a mistake in running the sections of the wrecked trains.”  (Evening Democrat, Warren, PA. “Responsibility For the Exeter Wreck,” 5-27-1899, p. 1, col. 2.)

 May 30: The Coroner’s Jury stated: “We most emphatically condemn the independent tower system below Reading operating as they did at the time of the collision, and would recommend the cutting down of a section of trees, which obstruct the view of the signal man of Tower 22.”  (Gettysburg Compiler, PA. “The Exeter Disaster,” 5-30-1899, p. 2.)

Adams and Seibold: After the Coroner’s inquest, “Berks County District Attorney Wilson H. Rothermel took charge of the investigation…joining with the Berks County coroner, and Montgomery County coroner G. R. McGlathery in an even more intensive probe.

“James Toal, an Exeter resident who said he witnessed the approach of the second section and the crash itself, told the jury he never saw the hind man of the first section run back, and never saw any danger signals displayed.

“Jonas Schwartz, telegraph operator at Exeter, confirmed that after the coal train broke down at Birdsboro, he informed the dispatchers in Reading of the breakdown. William Fox, conductor of the coal train, confirmed that following orders from Reading, he shifted 50 of his 73 cars from the southbound to northbound track. He was well aware that the move blocked both tracks, but felt the matter would be resolved in the towers and telegraphs between there and Reading.

“Throughout the hearings, dispatcher Rourke and Engineer Orrell leveled charges and counter-charges at one another. Rourke maintained that the necessary signals of danger were sent, but Orrell claimed he had seen no such warnings at any of the four towers between Reading and Exeter.

“But, Thomas Geiger, who was stationed at one of the towers, asserted that he positively did display the red board. Furthermore, Calvin Lesher, operator at the Exeter Station, said he, too, put up the red signal, and produced the order handed down to him from Reading that night.

“Interestingly, as the stories of the signal tower operators unfolded, it was discovered that one could not read, write or speak English, and another hadn’t had his eyes examined for 11 years.

“The tangled testimony continued, and the jury sorted through all details, eventually citing the individuals for their roles in the incident, burt deciding to charge them with misdemeanors rather than criminal manslaughter. Still, the misdemeanor charge under the ‘Safety of Travelers on Railroads’ act, carried a maximum punishment of five years in the state penitentiary and a five thousand dollar fine.

“The jury also suggested that the railroad tighten its procedures. There had been in effect a rule which kept trains dispatched at no less than five-minute intervals. The investigators suggested that because of increased traffic, and particularly at night, the span between dispatched trains be expanded to at least ten minutes.

“Further, the jury emphatically recommended that the entire signal system south of Reading be examined and revised. Orrell, who had appeared at the inquest wearing a bandage around his head, said the signaling system was antiquated, and while he as much as admitted to ‘reckless running,’ he said a telephone connection between the towers, and an automatic block system would probably have prevented the crash….” (pp. 135-137.)

Pottstown Mercury/Michael Snyder, 2012: “….it appears that none of the men went to jail or paid a financial penalty. The Reading Railroad conducted its own investigation and in the published report placed the responsibility for accident on the two engineers.” (Pottstown Mercury/M.T. Snyder. “First History: Exeter Horror train crash killed 29, injured 44.” 7-1-2012.)

Adams and Seibold: “The phrase ‘Exeter Wreck,’ became so vexing to the residents of the little village and to railroad officials that the name of the station, and thus the village, was changed to Lorane…after the crash.” (pp. 134-135)

 

Sources

Adams, Charles J. III and David J. Seibold. Great Train Wrecks of Eastern Pennsylvania.  Reading, PA: Exeter House Books, 1992.

Evening Democrat, Warren, PA. “Responsibility For the Exeter Wreck,” 5-27-1899, p. 1, col. 2.  Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=20341341

Evening Herald, Syracuse, NY. “Brakeman Testifies,” 5-22-1899, p. 6, col. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=37680842

Gettysburg Compiler, PA. “The Exeter Disaster,” 5-30-1899, p. 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=3104230

Kane Daily Republican, PA. “The Exeter Horror,” 5-26-1899, p. 1, col. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=105857196

Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Employees Are Blamed For the Terrible Railroad Accident at Exeter Station,” 5-25-1899, 1, col. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=126729245

Lebanon Daily Times, PA. “The Exeter Horror,” 5-16-1899, p. 2, col. 4. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=126729213

Logansport Journal, IN. “Twenty-Eight Killed; Frightful Wreck…,” 5-14-1899, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=83189327

New Oxford Item, PA. “Rear End Collision; Results in Twenty-nine Killed…,” 5-19-1899, p. 1, col. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=2896441

Simonds, W. E. (Editor). The American Date Book. Kama Publishing Co., 1902, 211 pages. Google digital preview accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JuiSjvd5owAC

Snyder, Michael T. (Journal Register News Service). “First History: Exeter Horror train crash killed 29, injured 44.” Pottstown Mercury, 7-1-2012. Accessed 9-9-2017 at:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/MP/20120701/LIFE01/120709980

Titusville Morning Herald, PA. “The Reading Horror,” 5-15-1899, p. 1., col. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=104687527

Trenton Evening Times, NJ. “27 People Killed in a Collision,” 5-13-1899, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=2327448

 

Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. “The Exeter Inquest,” 5-28-1899, p. 1, col. 7. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=139259908

Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “General News of the Week…,” 5-17-1899, p. 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=11082018