FIVE PERSONS PERISH IN AUTOMOBILE WRECK

Pennsylvania Train Strikes Machine Squarely, Hurling It Clear of Track.

Cape May, N. J., Aug. 9.-Five persons were crushed to death tonight when an express train on the Pennsylvania railroad struck an automobile at Mill Lane crossing at West Jersey, on the Seashore railroad. The dead: FREDERICK W. FELDNER and wife, FRITZ MERGENTHALER and wife, M. C. JONES, chauffeur, all of Baltimore.

MERGENTHALER was the son-in-law of MR. and MRS. FELDNER. The party had been spending a few days in Atlantic City and this afternoon left for an automobile trip to Cape May.

As the automobile bore down toward the tracks, MRS. THOMAS MCNEIL, who resides close to the crossing, saw the rapidly approaching express and waved her hand for the automobile driver to stop his car, but the men did not see the danger signal or thought he could cross the tracks before the train reached him and dashed onto the road just as the train reached the crossing. The train struck the automobile squarely between the wheels and threw all of the occupants clear of the track. All five riders were instantly killed and badly cut and bruised. The bodies were quickly gathered together and a physician hurriedly summoned, but a glance at the mangled forms showed plainly there was no need for medical aid.

So severe was the impact that pieces of the machine were driven into the piston rod.

Victims Prominent.

Baltimore, Aug. 9.-ALBERT W. FELDNER of this city, who with his wife, son-in-law and daughter and their chauffeur were killed by a Pennsylvania express train near Cape May, was a lawyer of this city. He was associated with FRANK A. FURST, also of Baltimore, in a contract which contemplates the draining of the Everglades and other large enterprises.

MR. MERGENTHALER, also of this city, was the son of OTTMAR MERGENTHALER, inventor of the MERGENTHALER linotype.

The State, Columbia, SC 10 Aug 1910
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Transcribed by Linda Houston. Thank you, Linda!