Slatington, PA Train Hits Omnibus, Aug 1900

DEATH'S BIG HARVEST.

PASSENGER TRAIN CRASHES INTO AN OMNIBUS LOAD OF PEOPLE AT A CROSSING.

FIFTEEN KILLED, TEN INJURED.

VICTIMS WERE RETURNING FROM A FUNERAL WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

Slatington, Pa., Aug. 14. -- Fifteen persons were killed instantly and ten others, several of whom will die, were seriously injured in a grade crossing accident three miles east of this city. A passenger train on the Lehigh and New England railroad crashed into an omnibus containing twenty-eight persons. All the dead and injured were in the omnibus and but three escaped unhurt.
The accident happened about 5 o'clock in the evening. The omnibus, driven by a man of the name of PETERS, was returning to Slatington from a funeral; the occupants had been attending a funeral at Cherrysville. The dead and injured were nearly all relatives of SOPHIA SCHOEFFER, at whose funeral they had been present.

Sharp Curve in the Road.
The train was a special and consisted of an engine and one car. At the point at which the collision took place there is a sharp curve in the road and the omnibus came along at a fast rate of speed, the occupants unconscious of any impending danger. As the bus swung around the curve the engine and car came in sight. It was too late to stop either the omnibus or the train, and as the driver whipped up the four horses to cross the track ahead of the train the engine crashed into the vehicle.
The occupants were thrown in all directions, bruised and bleeding. Physicians and a special train were sent for and the injured were taken to South Bethlehem. No watchman is employed to warn teams or pedestrians of any approaching train, and those living in the vicinity of the accident say that it is impossible to hear an approaching train. A peculiar feature of the accident was that the horses drawing the omnibus escaped unhurt.

List of Dead and Injured.
The dead are:
MRS. SUSAN COHEN, aged 27.
MRS. WILLIAM KANE, aged 51, Walnutport.
DAVID KERN, aged 5, son of MR. and MRS. KERN.
MRS. JAMES KERN, aged 35, Slatington.
MRS. TILGHMAN, aged 35, Walnutport.
MRS. JAMES MINNICH, aged 33, Walnutport.
MRS. SAMUEL MUMMY, aged 58, Walnutport.
MRS. STEPHEN REINHARD, aged 60, Slatington.
ELI REMALEY, aged 70, Slatington.
MRS. ELI REMALEY, aged 65, Slatington.
MRS. ALFRED RHORIG, Walnutport.
MRS. ROBERT SEIBERT, Walnutport.
MISS CARRIE SMITH, aged 22, Walnutport.
MRS. ELIAS SOURWINE, aged 58, Slatington.
Unidentified Person.
The Injured:
MISS DIZLER, Walnutport, will die.
MISS LIZZIE JONES, Walnutport, will die.
LOUIS KUNTZ, may die.
GEORGE MINNICH, will probably die.
HARRY MINNICH, aged 10, will die.
ALICE NAGLE, will recover.
CARRIE NAGLE, may die.
MRS. WILLIAM ROSCH, hurt internally, may die.
BRYAN WALP, hurt internally, may die.
Unknown Person, may die.

Alton Telegraph Illinois 1900-08-16
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!