The 1906 Atlantic City train wreck occurred in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Sunday October 28, 1906, when a

West Jersey and Seashore Railroad The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary in the U.S. state of New Jersey with a connection to Philadelphia. It was formed through the merger of several smaller roads in May 1896. At the end of 1925 i ...

electric train fell off a draw (swing) bridge, drowning 53 people.Haine

Accident

The newly-constructed bridge crossed The Thoroughfare, a creek separating Atlantic City from the mainland. On Sunday, October 28, 1906, the bridge had been opened to allow a small vessel to pass. At 2.20 p.m., the first eastbound train, which had left Camden an hour earlier, attempted to cross, but as it moved onto the bridge at a speed of 40 mph it derailed. After bumping along the ties (sleepers) for a few seconds the first two cars plunged 15 feet into the water. With doors shut and connecting doors closed, the passengers had very little chance to escape. The trailing car remained hanging from the bridge superstructure for a brief time before it slipped into the water. The brakeman traveling in this third car rushed to open the rear door as soon as the train left the rails and held it open to allow many passengers to escape, with only one or two escaping from the first two cars. Passengers broke windows in attempts to get free; several who escaped returned to rescue others. It was to the rear car that rescue efforts were soon directed, both from boats and from ropes let down from the bridge. A crowd of thousands quickly gathered, the terminal being nearby. Fifty-three people were killed in the accident.

Cause

The operation of the bridge had been tested after electrification of the line only one month before, and a westbound train had already crossed without incident after the opening of the drawbridge. To disengage, the bridge was raised slightly, but on that occasion, it had not returned to the correct level. The weight of the westbound train had depressed the bridge, so allowing it to pass, but the same had not happened for the eastbound. The accident resulted in what is regarded as the first

press release A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

when

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

expert

Ivy Lee Ivy Ledbetter Lee (July 16, 1877 – November 9, 1934) was an American publicity expert and a founder of modern public relations. Lee is best known for his public relations work with the Rockefeller Family. His first major client was the Penns ...

, working with the Pennsylvania Railroad, parent company of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad, convinced the company to present a statement to journalists at the scene of the accident. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' printed the release word-for-word on October 30, 1906.http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/press_release.htm Press Release

References

PRR Atlantic City Wreck
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atlantic City 1906 Railway accidents and incidents in New Jersey Railway accidents in 1906 1906 in New Jersey History of Atlantic City, New Jersey Transportation in Atlantic County, New Jersey Accidents and incidents involving Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge disasters in the United States Derailments in the United States October 1906 events

Accident

Cause

See also

References