On August 11, 1880 the mill community of Mays Landing would be called upon to serve in a most tragic circumstance. Just seven weeks before, the spur of the new railroad line of the West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad was opened, connecting the county's seat with the cities of Philadelphia and Atlantic City. It came by way of the Pennsylvania Railroad to move both passengers and freight, but more specifically raw cotton to locations nationwide.

On this historic date, the first traveler's excursion to the Jersey Shore would have been eagerly anticipated by the 1300+ working class men, women and children from their Port Richmond and Kensington neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Passengers were Irish immigrants hailing from St. Anne’s Literary Society and neighboring Philadelphia, PA churches. They left early from the city, taking the ferry into Camden, NJ then leaving for the shore on the twenty four chartered passenger cars. Rather than run one consist to Atlantic City, NJ, just prior to departure the party was divided into two trains, comprised of eight and sixteen passenger cars respectively. Not only were the cars over occupancy limits, but rules of the road would necessitate enforcement regarding lag time. On this first excursion of the inaugural season, their neglect would prove a deadly consequence.

After an adventurous day at the beach, the weary travelers boarded the cars for the return trip home. The first train left on a 6 PM departure, followed by the second at 6:05 PM. Seventeen miles from Atlantic City, during an evening summer storm, the trains reached the village of Mays Landing. They cleared the single track for the southbound express, just over the trestle bridge spanning the Great Egg Harbor River. While the first train was still clearing the track of the last two cars, the second locomotive telescoped the first in a rear end collision, erupting in a boiler explosion. Passengers in the last wooden car were scalded by the seething temperatures of the steam cylinder with an estimated 200 degrees. Thirty fatalities and sixty injuries were recorded due to burns, with the added inhalation of steam. The accident scene overwhelmed the town as the passengers nearly outnumbered the entire population of Mays Landing. Unprepared for the extent of the calamity, neighbors became unknowing first responders, while their homes were transformed into makeshift emergency rooms and morgues. A national telegraph system would alert dozens of newspapers across the country of the tragedy and acknowledging the kindness extended by the citizens of the South Jersey community. Curiously, most of New Jersey’s local and state press outlets provided minimal coverage of this major media event. Research into state archives as well as county records have implied a lack of candor in reports to government officials.

Between the cities of Philadelphia and Atlantic City the veil is lifting on the clues. Hospital records. Board meeting minutes. Court records. County documents. In an era when rails ruled the roads and class determined privilege, this story had very nearly been lost to time. In 2018, an effort was launched to bring an award winning filmmaker to Mays Landing to create a made for television documentary. Funding fell through and interest in the project fell by the wayside.

This TEASER was created as a submission for a Grant Application. A historic fictional account of “Between the Shore and the City-Tragedy in Mays Landing” is available at: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Shore-...

Thank you Steve Besserman and Arijoe Productions