Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-09-19


An awful accident occurred on the
Philadelphia and Erie railroad, shortly
before 8 O'Clock Saturday morning on,
mile west ofMuncy, caused by q collision
between the Ere mnil train north
which left Harrisburg at 4,20 in the
morning, and was due At Auncy ut 7.45
a. in., and an eastward bound freight
train. The engineer, W. X. Attick and
messenger, Jacob Stoinman were both
burned /, dea;h IN the debris before as-
a.id cxprcsI CARS I. go a,;s.S -
passenger and sleeping cars were not
damaged. Both engines and eight
cars laden with coal oil were destroyed.
The route agent Mr.. George Ii. Moore
house, made narrow escape. He was
thrown out of the express car but es
capped with low severe bruises. Both
locomotives and most of the freight cars
are total wreck. Two car loads OF
wheat and several coal oil cars were dc.
stroycd, and the baggage and express
cars with their contents consumed.
The engineer Of the passenger train
and the oxpressman were both burned
up in the wreck. No Others were SO.
riously hurt.
The accident is attributed to mis-.
understanding between line opera.
tor and the conductor OF the freight
train which collidcd with the Eric mail
west. The passenger train left Muncy
promptly "on time" and when turning
pretty sharp curve, about mile west
Of Muncy, Mr. VIM. X. Attick, the on.
gineer of the passenger train, saw the
freight train coming towards him and
in dangerous proximity. The heroic
and selfsacri6cing engineer immediate
ly applied the air brake, while Mr..
William Bailey, the engineer of the
freight train, gave the signal for "down
brakes reversing his engine, then
jumped off followed BY his fireman, both
escaping with few slight bruises.
The fireman of the passenger train also
jumped and saved his lite. The trains
were running at about 10 to IS miles
per hour.
The shock of the collision was hard.
ly over, says our informant, before the
oil from the tanks escaped and running
toward the locomotive setting fire to
the train, and in few moments the
mass Of debris was in flames. The ex
press and baggage car soon took fire.
In the express car were Messrs. Jacob
a. Steinman, the messenger, and Geo
Ill. Moorehouse, Of Harrisburg. The
latter is the agent of tho Adams ex-
press company, and was thrown out of
the side door of the car and flung upon
a bank on the side of the track, Mr..
Moorehouse was somewhat stunned,
hut when he returned to consciousness
he found the roof of the car over him.
He got out from nnder his unpleasant
position and went TO the wreck to look
for his companion. Hunting among
the ruins ofthe car be discovered Stein.
man on the floor, the body terribly
torn and bleeding, his entrails actually
hanging out over the safe, with life ex-
tinct. The messenger, evidently, had
been knocked down, and was so terri
bly, mangIcd by the flying boxes and
heavy goods when the shock came, and
bad the life almost instantly crushed
out of hin.
In very short time the flames, fed
by the flowing oil, reached the express
car, entirely consuming Stclnman's
body Not fragment Of bis remains
have since been found
Everything in charge Of the express
messenger was lost The total loss Is
estimated at from 1000 to $40, 900.
The engines, it is feared arc almost to-
tally ruined, whilo there was almost
one thousand bushels Of wheat lost,
together with the contents of five oil
cars, the express goods and the entlre
eleven cars, including the postal, bag
gage and express cars.