The daily gazette., 1879-11-03

| SION THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
AvERTED, BUT WAS NoT-DETAILs
| OF THE SAD AFFAIR.
John Gallagher, Edward Sasse and
harry Meredith, employees of the p,
W. u B. X. X. Co., were fatally crushed
by collision, near Browbtown, on Sat
urday night, and died on Sunday morn
ing. The accident was caused by the
collision Of shifting engine No. o, with
a freight train, and the three victims
were in the cab Of the shifter when the
collision occurred. 1t was an accident
peculiar in its nature, and calculated TO
create the Impression that with ordinary
care or precaution it might have been
averted.
HOW 1T OCCURRED.
Shifting engine No. 0 left the p, w.
" b. X. X, depot, shortly after 10 o.
clock, Saturday night, with a lot of
freight cars, and took them out towards
the Delaware junction, stopping near
Browntown, just beyond the Delaware
Western crossing. The train hands
were conductor WIN. Gallagher, engi-
neer Thomas DeCamp, fireman David
Grantland, and brakemen Alfred j.
Grant, Lawrence kettlewood and Harry
Darragb. Conductor Gallagher left the
train standing on siding, with the for
ward car resting squarely on the south
bound track, and then, leaving it in
charge of kettlewOod, Darragh and
Grant, went on to the junction with the
shifter.
At the junction shifting engine No. G
was taking water at the tank. This
shifting engine generally remains here
all night, and is employed in making up
freight trains from the cars brought out
by the other shifters. On No. o at the
time were VIM. z. Shipley, conductor,
John Gallagher engineer, Edward l.
Shields, fireman, and Edward Sasse,
Harry Meredith and Edward Reed,
brakemen.
Conductor Gallagher, of No. 0, went
over to engine No. q, and told Conduc-
tor Shipley to 60 back and get the cars
he had left on the crossing, but did not,
according to Shipley's statement, say
that the forward end of the train was
resting on the main track. Conductor
Gallagher then went back to No. o and
started towards the city, running on the
north bound track, while No. 6 started
in the same direction, on the south
bound track, for the purpose of taking
the cars and making up train. Both
shifLers were running backwards. Be-
fore starting, however, fireman Shields
went over and got on No. 0, for the pur-
pose, as he afterwards stated, of "gettlng
a smoke" and as he rema ned on No.
he thus saved himself from serious ac-
cident, or probably death.
RUSHING TO DEATH.
Engine No. 6,from all accounts, steam
ed back rapidly, and soon overhauled
No. 0, when it occurred TO Conductor
Gallagher that No. was running at a
rate too rapid to be consistent with safe
ty considering that the track was imped-
ed by freight train. The night was
cloudless and the moon shone with great
brilliancy, making it possible to discern
objects on the track for long distance ;
but in order to be doubly sure he lean
ed out of the cab and signalled No. 9 to
slow up as he went whizzing by. He
also cried out to engineer Gallagher to
"look out for the cats," and brakemen
Kettewood and Grant, who We're station.
ed at the cars, swung their lanterns as q
warning to No. 6 to slow up.
When it was too late engineer Gala
CHER, of No. @, attempted to stop, and
reversed his engine. His speed was too
great, however, and the engine instead
of obeying the impulse Of the steam,
went sliding over the track at a rapid
rate. Conductor Shipley, seeing the
danger, sprang from the door of the cab,
alighting safely on his feet, and Edward
Reed Jumped out of the window on the
other side. Reed came very near getting
under the wheels of No. 8, which was
coming close behind on the adjoining
track, and was also severely bruised by
his reckless jump. The other three men
stayed in the cab, Gallagher attending
to his engine, Meredith reclining on the
footboard, while Sasse sat on the coal
bunker, and had just been engaged in
e.tng his supper.
CRUSHED BY THE COLLISION.
This was the position OF the men when
the collision occurred. Meredith and
Sasse seem to have had no intimation OF
the impending accident in time to make
an attempt to escape, while Gallagher
was busy with his engine. The shiftel
rushed into the end of the freight cal
with fearful force, and in an instant the
cab was broken into fragments, crushing
, the unfortunate men In the broken tim
. bers, and jammlng them forcibly against
the end of the boiler. Here they were
fastened, unable to help themselves,w
the steam began to escape from the boil.
. er and thus rendered their situation still
} more horrible. They were fearfully in
jured, and their groans at once gave
those on the other train an intimation ol
the terrible character of the accident.
Brakeman Alfred Grant,of No. gare
was on the front freight car, waving his
, l.ntern more and more vigorously as t! G
conviction grew upon him that the COLI
: sion was inevitable. When it was un-
!. slfe for him TO longer remain on the car
he retreated to the next car, and even
here the force of the collision was SC
great as to throw him to the ground
He Immediately jumped up, and accom-
panied by Kettlewood, ran TO the engine;
a Conductor Gallagher, Of No. o, arrived
3 at the place about the same time; ne
a leaped from his engine as soon as ne saw
r Reed jump from No. q, his object peine
: to prevent him, if pt ssible, from falllne
under the wheels of No. 8. Conductol
I Gallagher made successive attempts te
Q release the three injured men from thell
nainful nositions. but was unable to dc