The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-04
RIDINa no TmEIR DEATH.

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Their Machine, Begglng TO BE Shot
wtlkesbaFre Dispatch 70 Philadelphia Times.
An accident occurred this morning on
the Lehigh Valley Railroad, about one
mile north Of this city, which was attend,
ed with peculiarly horrible fatal circum'
stances, The Bufalo and Western ex.
press train from Philadelphia.aud New
York, due at this city at 1:l5A. NJ, left on
time. The engineer and fireman had been
changed. The engine was one Of the best
upon the road, and the engineer, Nicholas
shiliingers one Of the oldest, employees Of
the Company, had, akea his seat at the
lever. Henry stevenson, for the past hall
dozen years upon the payroll Of the COM
pany, was in the tireman's seat.
The eagnal was given and the long train,
loaded with human freight, started of at
q thirty.mile run. The bed OF the road
between Wtikesbarre and Pittston is or.
dinarily OF the very best and the curves
are regular aud long. The nine miles be-
tween stations are frequently made in
twelve minutee. This morning, however,
there was no special necessity Of crowding
the schedule time, and the train was
bounding along through the suburbs Of
the city at the usual even speed, when it
entered cutin the northern boundary OF
the Cty. It asneverS been considered q
particularly dangerous place, and no
watchman has ever been stationed there.
The train had proceeded but few hun.
dred yards into the cut when as the fire.
man said, "the engine began to go up aud
down" and an instant later it had, plung.
ed headlone into the right bank OF the cut
The engine-tender doubled over upon top
Of the engine-house, and buried in the
ruins were the engineer, Nicholas Shilling.
er, and Henry Stevenson, the fireman.
The pipes, filled with scalding water and
steam were broken, and their contents
turned upon the poor unfortunates lying
the train alone left the track, hut the
audiences ,of the suspension Of travel
produced several severe eontusions And
great fright Ladies' tainted and men
were thrown over backs etseats and upon
the floor. -, -.-,-,-, ..--,....,
Z, The voice Of the engineer and fireman,
crying piteonsly fop help, almost drowned
the noise of escaping steam. Shillinger
begged In the name OF humanity forsome-
body 10 kill him. He was q German and
in his brokenlacGent he pleaded: "Ifthere
be q man so kind to. me will. he shoot me
IN the heart or, cut my throat? aud when
he found his appeals for. deligeranGe from
his horrible position unavailing, he cried
like o child until Inconsistencies and
death hushed his voice. The fireman was
lying very close to him, but in 4 more
favorable position. The willing hands OF
succor were, however, greatly batfled Tor
some time in their determination 10 rem
der all the assistance human power conld
command. The escaping, steam was 50
dense that nothing coHld be seen around
the wreck but the fragments, and when
assistance did come the brave engineer was
past oil human aid. The fireman with
great difficulty was. extricated but died
thiAeyening. ..s-.sr ~; Il, Al -'i:!...sg:
o. Your Correspondent visited the families
OF the men. Stevenson; befere ssdeath,
lay upon q bed, writhing in agony and
praying for the end TO come, e.lHhy. was
not ! killed at once and put cut Of this
miseryP was his-oitrepeated ejaculation.
He said he was compelled to breathe air
ladened with furnace flames, while the
steam had 50 scalded him that the flesh
hung in shreds upon the upper portion Of
his body. His hands were burned to the
bone, and the fngetnails dropped off.
Shillinger, the engineer, is scarcely recog.
nizable by his old comrades Heleaves .
wife aud daughter. Stevenson had q wife
and two children. q ~ ~
All trains over the road have been stop.
ped OF misplace by reason Of the wreck,
and passengers and baggage have been
transferred. The immediate cause OF the
accident was q land,slide- from the lefl
ban - v IL a 4