West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-02-03
OTgTHErRAcK ONAEnInGH.

or THE TRACE on AERIDGE.
ThT Narrow Escape OF Two Hum
dred F'"sNcnger.--A Broken Stecl
Rail.
Trains IN The Penasy lvania Railroad.
says The New York Sun. were formerly
obliged 10 cross the bridge over the Hack.
ensack River, just west of Marion, at a
very low rate Of speed. Nov, Il "a said,
almost every train crosses the bridge at
full speed. The bridge is between 400
and 800 feet long, aud has an ron draw
In the middle. The floor of the brid.e Is
about twenty-five feet above the water at
low tide. Wesley Washer has charge of
the bridge IN the day time, assisted 10y
Joseph Washer, his brother, and another
man. Yesterday Wesley Washer was in
his cabin, which is close to the railroad
tracks on the west side of the river. when
The Washington express which leaves .Jer-
eey City at 1910 A. N. went by. he said.
like a flash" The draw had not heen
open since Sunday, that being the last
boating day Of the season.
Joseph Washer walked across the bridge
after the express train, and saw nothing
amiss. Ten minutes later a New YORK
and New Brunswick special pulled out
from the Marion station, following the
washington express. The train shot across
the bridge at full speed until the west end
OF the draw was reached. Then there
was a crash. Tho three passenger cars
jumped tho track and went ploughing
their way along the plank flooring be-
tween the tracks. The engine and bag
gage and smoking cars did not leave
the tracks. After going about eighty
yards the trucks Of the passenger cars
went through the bridge, while the cars
Themselves toppled over on their sides,
obstructing the up or east-bound track
There were about 200 passengers in the
three cars.
My first thought said Washer, twas
to scnd a danger signal 10 the rear. |
handed a red flag 10 my brother Joseph,
and told him to run. rs far down the track
as he could. As he was leaving the bridge
on the other side the telegraph operator
who has q station there called out to him.
saying You necdn't go any further. l
won't let anything pass this side of
Marion My brothers. answer was:
I've got my orders, aud I'm going to
obey them He carried the signal nearly
to tue Marion station and stood by il.
Meanwhile the engineer had sent a danger
signal in the other direction 10 head off
any train hat might be approaching. and
prevent it from running into the overturn-
ed cars. Then | thought of the stoves
and the danger Of the passengers in the
three cars getting burned. The passcn.
gers were crawling out through the win
doWs, Women were screaming and moan
ing and children were crying. / kept On
thinking about the STOVES. | went to all
three of the cars, aud, strange to say. !
did not had n stove upset nor "a door open.
The passengers got out safe and alive,
Nobody was severely hurt. | saw one
boy with = pretty good bump on the for =
head and a baby which seemed to have re-
ceived a sound blow on tho nose.
The inside rail at the extreme
west end of the draw had snapped il two
lie a pipe stem abou, Eve icet from tb,
end. the steel rail had broken as scuar.ly
as IT it had been cut by a meChqnic The
bridge keeper wac inc iucd to believe tnat
the frost did it, while some of the officers
OF the company seemed to think that the
rail had been broken in opening and clos-
ing the draw. Others said it was prohe
bly, caused by unequal pressure on differ
ent parts of the draw
Had the right hand instead Of The left
hand rail broken, the cars, instead of ton
ping over on the opposite track. would
have tumbled down a precipice. and
struck on the tops of driven spiles. The
broken steel rail is TO be sent TO the com
psny's shops at Altoona to be tested. II
Is said that the daily Kew York and Chi.
cago express crosses this bridge at the
rate of forty-fye miles an hour.