Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-05-19
THRILLING ACCIDENTS.
RuNAwAN OARS ADVENTURES.
10 wrecks the Monongshels Freight incline
--rwo People Burt-up aud Down Ltsc
Iightning,

Lightning,
In Pittsburg the other day at the Mo
nopgahels freight incline, running from
Carson street to the summit OF Mount
WaSGing ton, the sigual from the starter
at the foot Of the inchne at Carson street,
was siven to engineer, Edward Barrett,
who was in his cab at the top of the hill.
He answered the signal all right and the
oar began its ascent at the ordinary rate
of speed. On the descending car was Il
two horse team and Henry Myers, the
diver, while John Weigil was employed
in painting the car. The two cars passed
each other at the half way point all right 4,
but when the car descending had
reached point about ten feet
from the bottom the oar suddenly stop
ped. In moment or so later the car, to
the surprise of the passengers started up
the iucline again rs rapidly rs II shot out
Of huge mortar, aud when II reached the
top went crashing through the engineer =
cab, and the pulling cables were drawn 50
tightly uyCr tho hugo sheivC wheels that
the center screw gave way, and then the
car started down the deoliyity, causing
wreck and disaster ia its descent Myers
had been thrown out near the bottom OF
the incline, aud near the top Wiegil was
hurled into the street, bat the horses rc
manned on until the car was nyGTtu uoi.
They were thrown Out a. q pOiut about
one third down the incline, and were
dashed 70 death. Ia the meantime p)r
tious of thr car and pieces of tue
| roadway were flying about in every
| direction, pprlous striking the car
Of the passenger incline, and breaking the
platform, while other parts tell through 10
| the Panhandle railway. When the wreck
| reached the bottom the debris was piled
up IN confused mass, the iron being
| twisted aud bent worse than IL 1t had been
| caused ~ 4 terrific boiler explosion, Inc
car o. tue other track, which had settled
into its place without doing any harm,
was struck by the flying timbers and was
! badly damaged. The accident WAS wit
messed by number of persons, aud 10 q
| few moments fully one thousand peOpl3
had gathered about the wreck l; was a.
| Grst supposed that the two men were
! buried under the debris but they were
subsequently found where they had fallen
| Henry Myers was cut and bruised all over
the body. and Wiegil, in addition 10 Sc
| rious fracture oi the leg, was cut auC
bruised about the head and face. Nethe
was fatally injured, according to Dr.. j, \
| Wilson, although their wounds will Gisahl'
them for some time.
| Tue accident was caused by srt !"n
obstruction to the machinery. Ia,
monster engines used in operating th,
freight iuclIne are reversed by an aux
iliary engine, and when Engineer Barrett
attempted to reverse when the cars wett
reaching the termini the small engine sud
denly locked on the centre. ln his effort
to help 1t over it started at full speed, auC
being reversed carried the car TO the tOI
again. 1t was at this juncture that tn
engineer became confused, and ran dow
into tho engine room below. but failed {
shut off the steam. Mr.. John Howath
the engineer of the passenger incline, sat
what had happened, and checking his car
just where they happened to be on tn
plano, rushed over to the other engin
room and succeeded in stopping the ey
gines, his presence Of mind pgeyentin
further disaster. 5000 damages au
three OF four weeks of non operation Of {,
road are the results Of the accident,