The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-08-02
A Boiler Bursts with Terrible Fatal Re-

rults.
There was a terrible accident Friday
morning at lonely spot on the Lehigh
Valley Road, about two miles aboye White
Maven, known as Brady's Switch. Engine
4i6 known as Mohawk was returning from
+ hFairYiew to White HaYen, alter assisting a
8heavy coal train up the mountain, when
her boiler bursted and the four men on
board at the time were Instantly killed.
Their names are. Jacob Hassell, aged AZ,
engineer, residing at East Mauch Chunk.
He leaves a wife aud nine children. John
Hassel, son OF Jacob, aged about IS, acting
as brakemen. John Armbruster, aged about
30, fireman residing at East Mauch Chunk.
He leayes a wife and one child. R. S.
Smith, aged 81, telegraph operator at Nes-
copeck, residing at White Haven.
AS none of those on board the engine
lived to tell the tale, and as not soul was
within u mile OF the spot at the time, how
the disaster happened and to what it was
due will never be known. The wreck was
first seen by Engineer Michael Greaney, of
engine 345, who, few minutes before nine,
came down the mountain with a train of
one hundred and twenty-five loaded coal
cars. He saw the wreck aoout one hund red
yards ahead, but his train was too heavy to
be stopped. WDistling down brakes, he
reversed his engine and ju nped from the
cab. His example was instantly followed
by the fireman, and the brakemen Of the
train aud all escaped without serious injury.
The coal train, however, dashed into the
wreck and in an instant engine and cars
were piled in a prOmiscuous heap OF ruins
over both tracks. About twenty coal cars
were smashed and piled up and many others
broken and deraled.
FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The crew Of the coal train hastened to
White Haven and sent word Of the dsast er
10 Superintendent Mitchell, at WIlkesbarre,
who promptly started wreckng train to
the scene, accompanying it himself, and
the work Of clearing the track was begun.
Mr.. Mitchell forwarded the bodies to their
homes and telegraphed for AN undertaken
to give them the necessary attention. BY
the violence of the explosion the mass Of
the wrecked engine had been thrown clear
off the track. It was terribly shattered.
The strong iron sheets and bars were rent,
snapped and twisted into the most fantastic
shapes. The machinery was altogether
destroyed and fragments Of wheels, bars,
boiler sheets, etc, were hurled around on
| all sides. So great was the violence that
| the tracks ives destroyed for considera BILE
distance, the railroad iron torn from its
fastenings aud the road bed transferred to
hole in the ground. The body of Jacob
Hassell was found one hundred yards from
the engine, among mass of wreck, man
| gled so horribly that il was difficult To
| identity His two arms were gone and his
left side was crushed in. Armbruster's
body was found two hundred yards distant,
in another direction, under a pile Ot Debris.
| His head was severed from the body
| The remains Of Smith were found under
;he engine crushed to q shapeless mass
The body Of John Hassell was lound in a
ditch one hundred yards away, with the
legs blown off.
CLEARING THE TRACK.
II was IL o'clock ere the track was clear
ed and rebuilt, though large gang Of men
were at work all day. The Lehigh Valley
trains were run over the Philadelphia and
Reading tracks between Wilkesbarre and
Penn Haven. The news Of the accident
created great excitement, as it was rumored
that an excursion train containing 400
people from hllktsOaTfe TO Mauch Chunk
was the train that ran into the wrecked
locomotive. A farmer who was now
ing wheat in a field three miles away heard
the report, which be says resemOed an
earthquake. His horses became unman-
ageabs in the reaper.
Hassell, the engineer, told his wife few
months ago that he thought his days as q
railr0ader were about over and that he felt
il in his mind that some great disaster
would soon occur. His wife tried to per-
suade him from believing anything of the
kind, but be was firm in his belief and
told her, in order that she might not suffer,
that he would haYe his life insured, which
be did. He joined the Knights Of Honor,
from whom she will receive so ,OOe. Smith
was the only support Of a widowed mother.
The loss 10 the company by the wreck will
be fully $4,000.
THE FUNERAL oF fHE VICTIMS.
The remains of Jtcob Hrsseli John ARM
brus ter snd John Hassell, zoe victims Of
last Fridays railroad accdrut, were inter-
red last Sunday in The Evergreen cemetery,