The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-20

Runaway Railroad Train Rushing at the
Rate of Eighty Miles an Hour.


Rate of Eighty Miles an Hour.
Charleston star.
Mr.. w. III. Edwards was on the wild train and
witnessed all the horrors attending the killing
and wounding of seven men. After leaving the
u q q. railroad long stretch of level track is
had, leaving which heavy incline is had to
within short distance of the mines 1t fire.
quently occurs that the loaded cars are sent
down the incline without the aid of a ocomo-
tive, competent brakemen being placed on the
trains Shortly before o'clock on the day the
accident occurred. two loaded cars were detached
from the engine at the head of the incline, in
charge OF the brakemen. On the cars were
superintendent Layton S. Oakford, Mr.. Toman,
mining superintendent of the Coal Valley Coal
Company; Mr.. Amos Mitchell, tipple boss at
Coalburg; Mr. Hudson, coal dealer of Lewis
burg Mr.. Peacock and Mr.. Hall, miners of Coal
burg; Conductor Epperly and Mr.. Edwards The
cars, each containing eighteen tons of coal, were
started down the incline by detaching them from
the engine
DR. Oakford occupied position on the rear
bumper of the last car. standing on the right
side. On his left stood Mr.. Toman and Pea
cock, Mitchell and Edwards. Hall and Hudson
were on the rear bumper of the first car. Just
as the moved off Mr.. Epperly placed
hickory bar in the wheel of the rear car brake.
using it as an extra lever in applying force to
the brakes. He then ran over to the front car
and used the same means in tightening the
brake on that car BY this time the momentum
of the cars had increased greatly, causing
another turn to be had on the brakes, hut in
few seconds it became apparent to all on the
train that the brakes were failing to perform
their work. CONSERVATION seized every one,
and preparations were made to abandon the
train as speedily as possible, but before
any determination could be arrived at it was
plain that TO jump was to meet death in horri-
BILE form. Each second increased the velocity
of the A roar as if long express running
at the rate of sixty miles an hour was dashing
by, convinced the men on the wild cars that they
ln.,, u10l, 81
sixty minutes and then the fearful thought of
being hurled to death flashed upon their minds.
Suddenly Mr.. Oakford raised himself from be-
tween the cars, waved his hand to the men on
the rear and disappeared, the superstition
being that. being satisfied that he would be killed
if he remained on the cars, he jumped off after
waving hisIhand
Mr. Edwards says at this juncture: II saw
nothing of the other men now; the coal in the
cars was bubbling and boiling; thick cloud of
dust followed the lurchng cars, and the noise
was awful. threw away my hat, buttoned my
coat and prepared myself for Jump. To make
the leap at that time would have been to meet
with instant death, and my only chance for life
was to spring when the final crash came, which
| saw was not far distant My senses almost
left me: the rapidity with which the train was
moving had lost its terrors; peculiar fascna-
ton for the weird scene seemed to possess me,
and all my energies appeared to GEN.
ter in holding fast to the rim of the coal
hopper Suddenly | felt a jarring of the car,
and knew we had left the track. The next
instant sprang from my position on the bumper;
that leap | shall never forget. Instantly my
past life was photographed before my eyes, and
my only thought was short prayer, not spoken,
but flashed through my brain with mysterious
rapidity. The next thing remembered by me
was running among the grass and weeds, far
away from the wreck. The rear car had turned
over, and coal, wheels and springs were flying
thick in the air. In jumping struck upon my
feet in marshy ground, turned sornersault,
MIR God INV hpaH intn hn nd syrip uir
to my feet, a short distance. turned about
and found Peacock upon his back, lying on the
tie end of the track. He had fallen off the
wreck, and lay just where he had fallen; the
blood was flowing from his mouth nose aud
ears. and his skull seemed broken and badly
mashed. He died in about two hours.
Il found Mr.. Oakford dead He had tried to
drop himself from the train, that he might strike
an open space at a slack pile, but the projecting
platform at the store-house caught him. The
force of the collision tore off the ends of two
heavy oak planks from the platform, twisted the
spike which held them, and tore off the top of
one of his shoes, gashed terrible wound in his
side, and tossed him in the air, flingng him to
the ground with broken arms and fractured
skull. He never spoke.
Just above the store, in the bed OF the
branch, We found Mr.. Toman lying upon his
back. terribly injured. HIS right leg was broken,
his shoulder-blade smashed to atoms, and he re-
ceived other I'M uries on his head and body. He
died the next morning. A quarter of mile
further up the track Mr.. Mtchells body was
found lying by the railroad with his skull shat
tered and his brains scattered along the track
for many yards The wreck of the rear car
broke the connecting pin which held the two cars
together. and the front forward car sprang
loose and ran about half a mile further on
down the track and upset, finging Mr.; Hudson
out on the hillside, seriously but not fatally in
juring him He had rib or two broken, his
head was badly confused, but he was able to
walk up the track and help move the body of
NJ Hall uhoh bod fo1ln of
second wreck and had been instantly killed
1.-The time occupied, as near as l can Judge,
from the moment we started down the incline TO
the final wreck probably not longer than
two minutes, and the distance travelled was
about three miles.