The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-10-20
n1oHr MfN KILLED.
Another horrible Collision on the Lehieh
Valley Railroad

TAMAQUA, October 10 AT five minutes
after 8 O'Clock this morning two trains, a
freight and a ballast, collided with terrific
force on the new branch of the HazletOn
and Pottsville, division Of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, about Two miles east Of Delano
Eight men were killed and twenty.three In
iured, some so seriously that they will die.
Engine 1918, of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, left Delano with John Peck IN charge
of the throttle, with orders to run TO Lofty
regardless of all other trains. The ballast
train, with Engineer John Messersmith In
charge. left Lofty with orders TO make
Tamanend siding and to lay off there to al
low both the freight and passenger trains
to pass The ballast tram had caboose
aud gondola car ahead of it, and was just
slowing up to enter the switch when the
freight came laundering down the monn-
tain and collided with IL.
The two cars ahead of the ballast train
contained about fifty workmen, and eight
of these we're either killed outright OIL died
while being taken out of the wreck. At
the point the accident occurred an immense
horseshoe curve is described by the rail
road, to lessen the grade from Delano TO
| Quakake and the railroad runs along the
side OF the mountain down into the Quak-
AXE Valley, The branch of the Lehigh
Valley Road is used by the Pennsylvania
and Lehigh Roads in conjunction.
Engineer Peck was running his train at
a high rate of speed down the mountain TO
get out of the way of the passenger train.
He claims he saw no signs from the gravel
train and did not see them until he was al
most upon them. 1t was in. possible to stop
his train on the grade, even had lie seen
them sooner. Peck and his fireman Jump
ed and escaped with few inju ries. Messer-
smith, engineer of the Lehigh Valley bal-
last train, says he had sent nagmen out in
both directions when he slowed up to en-
ter the switch. They could not be seen,
IL is claimed, on account of the heavy fog
which chung 10 the mountains side and was
so thick as to prevent anyone seeing few
feet ahead.
The dead were taken TO Delano and laid
out in the station house, and most of the
injured were sent by the railroad company
to the State Miners Hospital at Ashland.
The force with which the two trains came
to gether may be illustrated by the fact that
part Of f, W. Gutders body waa found OH
the smoke stack of the engine of his train.
Before the accident he was standing on
car a good way back OF the engine. His
death was instantaneous.
Most of the killed and injured were Hun
garians and members Of the new Greek
church of Shenandoah. Both engines are
completely wrecked, and the two Gals which
contained the workingmen and were ahead
of the ballast train engine were smashed
into spinters. 1t seems miraculous that
any of the men in these cars escaped in
stant death, for the cars were literally
ground into kindling wood.
The company are at a loss as to where to
place the responsibility, and thorough in
| yestigaton will be made. Deputy Coroner
Flicker, of Tamanend, opened his inquest
this evening, but adjourned until to-mor-
row in order to take the testimony of the
Pennsylvania freight crew, who are in no
condition to testify before the jury this
evening.