Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-27
SOME STORIES OF IT.
Three of the Escaped Ones Tell Thrilling
Tales of the Wreck.

Three of the Escaped Ones Tell Thrilling
Tales of the Wreck.
From the statements made by several Of
the wounded men taken from the wrecked
train, who were brought to this city, there is
killed than was at first supposed. Only three
we're taken to the hospitals in Pittsburg,
the majority of wounded being given over to
| the care of Greensburg authorities. Patrick
| Flanagan, Louis While and Frank Lewis
are at the Homeopathic Hospital, none
having injuries necessarily fatal.
Flanagan was injured about the limbs
and chest and possibly internally. He,
however, told thrilling story to THE DIS
PATCH writer. 81 had been working at
Johnstown," said he, 'and was coming into
Pittsburg on the west-bound train. A stop
was made at Derry, where IL men got aboard.
1 was sitting on cart ON the fat car. 1t
was half full of slack coal. Our car was
the first in the rear of the engine, and when
the first crash came was thrown violently
forward and covered up with coal and
broken timber. Then followed another
shock. My first impulse was to free myself,
but something was lying heavily across my
legs which prevented me from doing so. My
head, arms and body we're free, and worked
to pull myself out, but could not. Some of
the men took axes, and by that means ex-
| tricated me after cried for help.
There were several near me, buried insthe
rubbish, and their groans were horrible 1t
was too dark TO see much, but my recollec-
tion is that there were 80 men, at least on
the car behind us. 1t was literally covered
up by the debris. Our engine turned over
and rolled over the embankment. 1 did not
lose consciousness once. 1t was frightful
experience, and wonder how I escaped
| alive"
Louis While, of Indiana, was on the same
car. II was sitting on the end of the car"
he said, talking to man, when suddenly
1 was thrown feet foremost half the length
of it. I was struck with flying timber and
coal dust. The car just seemed to go to
pieces like frail piece of wood. fortu-
nately was not fastened, but could not see,
being temporarily blinded by being struck
in the face with stuff
An Italian who gave his name as Frank
Lewis was also on the train. He is at the
Homeopathic. He couldn't tell anything
about the wreck. He is injured internally
and bruised.
There were none of the injured ones at the
West Penn or Mercy Hospitals.
seriously. He was taken to his home on
Frankstown avenue.
The Pennsylvania Railroad people say
that most all the killed were tramps claim
ing to be laborers, stealing rides from dif-
ferent points, and many of them will never
be identified.
The loss to the company will aggregate
very large sum, but as yet it is not definitely
known what it will be. Train Dispatcher
Pitcairn is now at the scene, but very meager
reports were received from him by the Office
last night
Mr.. james Blaney. the engineer of the
east-bound freight train which was in the
wreck, was at the Union depot last night
when DISPATCH reporter met him.
Mr.. Blaney left Pittsburg with his train
of eight cars freighted with all kinds of high
class goods. The number of his engine was
1882 and the name of his fireman was C.
Kimmich. Blaney's engine was pushing
his train and he got on the Loyalhanna
bridge at 2:25 o'clock where he noticed a
shifting engine standing quiet on the oppo-
site track. Braney advanced with his train
and he soon noticed the west-bound freight
train coming along. But before he was
able to realize that the shifting train and
the freight train were on the same track the
freight train struck the shifter and he felt
his engine shake. In the next moment the
cab of his engine was lifted clear off the
track and he saw it fly clear over his head
into the river below.
Il have been an engineer for the last Is
years" said he, "and 1 have had many
narrow escape, but never was so near
deaths door as at that moment Before
knew exactly what was about everything
before me was sweptaway, and what surprises
me more than anything else is the fact that
not man of my train was seriously injured.
There were altogether eight of us, and while
we all were more or less bruised, nobody
received fatal injury.
The west-bound freight must have had
about 20 cars, and about 18 of them went
clear over the bridge. The number OF the
engine on that train was 1913. and George
Froehlich, the fireman, was we'll known in
Pittsburg. His wife is the daughter of
John Hallwell, an engineer of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, who lives here.