Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-08-28
A FEARFUL RIDE.
Terrible Accident on the Reading Gravity
Road-N \ Car Fun Of Passengers Dashes
Down the Mountain Rt frightful yeloc-
ity- Many Killed and Injured

Terrible Accident on the Heading Gravity
| Road Tar Full Of Passengers Dashea
Down the Mountain at q frightfui YeIoo-
ity- Many Killed aud Injured.
READING, Pa, Aug 80 -On tho Mount
Penn Gravity railroad, a mountain routo
encircling Mount Penn, 500 feet above
the city, yesterday forenoon about l0:30
o'clock, car, containing about eight
cen passengers was taken from the
station TO the top of the mountain.
This consumed about thirty minutes.
On the top of the mountain there is a
high stone tower, where tho passen-
gers are allowed to alight to enjoy the
scenery for thirty miles around.
When the tower was reached the en-
gine was detached, when the car ran
away while the passengers were still on
board. The distance TO the point Of
starting IS five miles and il is estimated
that this was covered by the runaway
car in about three minutes, the car at
tanning fearful speed, estimated at
eighty miles an hour 1t remained on
the track TO tho foot OF the plane, and
went around all the curves, while the
passengers shrieRed in their fright
and several jumped of. When tho car
reached the station at the foot OF
the plane 1t jumped the track and rolled
down a fifty foot EN- bankment where it
landed upside down, with the passengers
imprisoned inside. The greatest ex-
cltement prevailed and soon large
crowd gathered. Doctors and ambu.
lances we're sent for and the dead and
injured removed. Four were taken out
dead These were: Charles Rettcw,
aged fifty-flve, conductor; Edgar NJ.
Levan, an attorney OF this city, aged
about forty; Miss Rosa Pfeiffer, young
lady OF this city, and Miss Harriet Hin
kle, Of Philadelphia. The following
will die: Mrs Hiram Schiller and
Mrs A. W. H. Schimel
The injured arc; sallie Bye and
Mary Guthrie OF Wilmington, both
badly hurt; Willie Schlmel Of this city
both legs broken; Miss Katie lloman,
seriously hurt about the head, not ex-
pected to live; Misses Bessie and Katio
Kelley, nieces OF Miss Homan, both
badly injured; Cornelius lIanlon OF Al
lentown, suffering from conclusion OF
tho BRAIN Mrs. Cornelius IIanlon, Of
Allentown, badly cut and bruised; Miss
Weller Of Allentown, badly hurt about
the head and chest; Mrs. Smith of Al
lentown, skull fractured; Mrs. Cooper
Of Allentown, cut in left temple and
about the eye and her baby also Sc
veroly injured.
Mrs. Schiller and Mrs. Cooper with
her baby in her arms iuNpcd fNour-she
car during its descent and were found
by Harry Brown, Of Philadelphia, who
had leaped from the car soon after it
started on its wild run, but escaped
withoutiniury.
Tho grade to the summit is very heavy |
and the descent OF the ears is always |
rapid. There is a ravine at the place of |
starting and just before this is reached |
on the down grade there Isl sharp curve,
at the point the accident occurred tho |
men losing control of the car The |
road was built at cost Of $50, 900 and |
had been in operation since May.
Norman b. Willsher, OF this city, who |
was standing at the foot Of the plane |
when the ear came dashing down the |
gives graphic story of the |
accident lleSays that he first heard q |
distant roar as II thunder, and looked |
up and saw the car coming down the |
bat sticking TO the tracks at
the rate Of about mile in forty-hve |
seconds. lie had barely time to recover
himself when the car, like a flash Of
dashed past the station
and down the embankment fifty |
feet below. lie was the first on the
ground and found the car turned upside
down and the passengers all thrown into
a confused mass, and that with the as
sistance Of others who arrived on the
ground he helped to carry out the dead
and injured. There were about a dozen
Of the latter with broken limbs and bat
tered heads and their clothing covered
with blood. AS the car fell the united
shrieks OF twenty voices added terror 70
the scene.
Superintendent Dechart gives as the
cause OF the accident the refusal OF the
brake 10 work properly. 1t was new
brake and was being experiments with.
A great many people visited the scene
Of the accident during the afternoon.
The car was splintered into kindling
wood and the escape Of single passen-
rar fp ,,,froculn,ta