Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-09-27
DOWN AN EhBANKMENT
A Frightful Accident on the Reading
Railroad.
HOW the Accident Oceurred-A Train
Load of Human Beings Thrown over
"A m L Mt Into ehe Rtu.r

Railroad.
How the Accident oeeurred-A Train
Load of Human Being. Thrown over
an Embankment Into the River.
| wreck occurred on the Reading Railroad,
fifteen miles above Reading, Pa, at about G. As
T. NJ IN which twenty-one people were killed
and fifty injured, it is the worst wreck that
has ever occurred in this section ia the his
tory of the Reading Railroad Company. The
train which met with the disaster left Read
ing at Cos o'clock, ten minutes late. Ii is
known as the Pottsville express and was run
ming at the rate of at least IS to 40 miles an
hour II had on board possibly, 1875 to $50
passengers, and consisted of engine, tender.
mail and express cars and three passenger
cars.
| Above Shoemakerville, there is a curve
where the railroadis about Is TO 20 feet higher
than the Schuylkill river. Here, shortly be-
| fore six O'Clock, freight train ian into a coal
train, throwing several cars on the opposite
| track, and before the train hands had time to
go back to warn any approaching train OF the
! danger the Pottsville express came around the
curve and ran into the wrecked coal cars on
| its track.
The engine went down the embankment,
l followed by the entire train with its human
freight. The scene was one of great horror.
The cries OF the imprisoned passengers were
| heartrendlng II was a scene never TO be for
gotten. Some of the passengers managed TO
| crawl out of the cars and arouse the neighbor-
4 hood. Physicians and surgeons and force of
| 5OO w0rkmen were taken to the spot by the
company. aud with the aid of travelling cleo
trio light plant the work of clearing away the
wreck was at once proceeded with, Work was
slow and the dead and dying were taken out
with great difficulty.
BRAKEMAN GILLEN's EXPERIENCE.
Brakeman Michael Gillen, who was stationed
in the middle of the train which was wreck
tells the following story:
= was sitting in the front end of the first
ladies' car. Suddenly ! felt tremendous
shock. Before could jump TO my feet there
was another, and then looking out through the
front end Of the car saw what appeared to be
coal train running into our train. For a
moment was too surprised 10 do anything
The window beside which had been sitting
was open, and | might have jumped, but
something seemed to warn Inc not 10 do it. and
! verify believe had done so would have
been killed. As | again looked forward
could zee the forward cars of the train being
KNOCK into the river and heard the sound Of
the cracking timber as they ground together
Ike kind,ing wood ] saw the entire side OF
the smoking car, which was just ahead Of mine,
torn out, and then ] turned my back think,
lug tudl my ldsi moment naQ come.
Many OF the passengers in our car were
screaming and several OF them had climbed
half way out of the windows. shouted TO
them to keep quiet, and the next instant our
car was struck and upset down the bank but
was not overturned. Seeing there WIS no i'm.
mediate danger for those in our car jumped
out into the river, which was about FIVE feet
ueeptnere, anu worked my way TO the forward
part OF the wreck
In one Of the wrecked ears, / don't know
whlGh OF it was, heard man shouting for
help I'm not caught and Pm not hurt, but
cant get out he said. He was penned in
the car like a rat in a box, and the wood was
blazing all about him. | secured n bucket
ana began throwing water on the fire and |
think the man was saved | had 10 work
alone Tor some time although there was a
crowd of people standing on the bank above
the wreck TO whom ! shouted TO come and
help me. They refused however, and 1t vas
some time before other help arrived. l tried
TO learn whore White, the engineer was but
he was pinned down under the engine and tho
water was So hot that we could net get at him
There were seven cars in the train and i've
OF them went down the bank. The mail ex.
pre- S, parlur and smoking ears were so badly
smashed that ! could not distinguish them
apart, except the latter. which stood with one.
half in the water and at right angles with the
tracks from which il had been thrown. Both
SIDES had been torn away, and many Of its
occupants were killed or Injured The two
cars behind us, day coach and Pullman ear
had not left the track, except the front truck
Of the former, and those occupying seats in
them received nothing more serious than o
severe shaking up.
When | saw what appeared to be the coal
tram running into us it was really our own
train smashing into tue coal cars which were
piled up across the tracks, as | afterward
learned. Why didn't jump from the open
ear-wlndow / can't tell, but if had done SO
would have been mashed under our car.
winch rolled down the bank at that point"
The only visible result of Mr.. Gillens ex.
citing experience is a trifiing scratch on the
leg, which, however, causes him no annoy
anee Another hand says he saw Gillen,
while standing up to his neck in the water,
throw water on a fire which had been started
in one Of the cars. He lays Gilien's action
extinguished the fire, thus preventing what
would have been an added horror.