Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-23

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.i
READING, August 22.-By an awful
blunder on the part of some person not yet
fixed upon, a horrible accident took place
this forenoon on the Mount Penn Gravity
Railroad, which resulted in the instant
death of four persons, the fatal injury of at
least three, and severe and painful injuries
to dozen or more.
A closed excursion car containing about
20 passengers, and drawn by a locomotive,
LETT the gravity station at 10 o'clock and
proceeded up Mt. Penn. The ascent is
gradually made, distance of AZ miles to
the summit, about !, 200 feet above sea level.
The train reached a level about 500 feet
from the summit, where it stopped. The
engine, according to the custom, uncoupled,
ran ahead to switch, and returned to get
behind the car to push it to the summit.
During this time it was noticed that the
brakes of the car did not hold it, and chocks
of wood were placed under the wheels to pre-
vent it rolling backward. The train hands
fell to work to repair the brake, and when
Engineer Kendall was ready to push, the
report was made TO him that
ALL WAS RIGHT
and he pushed the car up to the summit
and there let it go, as the car from that
point descends the mountain alone eight
miles by circuitous route and by gravity.
Instead of stopping for awhile at the sum-
NIT tower to allow passengers to view the
scenery, the car went right ahead, the crew
Delng unable to stop IT. The car rapidly
left the summit, and so quickly disappeared
that the engineer, who saw the trouble,
started his engine To catch the car INIT was
unable To overtake II On sned the car in
creasino in velocity at every second Tt
nroceeded mile safely tnrned the north
eurve. and then beoan its friohtful descent
Conductor Rettew, fully realizing ali.
turned to the panic-stricken passengers, told
them the control of the car had been lost.
that they could iuup for their lives if thew
wished but that he would stick 10 the car.
Rv This time tbev were dsscendin1 AZ tba
rate of nearly mile a minute. Women and
children screamed and held on to their hus-
bands and fathers, imploring them not to
lump. Frantic efforts were made to operate
the brakes. but all in vain. The road
is skirted with stumps and rocks. and
to lump implied probably instant death.
,-,,.,,-c no
FINALLY Rrateman Frank HsIts- sss;n,
Antietam curve ahead, leaped from the car,
landed on his back and lay as if dead. This
melted others, and Mrs. Nathan Schetler
and Mrs. Cooper, the latter with a babe in
her arms, all of Allentown. resolved to
jump also, and bidding all a hasty good
bye. !eaPed forward, and to the intense hor-
ror OF tne panle-str1cken passengers, they
saw the TWO women and DaDe land on their
heads and roll over down bank. They
laid as If dead. Faster and faster the ear
flew down the road. 1t had been about six
minutes making the four miles traVersed.
Another mile remained. Conductor
Kettew looked anead and saw Cemetery
curve very near. He must have known the
car coulu IVs PosslOly ss' arou9u sn~' snarp
IT, 80 ,, 49,. - tha o. IoId 80 I 'o tT 0snes.
and with a frigHtfnI inmn Toward and w;,6
a rrsb;no noise IL Ios,od fror, a. -a;Ia -
q rusnlng noise ~ Ieapee Irom tne ralIS ana
"ens eia:Ins uo"u iHE IOcs emoanA-
neu1 amiu trees anu rocAs, turning upSlue
GOWN ana crushing Cne people undef IL INTO
the stumps ana rocks. line neaYY car tore
on trees 10 inches In dlameter-so frightful,
30 swift was the velocity OF its descent Then
were neard the groans OF the dying and the
mangIeo VICTIMS.
THE woRK OF Prscur
The scene OF tine accident was about .
square up the hill from the place of start
ing, and in few moments crowd bad,
gathered and set to work getting out the
lead and wounded
The dead conductor, Charles RetteW, aged
"a rho leaves a yuifa nd cavotaI obn1uo.
vas first found dead ten wards from the
urecked car He had baen bnrlad aoains.
, tree frjoht.ul cash was cnt in the Iaft
tide of his forehead. and all. his limbs were
broken. Under the rear end of the wrecked
,ar wedoed AGAINST stumns and rocks
ras neyt found the friobtfnllv manoIed
- rEd.rM -, 7,orn.. -
- -. 80 - tiIin5
AAu Oe'N i"''A'
FOURTEEN INJURED PASSENGERS.
All around these dead people lay about
loZeu people In heap, all badly injured.
They are:
dRS. WILLIAM A. II. SCHMEHL, wife Of a
Reading lawyer. suffering from conclusion Of
the brain. right1eg broken, left leg sprained,
head cut, severe bruises about the body, and
not expected 70 hVe.
LILLE, ner LV-year.olu son, Ootn ,egS Oroken.
.-"s,n1 80 IL, $500
rps HIRAM SCHETT.ER wife Of a Rs.d-
;no, ,ivsrv - man scoIn torn from the bac@ -
the head oasbes in the face limbs and hack
bruised yery seriously.
IARY GUTHRIE, wilmington. Del, head
badly cut and face gashed. Mrs. Guthrie
was visiting Mrs. SchmehI. and accompanied
her ON the gravity trim
IRIS. ARNOLD LEWIS of Auentown ur;..
broken head and limbs brnisad
EssIE KELLY. West Chester, left leg
broken below the knee.
-ATIE KELLY, sister of Bessie, confused