Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-08-29
HURLED TO THEIR DEATH.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON A GRAY
ITY ROAD DOWN A MOUNTAIN.

|
an awful bIunder on the part OF
some person not yet fixed upon an
accident took place this forenoon
on the Mount Penn Gravity Rail-
, road, which resulte l in the Instant
death of four persons, the fatal in-
| jury of at least three, and severe
and painful injuries to more than a
dozen. A closed excursion car
containing about twenty passen-
gers, and drawn by a locomotive,
left the Gravity station at 10
o'clock and proceeded up Mount
Penn. Tue ascent is made gradu-
ally 45 miles to the summit, about
1,200 feet above sea level. The
tram reached a level about 800
feet from the summit, where 1t
stopped. The engine, accOrdin g to
the custom, uncoupled, ran ahead
to a switch, and returned to get be-
hind the car TO push it to the sum.
NIT.
During this time 1t was noticed
that the brakes of the car did not
hold it, and chocks of wood were
placed under the wheels to prevent
it rolling backward. The train
hands fell to work to repair the
brake, aud when Engineer Kendall
was ready to push, the report was
made to him that all was right,
and be pushed the car up to the
summit, and there let it go, since
the car from that point descends
the mountain alone eight miles by
circultous route, and by gravity.
Instead of stopping for a while at
the summit tower, to allow passen'
gers to view the scenery, the car
went night ahead, the crew being
unable to stop it. 1t rapidly left
the summit and so quickly disap-
peared that the engineer, who sa"
the trouble, started his engine to
catch the car, but was unable to
overtake it.
| On sped the car, increasing its
voloclty every second. 1t proceed
ed a mile, safely turned the north
curve, aud then, with its acquired
momentum, began a trightful de
scent. Conductor Rettew, fully
understanding the situation, turned
to the panic.stricken passengers
told them all control of car haC
been lost, aud that they could lumI
for their lives if they wished, bn
that he would stick to the car.
By this time they were descend
ing at the rate of nearly a mile
minute. Women and childreT
screamed and caught hold of thel
husbands and fathers, implollnI
them not to jump. Frantic effort
were made to operate the brakes
bnt all in vain. The road is skirte'
with stumps and rocks, and t
Jump implied probably instan
death.
| Finally Brakeman Frank Ileltel
seeing Antietam curve ahead, leaI
ed from the car. lie landed o
his back and lay as il dead. Th1
did not deter others, and Mr.
| Nathan Scheltpr and Mrs. CoOpe
Of Allentown, the latter with
babe IN her arms, resolved to jam
:, also. aud, bidding all hasty goo'
, by, they leaped forward, and,
= the intense horror of the passeI
l gers, they saw the two wome
q and the babe strike head first an
=, roll over down a bank. They la
:. az If dead. Faster and faster IL
d car flew down the road. 1t ba
r been about SIX minutes making IL
y four miles traversed. Another mi
g remained. Conductor Rettew locke
Q ahead and saw Cemetery Cur
p. very near. He must have know
Is the car could not possibly g
II around that sharp turn. Still
J. remained, as did the others. L
C. next instant the car reached I
e. curve, and with a frighttul Jun
l. forward, aud with roaring, rus
ce ing noise, il broke from the ra
as and went crashing down a for
al foot emDankment amid trees a
$, rocks, turning upside down, Graz
es ing to pieces, and crushing
he people into the stumps and roc
The heavy car tore of trees slXt(
en- inches in diameter, so frightfnl Y
to the velocity of its descent. Th
a were hearl grolns of the manGl
Dd aud dying victims. The scene
to the accident was about block
ms the bill from the place of start
ice aud stopping, aud IN a few
he ments IA crowd had gathered
'le- set to work getting out the d.
TO and wounded.
ant Matter Over Mind.