Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-04
DEATH ON AN INCLINE
Matthew Watkins Falls Out of o Car
and Is Dragged 450 Feet.
HIS BODY TERRIBLY MANGLTD.
Frantic Passengers Unable to Help Him or
to Secure Aid.
OTHER FATAL AND MINOR ACCIDENTS

The horrible sensation of riding over rails
creased with human blood and grinding and
crushing fellow beings flesh and bone
without power to save or stay was expert
enced by carload of passengers on the
Castle Shannon Incline last evening.
Matthew Watkins, a resident of Cas-
tie Shannon, boarded the west
car about 6:15 o'clock for the pur-
pose of taking the train at the
half way station for his home. The car
had reached point about 100 feet from the
lower station when Watkins hat blew off.
He was standing near the front of the car
against the guard rail, and in reaching for
his hat the unfortunate man lost his bal
ance, falling off the car. The platform at
this point lies close to the rail, and before
any aid could be rendered by the horror
stricken passengers Watkins body became
firmly wedged between the car and the rail
One thousand five hundred feet above
stood the engineer with his hand on the
lever adding little more steam, entirely
unconscious of the cause of the sudden e1-
ira strain or that the lite of fellow man
was being ground out, while with but
slight pressure the other way he might
have been saved
Helpless Passengers Almost Frantic.
In the meantime the terror-stricken pas
sengers were trying to attract attention by
hallooing and screaming at the top of
their voices When the car had reached
within 100 feet of the halfway station the
conductor at that point, noticing the frantic
affO rfu Of fho % oxt
gave the signal to stop and at once hurried
to the spot. The body was wedged in so
tightly that it was necessary to lower the
car.
When Watkins was picked up he was
just breathing his last. The left leg had
disappeared and the other seemed to be
hanging in shreds. There was
scarcely a particle. of clothing left
The leg was found some distance down the
track, where it had fallen through the ties
to the ground. Watkins had been dragged
a distance of probably $50 yards before the
car was stopped. The body was taken to
the lower station and removed to the South
side morgue. A hasty examination showed
the left leg entirely separated from the body
and the right leg to be broken in half
dozen different places. caused by dropping
between the ties. besides his back and the
body was one mass of bruises
Making Plans for the Future.
About o'clock Lewis Johnston, of Castle
Shannon, called at Semmelrock Bros
and identified the body as that of Mathew
Watkins, colored man. He said that
Watkins had made his home with him for
the past II years, and knew him to be an in
dustrious, sober and honest man. He was
about 3S years of age and single, and
usually hired out as farm hand. "Watkins
was working yesterday for a Mr.. Marshall
about two miles back of Castle Shannon"
said Mr. Johnston, "but finished his work
early and came home. was busy planting
potatoes and he said he would help me when
he came back. He then started toward the
station and that was the last 1 saw of him
until noon."
Watkins by hard work had saved in the
of 50, 900 and also had his life
insured for about the same sum. He leaves
q widowed mother and sister who reside |
in North Carolina, but just |
where Mr. Johnston was unable to say.
The Coroner will hold an inquest this |
and the funeral of the unfortunate |
victim will take place from Semmelrock |
Bros establishment this afternoon. This |
Is the first accident that has ever occurred
on this incline. and the officials were natur-
ally considerably agitated over the affair.