Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-08
DEATH IN A TUNNEL.
Engineer and Fireman Smoked Into
Eternity at Sandy Creek.
SAVING TINE ON THE LAST TRIP.
Running Through Tunnel 4.40O Feet Long
Their Train Stuck.
THE JURY BLAMEs IT on TIE ENGINEER

An inquest was held at Sandy Creek last
night on the bodies of two men who met
their deaths under most peculiar circum-
stances. j. George Schafer, engineer, and
Richard B. johnson, fireman of dinkey
engine owned by the New York and Cleve-
land Gas Coal Company, met their deaths in
q tunnel from suffocation. Both men ha We
been employed by the company for more
than ten years. Schafer has been running
the engine for nearly II years, an d was q
sober, industrious man.
The tunnel is eight feet high and 4,4O0
feet long, leading from the tipple at the
Allegheny Valley Railroad through hill
to the company's mines in a hill beyond.
Between the two hills there is narrow
ravine, in which there are switch tracks and
sidings for the coal wagons loaded by the
minerk As the wagons or cars are loaded
the engine hauls them down to the tipple
on narrow-gauge track.
Returning From Their Work.
On Thursday evening the regular train of
wagons was being taken from the mines
There were 35 loaded wagons, the last three
being filled with miners on their wav home
from their days work. There was a slight
grade in the tunnel, and soon
after getting into 1t the miners
on the rear end observed the
train was moving very slowly.
Finally it stopped entirely. The miners
waited, wondering what was the trouble,
until great clouds of smoke began to roll
back and compelled them to get off and
for IL in hA
whence they came. The miners then
trudged up over the hill to White Ash,
where they lived, not daring to risk going
back into the tunnel, but not dreaming that
the engineer and fireman were in danger.
A few of the men passing down on the
other side of the hill observed that the train
had not come out. They waited awhile and
then deciding something was wrong started
in. One thousand four hundred feet from
the north entrance to the tunnel they came
to the engine. Engineer Schafer was found
lying across the bumper, dead. Back on
the engine they found Fireman johnson
lying across the cab floor, in front of the
frebox, also dead. From the positions of
the first to fall over from suffocation.
Schafer then started for the air, but only
got the length of the engine when he, too,
keeled over and expired.
Carried the Bodies Home.
The miners got aboard the engine, and
cutting 1t loose from the train. attempted
to run it out with the dead bodies aboard,
but there was not steam enough to run five
feet. The bodies were finally carried out
by the miners and taken to their homes
According to the evidence taken at the
Coroner's inquest last night, it had been a
custom of Engineer Schaier to allow his
steam, fire and water to run down on the
last trip from the mines, and it was fire.
quently the case that the train was almost
stalled in the tunnel, though this was the
first time it was actually stopped. 1t is
supposed that when they could get no
further the fireman and engineer began to
fire up, causing heavy smoke which sufo-
Gated them.
1t was brought out in the evidence that
the mine superintendent had cautioned
Schafer not to haul such heavy trains, as
the engine was not heavy enough. The
jury returned verdict of accidental death,
Schafer's being due to his own negligence
and Johnson's due to Schafer's negligence.
Scnafer was 81 years of age and johnson AZ,
both being married and leaving families.
Their funerals will take place at White Ash
to-day.