Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-09-27
A Car TelescOped.

westward bound ran into the rear
end OF the frst section at a point on
}the railroad seven and a half miles
east of this place. There was a leak
IN the air break pipes of first section
that t.ghtened the breaks and caus.
ed the train to stop a half mile east
of Van Dyke block station. The
train was conducted by Evard Robi-
son of Harrisburg, an experienced
and careful conductor who had every
reason to expect that second section
would be held at the nearest block
station at Thompsontown until his
train had passed off the block. With
that belief work was begun in re-
moving the leaking air pipe with the
object of replacing it with a new
piece, but before the work was ac-
complished second section conducted
by Samuel Miller of Harrisburg came
laundering along and ran into the
hind end of first section, telescopinc
the rear car No. CSC half way to the
front, and burying in the broken car
locomotive hob from sight as far
back as to the engineers cabin. The
engineer, George Merideth of Harris.
burg was not hurt. He saw the
train ahead when near to it, but had
time to reverse the engine and turn
on the breaks. If his engine had
penetrated the car few feet further,
he colld not have escaped for his
cabin would have been involved in
the wreckage, and he would have
been cooked in the steam of his own
locomotive The locomotive, pilot,
and all the machinery of the engine
was scraped off as far back as the en-
giue's cabin. The end of the boiler
was broken and the steam rushed in
to the car. Fortunately the car was
empty. Had there been passengers
in it, not one could have escaped, for
the rush of steam would have killed
all who might have escaped the
crush of the locomotive through the
millions of splinters of the broken
floor, and the broken stuff of IA seats
that were showed into the front end
of the car. The only person who was
hurt, and he was not seriously hurt,
was merchant Goodheart of Lewis
town, who was talking to J. H. Nicely,
Esq, who had been to Harrisburg
to the Democratic State convention.
The two men were seated facing
each other in two seats that bad been
''thrown together The run in gave
the passengers first jerk toward the
rear end of the car. and then a jerk
toward the forward end of the train.
The back of the seat in which Neely
sat kept him from going far, but
there being nothing to hold Good
heart he pitched headlong into Neely,
and then when both were thrown
forward, Goodheart was considerably
hurt by a side fall against the win
dow. The run-in put out most of
the lights in the car where these
men were and hurled hats, umbrellas
and valises and packages in promis-
cous confusion about in the car. Ev-I
erybody scrambled out, and took
look at the wreck. The air pipes on
first section were adjusted aud the
train was pulled far enough to pull
the telescoped car eff of the locomo-
tive of second section. The wrecked
car was then uncoupled from first
section, and the train proceeded on
its way westward. After getting
home Neely discovered that he had a
bruise on his right arm near the el-
bow. A new locomotive was provid-
ed for second section and the travel
of the train was thus soon proceeded
with. The Gismantled locomotive
and wrecked car were brought 10
tlis place and so fixed up as to
staud q trip to the Altoona Car
Shops where they will be properly
repaired. The wreck was caused by
the operator at Thompsontown tow
er permitting second section to pass
that place without having been in
formed from VanDyke Tower that
first section had passed off the block.
The neglect IN Thompsontown Tower
was noticed as second rushed by but
it was too late then to remedy, and
the next best thing WAS done and
that was to call the Harrisburg of
fee. Nothing could be done from
Harrisburg as the whole trouble was
on the block between Thompsontown
and Van Dyke, but the Harrisburg
Office promptly called the Office here,
and that was the first information
that the Tower at MifAin received
from the wreck The wreck crew
was speedily called, and the surgeons
of this town were summoned, for past
experience warranted srailroad auth,
oritY here i'll believing that some per-
sons would be killed and many in iur,
ed by such a run-in which would
have been the case had it not been
for the good fortune of having an
empty car for the inrushing locomo:
tive to telescope before reaching the
car filed with pass enger. That there
were no lives lost and no one seri
ous,y injured is not owing to any
good management on the part OF any
one unless 1t was on the part of the
engineer of locomotive 1103 who re,
versed the engine, but is owing to
the fact that the rear car of first sec.
ton was an empty car that was
being taken to Altoona for repairs
Among prominent citizens from Jun
iata on first section was George
: Fink and DIR. Lucien Banks
They had been at Harrisburg
attending the Democratic State
Convention. There Is no data at
hand as to whether first section had
hagman out, but that will all be re-
vealed in the railroad company's in
vestigation or Inquiry that led to
the causes that led to the run in.
A New Merchant Tailoring