Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-04-27
The BEAR ROCK CRASH
List Of the Dead in the Somer-
set Disaster.
RUNAWAY TRAIN ON A DOWN GRADE

An Engine Dragging Stone-Laden Cars
on a Quarry Road Does Not Obey the
Brakes and Crashes Into Standing Cars
Five Instantly Killed.
SOMERSET, Pa, April 27.-Five persons
have died so far rs the result of the catas-
trophe on Bear Rocks railroad, and at
least three others will die from their in
juries. The revised list of the dead is as
follows:
John A. Pile farmer.
Mrs John A. Pile.
Mary Pile, aged IL.
Russell Neff, aged 8.
Italian, name unknown.
Another unknown Italian is fatally in
jured, and will probably die before many
hours.
Engineer Neff, of the runaway locomo-
tive, was badly scalded about his arms and
back and Lad small bone in his left leg
broken. A number of Italian workmen
were more or less seriously injured by
jumping from the flying train.
The Bear Rock railroad is the property
of the Somerset stone quarry. 1t is only
two miles in length and extends from the
Milford station on the Somerset & Cam
bria railroad to the quarries at Bear Rock
About so Americans and Italians are EN-
ployed in the quarries getting out ant,
dressing building stone.
The road is equipped with a small loco
motive and II number of gondola cars, and
it is said to require all the power of the
engine to draw the loaded cars up the stiff
grade.
After the days work at the quarry the
train started for the Milford station. John
A. Pile, his wife and daughter were at the
quarry at the time and they We're invited
by the engineer to get on the engine and
ride to the junction of the road.
The engine was hauling two loaded cars
and started Away from the quarry at the
usual rate of speed. Suddenly the speed
of the train increased. Engineer Neil ap.
piled the air brake but, to his consterna
ton, found that it would not hold the train.
The train was beyond control Faster
and faster it sped, with ever-increasing
velocity, and when it dashed in sight of
| the junction, and the workman on the cars
| saw that they were about to collide with
| the loaded cars standing on the track
| ahead OF them, they ali jumped for their
| lives.
Engineer Neff, his son and the three
| Piles stuck to the engine, and when it
| crashed into the cars loaded with stone
| the three latter We're hurled under the
cars, huge mass OF stone falling upon
their bodies and grinding them into pulp.
Neff and his son were thrown to one
side of the engine where they were scalded
by escaping steam. The boy fingered il
| great agony for several hours when death
came to his relief The Italian who has
| since died, was also badly scalded by es
Gaping steam. His flesh was literally
boiled to the bone. John Murdoch, OF
Johnstown, president of the Stone com
/ pany, was on the runawa train. Ht
jumped for his life and was injured, how
badly is not known.
1t is not positively known how the acct
dent came about, but it is reported that
the engineer did not have steam pressure
enough to operate the brakes. 1t is prob
able that it occurred ON account of the
| slippery condition of the rails, made so by
the continued rainfall of the past ten days
| The accident and consequent loss is i
severe blow to the stone company.
The members of the company are all
residents of Somerset and Johnstown.