The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-25
fast MAIL train WRECKED
Breaking Of an Axle in Car Of an East
Bound Train the Cause.
TWO KILLED AND NINE INJURED
Engineer and Fireman Met with q Horri.
bic Dcath-The Engine Of the Mail
Train Topplcd Over Into the Canal.
Postal Clerks Lucky Escape.

Newport Pa, Oct 24.-The breaking
of an axle of a car of an east bound
freight train on the Pennsylvania rail-
road at Trimmer's Rock. about two
miles east Of here. shortly after 9
O'Clock this morning, threw several
cars Of the freight directly across the
passenger track and wrecked the west
bound mail train from Philadelphia
for Pittsburg that was speeding by at
the time. causing the death of two men
and the injury of nine others.
The Dead.
Daniel Wolfkill Altoona, engineer: and
Joseph u. Ha'nes, Altoona, fireman.
both of the mail train.
The Injured.
c. A. Chamberlain. of Harrisburg. arm
broken and wrist fractured.
T.. l.. Colville, Pittsburg, wound above
right ear and arm sprained.
+. l. Brand. OF Harrisburg. back of head
confused. slight cut over nose, wrist
sprained and arm injured
A. f. Woodruff. OF Lewistcwn. leg and
back sprained.
8. Groff, OF Mt Joy. confused abrasion OF
fingers.
A. T. Rowan. of Trenton. n. j., slight in
jury to shoulder and leg.
George Gilmore. confusion of shoulder
]. ]. Campbell. of Ca'itzin, abrasion OF
scalp and sprain Of knee.
Joseph Donald. or Min'in, treight brake
man. sprain OF lumbar muscles ana
sprain of left ankle
With the exception of Donald, all tho
injured are postal clerks. They were
taken to the city hospital. at Harris
burg. where none Of those Injured were
pronounced in a serious condition.
A Car Axle Brokc.
The mail train wrecked left Phlla-
ALL Il, n In nst a.
side the passenger sleeping and day
coaches. there We're six mail cars di-
rectly behind the engine. The train
ha a already entered the block and was
going at high rate of speed, when the
axle OF a car on an east bound freight
broke and threw several cars on the
track directly in front of the RAPIDLY
approaching mail. Engineer Wolfkiil
had hardly time to reverse his lever.
when his engine struck the freight cars
and turning completely around, toppled
over high embankment into the canal.
In the mail cars the postal clerks
Were busy distributing the mail and
how many of them escaped instant
death was remarkable. When the
crash came four of the mail cars were
smashed together in an uneXtricahl
mass and hustled from the tracks the
end of one car landing in the canal.
The injured clerks crawled from the
broken cars and escaped the dreaful
death of cremation, for the wreck soon
took fire and began to blaze flercely.
Help was telegraphed for to Harris
burg and Nfiffi'ntown. The Harrisburg
fire department and the staff of the
City hospital were hurried to the scene
on a special train. In the meanwhile
a wrecking crew had arrived and the
tu-A In hol
broken, and the rest of the train were
pulled away from the buring wreck
When the relief train from Harrisburg
arrived the firomen had but little to do.
as the four mail cars and their contents
were nearly consumed. but the physi-
clans were kept busy attending to the
Injured who were hurredly sent to
Harrisburg.
Engineer and Fireman Dead in the Canal
The wrecking crews at once started
to clear the track and within a few
hours trains were again running AS
usual past the scene of the wreck.
Down In the canal the bodies of Engi-
neer Wolfkill and Fireman Halnes were
buried beneath the weight of the mas
sive engine. The wrecking crews
worked increasingly and finally came
upon the body of WOfkill. The un-
fortunate engineer was round Standing
erect under the tender of the engine.
The body was only slightly bruised.
and the man had evidently drowned
Ike rat In a trap. 1t was not until
5.l5 this evening that the body Of
Fireman Haines was found. He had
evidently jumped when the wreck came
and had been caught beneath one Of
the mail cars. for he was found under
truck OF one Of the cars. One leg
was Gu. off and the body was other
wise badly mutilated. Both men were
married and leave a widow and two
children each. Wolfkill was one OF the
Oldest engineers in tine employ of the
railroad, while Haines was but 81 years
old
With the exception OF a few sacks
directed to Louisville, st. Louis. Orc
gon and one or two other points, the
mail In the wrecked cars were de-
stroyed. The sacks were in the end OF
the car that fell into the canal. but
the letters In them are badly damaged
from water.