The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-07
INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH.
Thrilling Story of the Runaway Train at
Sand Patch Tunnel

Sand Patch Tunnel
one of the worst aud most expensive
freight wrecks in the history OF the Bal
timore & Ohio Railroad occurred shortly !
after II o'clock Thursday night. near
Philson Siding, eight miles east of Sand
Patch tunnel. Fast freight train No. a
was scheduled to meet west-bound
freight No. - at the siding. Shortly
after starting down the grade the east
bound crew lost control of their train and
in a moment were chasing down the
steep grade at the rate of 20 miles an
hour. The two trains came together
with an awful crash and loaded freight
cars were piled fifty feet high.
At Q O'Clock Friday evening four nm
known tramps had been taken out Of the
baltimore and Ohio wreck at Philson
station. Trsmps who are now in the
Western Maryland hospital say that at
least - more are buried in the debris.
They were riding in the car ahead of the
one i'm which the injured tramps were,
and nothing has been seen OF heard from
them since the wreck occurred
The injured trainmen, none of whom
are seriously hurt, were taken TO their
homes in Connellsville Friday evening.
They are W. J. Zane. engineer, and
Thomas Owens, fireman, of east-bound
train "A, and Brakeman John Cornell.
Their story of the runaway train and the
wreck is thrilling.
The train left Sand Patch shortly after
midnight. Sixteen cars next the engine
were equipped with air brakes. Before
starting into the tunnel the hand brakes
on three cars on the rear end were set.
Two more were set after the brakemen
noticed that their train was getting be
yond control. By this time the east end
of the tunnel had been reached, and En-
gincer Zane had the wheels of his engine
and l6 cars back of him locked dead with
air. The heavily loaded cars had attain
such frightful velocity, however, that it
W as impossible TO check their speed on
the wet rails. The brakemen and Con-
dnctor J. J. Harbaugh clung to the tops
of the ears, making their way towards
the rear end on all fours Seeing that il
man Louis Geiger cut off the caboose two
miles west of Bowman station. Conduc-
tor Harbaugh and Brakeman q. j. Mick
ey uncoupled the three cars next to the
caboOse and stopped them. Brakeman
Cornell stuck to his post on the front end
of the train until the light in his lantern
went out. Then he went back over the
train with Fireman Owens. The col
lision came kefore they had gone two car
lengths.
Engineer Zane hung to the steps of his
engine for four miles. He said that he
had fully made up his mind to jump at
Bowman station, but his heart failed him
and he climbed back up in the cab, re-
signed to meet what he thought was GER
tain death.
Bowman was the passing point for
train a with west-bound train %. Engi-
neer Zane knew that he was sure to crash
into the pOnderous engine hauling No.
% up the mountain within few seconds,
and he hung to the whistle lever until he
saw the glimmer of its headlight. He
scrambled back over the tender and reach
ed the first box car before the two engines
came together. He knew nothing after
hat until Friday morning. Brakeman
Cornell and Fireman Owens were like
wise hurled from the top of a car over a
fill 10 the left of the track some 20 feet
high. Both were severely cut and bruis-
ed, but managed to get among the wreck
ed ears first and help out the injured.
When the two trains met the force ol
the collision sent the east-bound engine
ploughing through the west-bound train
800 yards. The main track and the sid
ing for that distance were torn up a
though dynamite had been exploded
every foot of the way. Engineer Georg,
Kaufman, of No. %, jumped as soon a
possible after he saw the headlight o
the other engine. A mile below h'
heard the screaming of the whistle anC
the roar of the runaway train and revers
ed his engine. His fireman, William
Shawlis, jumped just as the two engine
came together. He was found uncon
scious in field 30 yards away from tn
tracks. The only thing Shawlis remem
bers is seeing the approaching headlight
and his impulse to jump. Not a vestig,
of the two engines remain together.
/ Immediately following the collision al
explosion occurred Several cars OI
train "A were loaded with -four. Th
supposition is that it was the -four dus
: that exploded. The report awoke tn,
residents of Philson station and sent up
cloud of milky whiteness.
The cries of the injured tramps attract
ed the attention Of the trainmen As sool
as they regained their presence of mind
; One body was recovered at daybreal
Thursday, and since then three NOR
have been found, one of them a coloreS
; man. There was nothing on their bOdie:
TO identify them.
The tramps in the Cumberland hospi
tai state positively that they know of l
men who were beating their way owe
the mountain on train "A. Brakeman
Cornell is also positive that large mum
, Der were aboard the train. They wer
: in box car about the middle of tn
4 train. and had the door fastened on tn
r inside TO keep out the cold. Until all tn
= debris is cleared up it will be impossible
2 to tell whether these escaped injury ant
= lefl the scene in the excitement that fol
= lowed.