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 and most expensive
freight wrecks i'm the history of the Bal
timore q Ohio Railroad occurred shortly
after y 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 moment were chasing down the
steeo grade at the rate of 20 miles an
hour. The two trains came together
with an awful crash and loaded freight
ears were piled fifty feet high.
At o o'clock Friday evening four un-
known trampS had been taken out Of the
Baltimore and Ohio wreck at Philson
station. Tramps who are now in the
Western Maryland hospital say that at
least u 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 or 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 i thrilling.
mi y. i, .,ff.a
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-
gineer Zane had the wheels of his engine
and 10 cars back of him locked dead with
air. The heavily loaded ears had attain
such frightful velocity, however. that it
" as impossible to check their speed on
the wet rails. The brakemeR and Con-
ductor J. J. Harbaugh clung TO the tops
of the cars, making their way towards
the rear end on all fours. Seeing that it
was impossible to save the train, Flag
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
lisiou came efore 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 - 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
| fiji To the left of the track some - feet
high. Both were severely cut and bruis-
Ell. but managed to get among the wreck
ed ears first and help out the injured.
When the two trains met the force of
| the collision sent the east-bound engine
| ploughing through the west-bOund train
! 300 yards. The main track and the sid
| ing for that distance were torn up as
| though dynamite had been exploded
every foot of the way. Engineer George
Kaufman, Of No. o., jumped as soon as
| possible after he saw the headlight of
the other engine. \ mile below he
heard the screaming Of the whistle and
the roar Of the runaway train and revers-
ed his engine. His fireman, William
| Shawlis, jumped just a. the two engines
| came together. He was found uncon-
scious in a field 80 yards away from the
tracks The only thing Shawlis remem-
bers i seeing the approaching headlight
and his impulse to jump. Not vestige
of the two engines remain together.
Immediately following the collision an
explosion occurred. Several ears on
train a were loaded with -four The
suppositiOn i that it was the flour dust
that exploded. The report awoke the
residents of Philson station and sent up a
cloud of milky whiteness.
The cries of the injured tramps attract
ed the attention of the trainmen as soon
as they regained their presence Of mind.
one body was recovered at daybreak
| Thursday, and since then three more
have been found. one of them colored
man. There was nothing on their bodies
to identify them.
The tramps in the Cumberland hoSpi-
tai state positively that they know of 10
men who ,ere beating their way over
the mountain on train -. Brakeman
Cornell i also positive that large num-
ber were aboard the train. They were
in a box car about the middle of the
train, and had the door fastened on the
inside to keep out the cold. Until all the
debris is cleared up it will be impossible
To tell whether these escaped injury and
left the scene in the excitement that fol-
/