Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-16
DOWN A MOUNTAIN SIDE.
PASSENGER TRAIN WRECKED NEAR
POND CREEK JUNCTION.
Engineer Doud Died from Wounds Re-
ceived in the Disaster-Twenty or More
People Seriously Hurt by the Train
Going Over IA Steep EmbanIsment.

People Seriously Hurt by the Train
Going Over Steep Embankment.
The Lehigh Valley passenger train
which arrives here at 2.33 p. m. was
wrecked on Monday near Pond Creek
Engineer William Doud was killed and
about twenty passengers were more or
less injured. The accident occurred on
a heavy curve on the mountain side a
few hundred yards above Pond Creek
Junction, on the Jersey Central tracks,
which are used by the Valley trains from
Pond Creek to White Haven. A COW
was struck by the engine and derailed
the train, causing the disaster.
The train left White Haven shortly
after 2 o'clock, in charge of the follow
ing crew: Engineer, William Doud; fire
man, Bernard Mooney,-conduc
Joseph Holler; baggage master, Daniel
Sager; brakeman, Andrew Haggerty; all
OF Hazlcton. The train consisted of
engine No. All, two passenger coaches
and baggage car.
The road along there contains many
abrupt curves. On the left side, coming
from White Haven, the mountain rises
to great height; while on the right
there is steep incline to the valley be-
low, ranging from 100 to 200 feet, which
in some parts is almost perpendicular.
Engineer Doud was looking ahead
while coming around the last of the
large curves before the junction is
reached. He saw u cow on the track,
and Immediately reversed the engine
and applied the brakes. Standing on
the narrow course, with the high
mountain on one side and the valley
below, the animal had no opportunity to
escape.
Before the train, which was making
thirty miles an hour, could stop, the
cow was struck and tossed in the air.
1t fell in a heap between the rails. The
engine passed over, but the bulk raised
the trucks sufficiently to derail the
locomotive, and it went bounding over
the ties towards the right, followed by
the three cars.
The shock broke the coupling between
the engine and first car, and the former
went over the bank less than 200 feet
from where it left the track. 1t landed
on its right side thirty feet below the
rails, smashing the cab and wrecking
the big machine completely. The water
and coal tank was twisted in such shape
that its rear end faced the track,
position which afterwards saved the
first car from rolling down the hill.
In the meantime the cars were follow
ing tho course taken by the locomotive.
The three kept together tolerably well
while skipping over the ties and soft
earth. The passengers had felt the
emergency brake so on and knew by
the jolting that the train was dcrailed
Slowly they found the cars tipping over
Those on the right side could see them
selves going closer to the ground
fellow passengers on the left were being
raised higher and higher.
The speed of the train then was not
very great, but the position of the cars
prevented any one from jumping Off
Everybody grasped hold of something to
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crash. When the middle of the first
car reached the point where the engine
went down The three cars rose together
and topped over on their right sides,
landing twenty feet down the bank.
The rear cars weight was thrown
against stout telegraph pole, which
bent downward but held its burden of
human lives most wonderfully. The
second car buried its right side in the
mountain earth and was prevented from
rolling by the strong coupling between
II and the last car. The first cars side
and roof crashed against the engines
tank, which held it up. All three laid
together In straight line.
A fow lengths of rails were torn up,
some ties were overturned and the car
cass of the cow was scattered along the
track, but beyond this not vestige of
the wreck remained on the rails.
Everything in connection with the train
had gone over the steep embankment.
When the passengers and train hands
who were not seriously hurt crawled ont
the upper windows, they began the work
of rescung their more unfortunate COM
panions. The wrecked engine attract
ed notice first. Steam was escaping
from every point, water was rushing
from the pipes around the boiler, and
with women, children and men scream
ing with pain in the cars the scene
made the stoutest hearts quake.
Engineer Doud was found under the
locomotive, partly pinned down. The
steam was burning him badly, but he re-
gained consciousness and helped the men
to get himself out Fireman Mooney
was also scalded and bruised, but not
seriously.
Attention was then given to the
passengers. One by one they were re-
moved from their perilous positions.
Several appeared to be seriously
injured but when all were taken out
and it was learned that none were kill
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