Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-04

Last evening at half-past six o'clock
a serious accident occurred near the
east end of the Bellaire bridge over the
river. which resulted in the instant
death of two employees of the Baltimore
and Ohio Company-Frank Saltzgaver
and Patrick Flaherty, while a boy
named Reuben Nelson had his nose
broken and was otherwise slightly hurt.
Several others had very narrow escapes
from death, but fortunately came out
of the wreck without a scratch.
The cause of the accident was the
breaking of a pin near the middle of
west-bound freight No. 80, drawn by
engine No. 949. the section of cars
stopping on the bridge being run into
by yard engine No. 1104, Engineer
Harry Drummond.
The freight left the junction about
$40 or 6:25, and ran up the grade to
the east approach to the bridge. a
helper engine being about twelve cars
back from the head of the train, which
consisted of twenty-four loads. When
the middle of the train was at a point
between the Ohio River tracks and the
edge of the river, on the east end of
the bridge, a pin connecting the car i'm
mediately behind the helper with the
tender of that engine broke, and about
q dozen cars were thus cut loose from
the front end of the train.
When the train left the Junction it
was followed by yard engine No. 1104
and this engine ran pretty close to the
rear end of the freight up the incline
to the bridge. When the break occurr-
ed the loose cars slowed down and
either came to a full stop or were going
forward very slowly, eye-witnesses
differing about this. but all agree that
the yard engine following did not
slacken speed, and it crashed into the
caboOse on the rear of the freight
On the front foot board OF the yard
engine were John Habig, on the right
hand side, Patrick F'laherty in the mid
die. and Charles Zoeckler on the left
side-all being railroad men, employed
at the Junction and on their way home
to supper in Bellaire. In the cabOOSe
of the freight were Coleman Ney, Har-
ris Hartwig, Frank Saltsgaver and the
conductor of the train. whose name was
not ascertained. Reuben Nelson, the
boy injured, was some place about the
engine. most probably in the cab, as
the men on the foot board who survived
the accident do not iemeI60er seeing
him.
AS the yard engine bore down on the
rear end of the broken freight the sit
uation of the men on the fOOt-board can
be better imagined than described
They could not jump. for TO do so
would be to land at the edge of the
river nearly one hundred feet below,
while TO remain on the engine meant,
apparently, certain death. And the
predicament of those in the cabQose was
nearly as bad. as they knew of the
break in the train and could see the
yard engine bearing down upon them.
Two or three of the men ran to the end
Of the CabOOse to get out. but the con-
ductOr counseled them TO remain in the
car. saving it was sure death to Jump,
but Saltzgaber got out of the forward
door Of the cabOOse and started to
climb TO the top Of the freight car next
ahead. As his head rose TO the level
Of the car roof the engine struck the
other end of the caboose and jammed
the cabOOSe and freight car together.
catching his head between the two cars
and crushing the life out Of him in
stantly. The other men in the caboOse
were shaken up at a lively rate, but
were not hurt.
OF the three men-Zoeckler. Flaherty
and Habig-who were on the fOOt-bOard
of the engine. the middle man-Flaher-
twas instantly killed. his head be-
ing crushed and his brains scattered
over ZOeclller and Habig, who were on
either side Of him. The two last
named did not receive a scratch. a fact
which neither one can explain. Zoeck-
Ter. particularly, was in a dangerous
position. being on the left side of the
engine. which was the short" side Of
the curve. He jumped off the foot
board onto the end of the ties as the
engine and cabOOSe came together. and
holding on TO the hand rail Of the en-
CINE. was half dragged and half ran
alongside the engine until its mOmen-
tum was about stopped. when he let go
Habfg WIS on the right or outside. and
had a better chance than either Of the
others. The shock Of the collision par
TALLY appended the cabOose. upsetting
the stove. and there was a good chance
for a fire which might have had disas-
trous consequences, had not one Of the