The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-03-16
RAILWAY
COLLAPSE.
Bridge and Treste at Boston Run
Break Down.
COAL TRAIN CARRIED WITH THEM,
The Members of the Grew Have Remarka-
BILE Escapes Prom Death-only
Couple Were Seriously In
jured-Men Fell with
the Cars
COAL TRAIN CARRIED WITH THEM,

One of the most remarkable railroad
wrecks ever recorded in this region occurred
on the Pennsylvania railroad yesterday near
the Boston Run colliery 1t was remarkable
on account of jeopardy in which the lives of
nine people was placed and yet only one was
seriously injured.
The accident was caused by the bridge and
trestle of the railroad giving way beneath
train of twelve gondOlas loaded with coal.
There were seven 10000 pound cars and
five cars of 10000 pounds each. All the
gondolas were wrecked together with the
rear engine and the tank of the front engine
Eight men went down with the train and
yet only one sustained injury that caused ap-
prehension.
The accident occurred at about half past
three o'clock. The train was pulled by en-
gine No. 1914, in charge of William Hspfer,
engineer, and Daniel Sullivan, fireman, and
pushed by engine No. 951, w. S. Sigfried
engineer and Harry Weker fireman.
Engineer Hetfer says that just after his
engine passed over the bridge he felt shock
to the train and heard the loud reports of
cracking and splitting timbers The front
part of his engine seemed to raise from the
track and slide backwards Like the lightn.
ing's flash tho thought occurred to Heffer
that the bridge and trestle were giving way
beneath the train and the engineer threw
open the engines throttle to the fullest ex-
tent. The engine plunged forward, tearing
itself away from the tender and carrying a
part of the lattsr's truck with it. As the
engine plunged forward it left the rails, but
remained on the safe part of the trestle
As Hepfer and Sullivan looked back they
saw their tender go down with the rest of
tho train. About nine spans of the trestle
and bridge broke, making pit about 65 feet
in length into which the goRdolas, front
tender and rear engine toppled. The push
| ing engine rested on top of a mass of wreck
age and was badly broken up.
That the men who were on the train es-
capped death is considered little short of
miracle. Hepfer and Sullivan were painfully
scalded about the legs. Conductor E. w.
Neifert was also on the front engine and he
escaped injury.
The victim who suffered the most was
| George Kleavenstine. He was on the third
gondola from the front engine and went
down under the wreckage. 1t required about
half an hour to get him out Dr. Enterline
of Mahanoy Plane, made q hurried examin-
alton and said the victim had sustained a
fracture of three ribs and possibly injury to
the spine.
John Preston, a brakeman, also had most
remarkable escape. He was buried to his
chin in tho coal from the gondolas and yet
was practically uninjured. The train was
loaded with chestnut and stove coal.
William Reilly, another brakeman, was
riding on the pilot of the pushing engine.
When he heard the cracking of the trestle
and bridge timbers he took a firm hold of
one of the flag posts on the pilot and went
down with the engine. In the descent he
lost his hold on the flag post and was hurled
on to a dirt bank. He escaped with some
bruises.
w. S. Sigfred engineer of the pushing
engine, went down with it and sustained a
fractured arm and severe decorations of the
scalp Fireman Harry Welker was cut about
the head and is supposed to be internally
injured. Frank A. Moore, q brakeman, was
injured, although he, too, went down with
the engine.
Another victim was Al. Geise, former
resident of town and now living at Frask,
vile. He is employed as P. & K. coal train
conductor and was homsuard bound after his
days work. He was cut and bruised about
the head and one of his knees was injured
1t was at first reported that his condition was
serious, but message from FIackville to-day
stated that he was not injured as bad as first
supposed All the members of the crew
reside at PottsVille. AS soon as the news Of
the wreck reached the Pennsylvania Railroad
headquarters at Pottsvills orders were issued
cancelling the regular passenger train tina
was to leave that place at 52t
p. m. on the short line route and the crew
was detailed to hasten to the scene of tn,
wreck with an engine and baggage car to re
t lieve the injured. In accordance with tbi
arrangement the crew of the wrecked traiI
was taken to Pottsyille on the baggage ca
and the more seriously injured members re
, moved to the Pottsville hospital
The railroad company then made arrange
ments to run all its trains to Shenandoah vi
Delano. No train left Pottsville until SO
' last night, 80 minutes behind the schedul
time. The run to Shenandoah was made il
the remarkably fast time of 5S minutes
close to the short route running time. Twic
the train stopped en- route on account of no
boxes and an accident befell the engine afte
it reached the Pennsylvania station in town
O The engine was being run on the track lead
ing to the turn table near Shenandoah June
/ tion when tho front truck of the tank brok
: down and the engine WAS disabled. A Wrecl
crew from Sunbury arrived this morning an
put new truck under the tank. In conse
quence of this work the train scheduled 70
!, s15 this morning did not start for Pottsvill
until after ten o'clock. The a. m. trail
was cancelled.
Q The wrecked treStle will throw the shoT
u route out of service until probably Frida
v noon, or night. The VIM. Penn colliery viii
9 be idle until the repairs can be made, as thi
u colliery is dependent upon the Pennsylvani
II Railroad for its car service and this service
" secured only by the short route. The col
liery officials say that if the bridge an
trestle are repaired by Friday night opera
tions at the colliery will be resumed on Mon
day The work at the trestle and bridg
u is being dono by Sunbury wreck crew i
charge of William G. Winter, wreckmastel
r and William Hockenbrocht, conductor.
5, The place where the wreck occurred was
l. point where the bridge spanned tho waite
9 troughs and tracks of the Boston Run co
, liery. Reese Tasker and William c. Richards
> of Mahanoy City, division and dlstri,
superintendentS, respectively, for the p. & /
C. & |. Co., were among tho early arrivals
k the scene of the wreck and with the wrsc
s. crew from Mahanoy Plane made rapid strid,
is in cleaning the debris away so as to perm