The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-12
C0LLlDED IN A CUT.
Five Trainmen Killed on the Le-
.ss*at assaa high Valley Railroad. .g:}.
AIR BRAKES FAILED TO WORK.
Speeding Down the Mountain Side,
Engineer Rohlflng Was Unable to
stop His Train at a Siding to Allow
the Buffalo Express to Pass.

Speeding Down the Mountain Side,
Engineer Rohlnng Was Unable to
stop His Train ut a Siding to Allow
t the Buffalo Express to Pass.
senger cars were wrecked, five train
men killed and five injured by headon
collision on the Lehigh Valley railroad.
nine miles east of this city, yesterday
morning. The names of the killed are:
John NcNally, engineer, Lehlghton;
William Toxheimer fireman., White
Haven; Fred CHASER. fireman, Mauch
Chunk; John McGreggor, express mes
senger, Wilkesbarre; Jacob Engleman,
brakeman, Easton. Injured: d. e.
Price, engineer, Easton; John Rohlfiing,
engineer East Mauch Chunk; Charles
H. Morgan, express messenger, Waver-
ly; John Schoenfeldt, brakeman. Mauch
Chunk; A. G. Boyle, baggage master,
Mauch Chunk.
The accident was due to the failure
of the air brakes to work. The express
reached White Haven station a little
. over- an hour late. ..w4 The" train was a
very heavy one, consisting of bag
gage car, express, mall, two day coach
es and four. Pullman sleepers.5 John
z. :.Rohifng, an engineer of 20 years ex.
/. perience, .wasas in charge, and John
Boyle was the fireman. Rohlfing got
an order at Tairview, the telegraph
station en- the top Of the Wilkesbarre
mountain, to proceed to Siding No.
and lay there until the Buffalo express,
bound east, passed him. The Buffalo
express left Wilkesbarre for New York
at a. m. on time. d. e. Price was at
the throttle. and William Toxheimer
was the fireman. This train was also
q heavy one, consisting of baggage,
mail, express, day coach and three
Pullmans An engine in charge of
John McNally and Fred CHASER, en-
gineer and fireman, respectively, was
coupled on to Prices engine to help him
pull the train up the mountain. Both
engineers had orders that they had the
right Of way and would pass the west
bound train at No. siding.
Under q heavy head of steam the two
locomotives pulled out for the run up
the mountain, the grade being 80 feet
to the mile. and there Is only a single
7 siding the eastbound train met the
westbound. The engineer of the lat
ter, Pohlfing, could not stop his train
to take the-sding. Before reaching the
switch he applied the air brakes, but
they would not hold. Then he whistled
for the hand brakes and reversed the
locomotive. But the momentum of the
train was too great to make quick
stop, and few seconds later the two
trains came together with a terrible
crash. The engines were wrecked and
the baggage, mail and express cars
piled upon them.
The collision occurred in a deep rock
cut, and the baggage and other cars
saved the passenger coaches from being
wrecked, The express and mail cars
We're smashed into klndling wood and
the baggage and mail scattered all over
the ground. The passengers, most Of
whom were asleep, were aroused by the
shock. but none were injured. although
some of them were thrown from their
berths and seats. When the wreckins
crews arrived. some of the passengers
rendered valuable assistance in getting
out the dead and injured. All the dead
We're badly mangled and scalded by
escaping steam. All the injured are
doing well with the exception of En-
gneer Price. He Is in critical condi-
tion.