El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-03-22
KILLED HER ENGINEER.
G. H. Engine Bis Turned Over Last
Evening With Fatal Results.

Evening With Fatal Results.
The third of the three big Schenec-
tsdy locomotives, 815, jumped curve
early last evening five miles east of
Langtry while pulling an east bound
freight, turned over down the embank-
ment, fatally crushing her engin eer,
George Smith, aged 80, and badly
bruised her fireman, w. G. Dulling,
aged %. The locomotive rolled over
to the right, which accounts for the
runners not being able to save him
self. while the fireman on the left side
of the cab threw him out of bis
window, and according to reports es-
capped without broken bones, though
severely bruised and shaken up. Both
men live in San Antonio, and Smith
leaves wife ard two children, while
Dullnig is unmarried. Smith was
alive, it is reported when pulled out
from under the wrecked cab, but be-
tween the scalds from the broken
at team pipes and the crushing be re-
ceived, the poor fellow died during
the plight. His remains Rave been sent
on to San Antonio, where the fireman
has been also taken Efor treatment.
There was rumor that the hesd
brakeman was injured, but this has
not been verified. A wrecking train
was sent out Immediately from Ell
Paso with Supt. Martin and Wrecking
Master Borcherdiug, and remarkably
fast time was made to the wreck which
WAS reached about II o'clock. F. ur
empty box cars followed the engine
and were broken up.
Those three big Schenectadies have
now taken their turn over, and each
has killed her man. They were
brought from the Schenectady locomo
tive works some three gears ago to
run on the Sunset Limited. But while
being ''limbered up' on the freights
and passenger runs they Exhibited
traits of character" that made the
company go slow about trying them Oh
the Sunset flyers. Engine 813 while
pulling the paw train west bound jump
ped the track and turned over near
Tabor. killing Engineer Luff and Fire
man Burr. Then one month later. S14
while pulling the east bound regular
passenger near Malone turned over
and killed her Engineer Thompson.
These accidents. so near together and
so nearly related in character, caused
a deal of surmise and speculation. The
engines and their trucks are equipped
with brakes-a new feature for this
country, and supposition was in some
quarters that when the brakes were
applied to these truck wheels, it caused
a tendency tn buckle and camp on the
rail making it easy for the engine to
ride off the pivot and force the trucks
off the track. Others held that
the machines were improperly
equalized, aud there was too little
weight on the trucks. The first theory
was never proved satisfactorily, al
though the brakes were removed as a
precaution against further trouble
The latter theory was sufficiently we'll
thOuPht OF to warrant serious attention,
aud the local management had the en-
gipes re-equalized; that is, the equaliz-
ing levers so readjnsted as to throw
more of the weight of the engines onto
the trucks. Then all went we'll, and
the big machines have even been given
passengers runs without unfavorable
results, until last evening. 1t is very
rough country around Langtry, and
the condition of the track may have
caused the accident rather than any
fault of the engine. However, this will
be brought out in the investigation.
In the meantime public sympathy goes
out to the poor widow and orphans,
and lends additional emphasis to the
dangers that beset the life of railway
operative.