, 1899-01-07

Eternity-Death Caused by Break
ing Of Side Rod on Engine Which
Went Through the Cab-Served as
an Engineer Tw~enty-seven Years.
AT 2:35 this morning, thirty-nine
miles west of Laramie, and about half
a mile west of Harper station, on the
Union Pacific, while going at a schedule
speed of sixty miles an hour, occurred
a sad and shocking accident which re-
suited in the instant death of the we'll
known and highly respected engineer,
NJ. II. Wright or Mart as he was IA
miliarly known to all his friends.
The cause of death was the breaking
of the part known as the side o on
engine S07, a heavy steel shaft about
seven feet long, four incnes wide and
two inches thick, which connects the
two wheels together on the outside and
the power from the cylinders is exerted.
The rod broke in two, one piece, about
four feet long and the other three feet
and the piece which was on the large
driving wheel just under the cab was
driven through the cab, tearing a hole
through the oak timbers as though it
was an egg shell. Engineer Wright
was sitting on the box seat on the right
side of the engine, one hand on his
knee, the other on the air valve, when
suddenly the noise of the breaking was
heard and before anyone could move
the heavy peace of steel crashed up
through the cab, striking under the
seat and lifting it very quickly with
great force and therew Mr.. Wright and
the seat against the top of the cab,
then falling almost head first on the
iron floor of the cab. He never uttered
a sound or breathed another breath.
The rear brakeman went back
as quickly as possible and tagged
the second section which was only ten
minutes behind and coming at lightning
speed and averted amy further accident.
The fireman, Jas. Haran, who was on
the floor of the cab, was talking to Mr..
} Wright between intervals of coaling
and ,ooli Inc, .+ him wbar suddanlv tbe
o,.ss crashed and a summing ,u,as
, hard Tho Araman smoke and said IN
} the engineer: II guess we've broken
ldour" pefore Mr. Wriobt, co,ld an
su,ar tho hrokor, rod sbea +b,,o,,o,
, tho cab hitting him, I'm and ,be fol, on
his head on the floor. striking the end
of a niece of bose Fireman Marian
tbouo,bt at first no u,as st,,nned and
stretched him orr nuttinyc usb ion,mder
!, his head felt of his na,lse and II seemed
m baat found be wac not hraatb;np and
then ,be mt nm, tho dir and onened Tho
sand hoy the ira, in going hal, a mile
hefore stor,niny Whom sne +r.tn, sion
nod no renor+ed, to conductor POND
that tbe enyineer uras aired
tAh,er taking the ,hnoken n;eces on
tho train, nroceeded tn Rock creal
where another engine was suhst,t,ted
after a delay n, over swo hours
Tba enp,na was h,,o,,orbt in +hia noor
and was no badly damaged, the broken
rod thrashed around many times and
Ilstruck the engine zach time breaking
the running board, air pump and
slightly knocking of the air tank for
1.-THE driver brakes but went into the cab
but once.
The body was brought to Laramie at
noon and taken to the undertaking
lparlors of ]. w. Striker where the coro-
ner's Jury. consisting OF R. e. Fitch.
Andrew Miller and Jabez Cook, held an
inquest at 2 O'Clock this afternoon. An
examination disclosed the fact that
the skull at the base of the brain was
shattered and the right leg broken be,
tween the knee and thigh together with
other minor bruises. The face of the
deceased looked calm and peaceful and
no interval of suffering could possibly
have been felt. The Jury, after exam
lining the body. adjourned to R. e.
/. Fitch's office, where the Inquest is be-