The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-13

| A runaway Ice train on the Tacka-
wanna road at Cresco yesterday aft
ernoon overlook and plouged into an
other train, killing two men outright
and injuring four others.
KILLED.
c. J. THOMAS, engineer, 23s Chestnut street.
West Scranton, aged 50 years; married and
father Of two children.
GEORGE CRAMER, berrypicker, East strouds.
burg
INJURED
Jacob Beam, brakeman, Manunka Chunk (boards
on Ninth street, West Scranton); head
gashed, two ribs broken and severely bruised
and cut
Thomas Shepperd fireman, sos Eynon street,
West Scranton; ankle sprained.
William Brink, brakeman, Lehgh cuts ard
| bruises.
T. r. Stevens, brakeman, 3i4 North Lincoln
avenue, West scranton; cuts and bruises.
Engineer Thomas remains and the
injured Scranton men were brought to
this city last night on a special I'm
dertaker Price took charge of the re-
mains. Brakeman Beam was taken to
the Moses Taylor hospital but the 9TH
ers went to their respective homes in
carriages. The remains OF Cramer
were taken to Stroudsburg. None of
the injured men, 1t is thought will die.
BRAKES DID NOT WORK.
The failure OF the air brakes to work
Is responsible for the wreck. The two
trains started from Tobyhanna at the
summit of the mountain bound for Ho-
boken and about fifteen minutes apart
The first train, with NJ. Frounfelter
as engineer, and Perry Singer, conduc-
tor, was made up of forty freight cars,
all loaded with ice and drawn by en-
gine No. 261.
The second train had forty-two cars
similarly loaded and was drawn by en-
gine No. $50, one of the big new
hogs" Jerry" Thomas was engineer,
Thomas Shepperd, fireman, and Alex
Widenor, conductor. Beam was the
middle brakeman on the first train.
Brink and Stevens were head and mid
die brakemen respectively on the Sec
ond train. The unfortunate berry
picker was stealing a ride on the Sec
ond train and was on the bumpers be-
tween two cars when the wreck oc-
Cured
Conductor Singer and his brakemen
saw the runaway coming and jumped.
Beam did not jump till just moment
before the collision, and as he lay on
the side Of the track partially stunned
by being thrown from his feet by the
jump, the wreckage of the second train
piled on top of him.
Conductor Widenor, of the second
train and his hind brakemen worked
at the brakes till all hope of stopping
the runaway had passed, and then,
cutting off the caboose and last car,
succeeded in Stacking their speed and
, finally bringing them to stop before
the crash came.
, Engineer Thomas was on the first
car and Fireman Shepperd on the
, eighth car of the runaway when the
collision occurred. When they saw 1t
was useless to try to stop the train
with the air brakes, they climbed back
to help set the hand brakes, and then
when 1t was apparent that no effort
of theirs could stop the furious rush
Of the runaway, they commenced to
: crawl on hands and knees as rapidly
: as they could that they might be as
I far as possible from the head end when
the inevitable crash would come.
ON THE FIRST CAR.
Engineer Thomas, who did not leave
. the engine till some moments after
Sheppard, got only as far as the rear
| end of the first car when the first
| train was overtaken. The speed and
: consequent lurching had increased SC
' much in the short interim that he did
not have the same opportunity for get
ting back that the firemen had. The
latter had to stop when he reached the
eighth car, End lying fiat hung on with
both hands to the foot board. 1t was
simply impossible to even crawl and
not be thrown off.
y The train travelled eight miles while
/. the fireman was making his way over
= the tops Of eight cars. When the
= crash occurred it was going ninety
: miles an hour, It is estimated.
II The two brakemen on the second
a train owe their escape from more seri'
Gus injury to the fact that they Were
o we'll back toward the rear of the
s train.
: Engineer Thomas and Cramer, the
/. berry-picker, were buried beneath &
G veritGble mountain of broken cars ant
blocks Of ice. The car which Fireman
Shepperd was clinging to raised hist
into the air and then slid down tht
embankment. The fireman was found
|. under the end of a car, which rested
at a slant on the truck Of another
car. All around him was splinteret
t wood, twisted iron and broken ice
3 but there wasn't a cut on his body ex
: cept across the fingers OF both hand!
: which were torn open in his desperate
r efforts to cling to the footboard.
o At first it was thought six boys wer,
: caught in the wreck, but this proved
: erroneous. They were aboard the trail
leaving Tobyhanna, but were dscov
q cred by Brakeman Brink and put off
S They called him vile names.
= WHERE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
The point where the accident oc
Cured is just about one hundred yard
south of Cresco station. Passenge
train No. g. bound north, was slowl.
pulling out of the station when tn
runaway passed on the opposite track
J, Below the wreck is a sharp curv
~ ~ bending to the north.
Just how the runaway "lost her air
will probably never be known. TIL
only man who could give an explana
tion is dead. Just before going owe
II the top of the hill he stopped and test
e ed the air. He remarked that h
= thought the air was not right but tn
test indicated that it was, and afte
calling in the flagman, he started OF
on his journey to death.
Brakeman Brink was on the engln
when the start down the hill was made
He had carried orders to the enginee
to run wildcat" He was about half
II | 1. A