Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-02-06
MANY LIVES
INPERILED
Bad Wreck at Riverside Wednesday Fore
noon,

The Pennsylvania railroad DeloW
South Danville yesterday was the scene
! of a destructive wreck in which there
were several remarkable escapes from
| horrible death Passenger train No
| 1919, Robert Kline conductor, George
Rose engineer and Elmer Wolf, Fire
man. when near the line dividing River
side borough from Gearhart township
ran into the rear end of freight train
| No. 1911, east bound, which occupied
the main track, telescoping the caboose
| and two rear cars. All the conditions
were favorable for fearful loss of life
but fortunately none occurred. The
engineer bravely stuck to his post while
his locomotive ploughed through the
| caboose and the rear car, which was
| loaded with lumber. The caboose was
literally split in two, the sides falling
outward, one on each side of the track
The rear car was ground to pieces, the
lumber loaded, which was consigned to
| Hoover Bros, South Danville, being
scattered to the right of the track and
much of it reduced to splinters The
third car, loaded with iron, which re-
mained upon the tracks, was also badly
wrecked. the locomotive crashing into
its rear end.
The crew and passengers were all
severely shaken up and several bad
ly bruised. The most serious injuries
were sustained by Adams Express
Messenger J. NJ. Teets, of Wilkesbarre
and Baggage Master A. B. Wolverton,
of Sunbury. Both men stood near the
rear end of the car and when the sud
den stop occurred under the momentum
We're hurled to the opposite end OF the
car. the baggage mastn- fall'' upon
the express messe. trunks,
valises &c, which +. dlllng up
on both Teets was HI oadly about
the left side and leg, while his head
bore lump as large as a mans fist
where he had struck the safe in his fall.
He was unable to resume his duties and
his place on the train was filled by Ex-
pressman Horace Bennett, of this city.
DR.. |. G. Barber, of this city, one of
the railroad physicians, was soon upon
the scene. Among others who needed
his attention was A. NJ. Whitlock, news
boy, of Sunbury and one or more pass
ha 1at+ar Misc
Rebecca Evans, Of this city. In com
mon with others on the train she was
thrown violently forward upon the seat
IN 'front.'. IIeI injuries consist of had
ly bruised arm.
The passenger locomotive was unfit
for further service the entire front,
pilot stack and boiler, being battered
and crushed in. Another engine was
brought up from Sunbury, by which
the train was hauled to Wilkesbarre,
leaving South Danville about the hour
of noon
The wreckage of the freight took fire
presumably from stove in the ca
boose. Fortunately work train equip
ped with crane &c was on the siding at
the spot when the accident occurred.
1t was owing to this circumstance that
the track was cleared with such little
delay.
The cause of the accident is not clear
although it would seem to be due to a
misunderstanding Of some sort. 1t Oc-
Cured at 1913 a. IN. The freight had
just stopped; the siding in addition to
the work train was occupied by another
freight. James Carey, fiagman of the
train run into, shortly after the accid-
ent in explaining the part he had to do
with it, said that he was sent down the
track to flag the passenger train due at
the station at 1917. Looking at his
watch, he said, he found that it was
still three minutes before the train was
due at that point. Walking leisurely
along he saw the steam of the approach
ing train and a moment later it shot
around the curve at high rate of
speed He signaled, but under the
high rate of speed attained it was i'm
possible to stop the passenger train in
the short distance intervening. Engin-
eer Rose admits these facts but insists
that he should have had the signal earl
ier and at point further down the
road.