The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-17

at the west end OF the stone bridge
clear passage was made on the
bridge and through the lower end of the
yard and men were on a run along
the while length Of the track on which
the runaway was to pass, settling the
switches and sounding the alarm.
TRIED TO GET AWAY.
Just to the rear of the Scranton
house on the west bound track engine
9i3, and caboose with u Hoboken
crew aboard were standing in wait for
the freight to take 1t from Scranton
to Hoboken. When the alarm was
given the engineer threw the throttle
wide open, pulled away from the un-
coupled caboose and started up the
wall track as fast as he could make his
engine travel.
BY this time the runaway was cross
ing the stone bridge. The four men
in the caboose which stood directly in
it's path either We're late in getting
the alarm or possibly became bewlder-
ed for the last of them were clambering
to the ground when the first engine
of the runaway was fairly upon them.
Engineer Vaughan who was on the
head engine saw a man jump, he says,
just moment before the crash came.
This was Brakeman Stauble.
The caboose offered little or no re-
sistance to the fifteen hundred ton
battering ram that struck 1t with the
velocity of something like eighty or
ninety miles an hour 1t was crushed
into splinters and its fragments hurled
in every direction.
Fifty yards up the track was the Ho-
boken engine struggling with all it's
power to escape similar fate. But
it was impossible to get up the neces-
sary speed, and before it had gone
many more yards the runaway over
took IL, crushed in the rear of it's
tender, and sent it shooting along the
track as If it had been fired from some
huge bow.
TWO ENGINES WRECKED.
The collision wrecked the two en-
gines and first four cars of the run
away Many of the wheels were
caused to leave the track and when
the second engine was on the bridge,
spanning Washington avenue, the
train came to a stop, and the thorough
ly terrified trainhands frantically
scrambled to the ground.
The machinery of both lomotives was
badly broken and twisted, the front
ends and tenders were stove in and
the main portions of each locomotive
careened somewhat in opposite direc-
tions. The forward cars We're zig
Jagged and badly splintered, while
down towards the middle of the train
two cars were partly over on their
sides
The whole wreckage force Of Scran-
ton and some of the adjacent stations
was hurried into service with all the
wrecking paraphernalia available, and
by working steadily for fifteen hours,
the track was cleared. Fortunately,
the second track was not blocked and
traffic was only slightly delayed.
The supposed cause of the runaway
was the failure of the air-brakes to
work, but the cause of this failure is
not definitely known Some attribute
it to frozen pipes, while others say it
is possible that the angle cock con-
Meeting the engine air pipe with the
train hose became improperly set.
Hand brakes, it is claimed are of very
little use in checking a train after it
once gets away, when the train is
made up of cars that have been sup
piled with air brakes any great length
of time, for the reason that the air
sets the brake so hard it wears the
shoe and wheel to a smOothnesS that
Will prevent them from gripping when
anything less than the air force is eX-
pended in setting the brakes. The
company is to make an inVestigat ton
at once.
A LAUGHABLE INCIDENT.
Even the most tragic occurrences are
sometimes accompanied by ludicrous
features, and this thrilling episode was
not without one. 1t is difficult to sum-
mon to mind anything that would
bring u smile to the face of Engineer
Vaughan, as he was hanging on to his
rocking cab, ploughing through the
Scranton yard, yet he declares he was
caused to laugh, when at the east end
of the stone bridge his eyes fell upon
the swtchmen signalling him with
their lanterns to "come on" They, of
course, meant to communicate that
word of the runaway had preceded its
coming and that a clear track was
as they pposed-prepared.
II don't know just what I would
have done, if they had given me the
signal to stop" laughingly reflected
Vaughan, when recounting the Incl
dent yesterday. II must say. though,
that their signals We're certainly well
come sights. 1 was fearful OF the
bridge, but after we got safely past
that and the signals treasured me that
the yard was cleared for us, felt con-
fident our ride would end without dis
aster for I knew the train would not
climb very far up the grade on the
other side. 1t was certainly aggravat-
ing, after going safely through all that
we did, and particularly through the
yard. to come up against an obstruc-
tion at the very foot of the grade that
would have saved u.s.
The Goals from the No. 241 engines
broken flre-boX set fire to the timber
ing of the bridge on which it stopped,
and the Phoenix Chemical company
had to be called to eXtinguish it. Lieu
tenant Feeney and squad of officers
was on hand to keep back the thous-
ands who were attracted to the scene
by the screeching engines and the
crash of the collision.
Ponular and JJnioue