West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-12-17
TT0ln Jumps d Curve
| And Kills Fire.
The Crew is Carried Down Into Deep
Ravine With Wrecked Cars.
TARRIFIC SPEED OF
iso NILES AN HOUR.
Brakes Refuse 70 Work At Top Of
Seventeen NILE TRADE Near Pied
mont-Trees snapped or short.

mountain grade toward Piedmont,
w. Va, Baltimore & Ohio freight
train ran away about 1890 this
morning. Control of the train was
lost at the summit of the grade, and
both engines, which were hauling
"a loaded coal cars. left the track
on sharp curve, one mile west of
Everett tunnel, hurting the whole
train, with the exception of one car
and the caboose, into deep ravine,
killing five Of the train crew and
seriously injuring five others.
The Dead.
ENGINEER EARNEST d. ERWIN, a8
years old, Of Springdale street,
South Cumberland, in charge of
engine No. 1864.
ENGINEER EMERY Erwin, Sc years
old, of Tunnelton, w. Va, was
riding with his SON to Cumberland.
WALTER b. NINE, of Terra Alta, w.
Va, fireman on engine 1864.
J. b. CARTER, of Kinsgton, NC, a8
years old, boarded in South Cum
berland, fireman on engine No.
1862.
BRAKEMAN JOHN HAYES, of Staunton,
Va, 20 years old, boarded on
Fulton street, Cumberland.
The Injured.
ENGINEER MICHAEL j. GIBBONS, of
engine No. 1862, 80 years old,
lives at Arch street, South Cum
berland; fatally crushed.
FIREMAN E. C. BUcKLEw, of Terra
Alta, w. Va, boarded in South
Cumberland, badly injured about
the arm, shoulder, leg and face;
was riding on Engineer Ervin's
engine and was off duty.
BRAKEMAN C. F. BoLINcER, of Graf
ton, w. Va, running as extra
brakeman on the train; seriously
crushed; removed to Keyser hos
pital.
FLAcMAN JOHN MURPHY, of South
Cumberland; badly bruised and
cut.
CONDUCTOR J RANDOLPH HARRISON,
of keyser, w. "; badly bruised.
Fireman Bucklew, who was dead
heading east with Engineer Erwin,
is the only man who was on the
front end of the train who escaped
to tell the tale. He says the air
failed to work coming down the
grade, and the heavy train was soon
beyond the control of the engineers.
Flagman Murphy and Conductor
Harrison were on the rear of the
train.
When the train left the track it
was running at the rate of fully 100
miles an hour, and the crash was
terrific. Both tracks we're blocked
by the wreck and the track was
torn up for 100 yards. East bound
passenger trains Nos. a and 8 were
caught back of the wreck, and
while none of the passengers were
transferred the trains were taken
back to Grafton and brought in by
way Of Bealington over the West
Virginia Central & Pittsburg rail-
road. Several other passenger
trains we're delayed.
Engineer Ernest d. Erwin leaves
a wife in this city. Fireman Carter
was unmarried. His remains will
be taken to Kingston, N. c., for
burial. Brakeman Hayes was also
unmarried His body was taken to-
night to Stanton, Va, where his
mother resides. Engineer Gibbons,
who was the most seriously hurt, is
still alive at Keyser hospital, but
the physicians say he cannot recov-
er. He has a wife in South Cum
berland.
The scene where the wreck occur
red is one of the most picturesque
and dangerous spots in the noun
tains. The I7-mile grade follows
with but little interruption after the
Cheat river grade. The road par
allels rsvine which at some places
is over 1000 feet deep.
Hundreds Of small trees were
snapped offin the awful fall of the
train as it went plunging down
the precipitous mountain side and
the path Of the wreck was swept
clear ofvegetation. Huge boulders
were brought tumbling down until
the whole mountain was awake
with echoes.
When the runaway train passed
Frankville, three miles above
where it left the track, the tele-
graph operator wired the train
dispatcher's office that a runaway
train was coming. Just minute
and % seconds afterward the
wires wore broken by the wreck.
According to this calculation the