The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-12-17
Five Men Killed InFreight Wreck on
SeVcnteen-Mile Grade.
Awful Accident to Runaway Train Near Everett
Tunnel, Four Miles East of SWantOn Last
Sunday Morning About O'clock.
DETECTIVE AIR BRAKES CAUSE OF CATASTROPHE

+ those who manned the forward por-
ton of the train, with but a single
exception, and that miraculous.
Hurled to the ground with fearful
violence, the unhappy trainmen lay
in the zone of flying fragments from
the wreck, that struck with terrific
impetus, tearing, mangling and lac
Grating their bodies almost beyond
human semblance On the fourth car
from the second engine. at the mo-
ment the horror occurred, Fireman
Ed. Buckalew was straining every
muscle to set a brake. He was thrown
into the air and became momentarily
entangled in the telegraph wires.
which, while they wounded his chin
and neck, doubtless saved his life by
breaking the force of the fall
Il suppose | fell and slipped two
hundred feet down the mountain
side said Buckalew to a newspaper
representative, to whom he recounted
as best he could recall the details of
the horror, all the while suffering
from the shock of his accident and
the many cuts, bruises and sprains
which he had incurred. when |
first recovered my senses, he contin-
ued, II ran further down the ravine,
fearing that might be caught in the
wreckage. Upon climbing the bank
to the wreck the sight | beheld was
terrible. Bodies and parts Of bodies
were scattered here and there. Ernest
Erwin having been literally cut TO
pieces, while his father was horribly
mangled. | cannot say how fast the
train was running, but it was faster
than ever rode before, Eighty miles
an hour would not be much OF an ex-
aggeration, for l could scarcely see
the telegraph poles"
Between Altamont and Swanton
the air had failed on the engine draw
ing the train and it was with much
difficulty that it was kept under con
troll. 1t was then that the helper en-
CINE was put into service to hold the
train on the grade to Piedmont.
Both tracks were blocked and the
rails and ties were torn up for about
seven hundred yards. Eastbound
passenger trains Nos 2 and s were
caught back of the wreck some of the
passengers were transferred. Several
other passenger trains We're DELAYED.
Wrecking crews were sent out from
Cumberland, Grafton, Rowlesburg.
keyser andPiedmont, and three steam
wrecking cranes were put at work.
The big arm of one crane was broken
while tugging at wrecked engine.
Engineer Ernest Eryin leaves a
wife also three brothers, Messrs. A. J.
and George Erwin, Baltimore & Ohio
engineers, and ID. A. Erwin, fireman.
Fireman Carter was unmarried and
had been living here only few years.
He was member of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Fireman and of Poto-
mac Lodge. No. 100, A. f. and A. M.
He leaves brother in Anacosta, d.
C., and sister, Mrs Lulu Edwards
in Arden, Va. His remains will be
taken to kenston, North Carolina,
for burial.
Brakeman Hayes was unmarried.
lis hnHTr will -, C4
Va, where his mother resides. He |
was a member of Mountain Division |
No. 267, Brotherhood of Railroad |
Frainmen and of umberland Lodge,
No. go, Kn lights of Pythias.
Engineer G ibbons, who was so seri. |
'usly injured died at Keyser Hospital.
Fireman Nine was unmarried and
vas on his first trip as an extra fire
nan.
The remains of those killed were
prepared for burial at Piedmont and
hipped to their several homes.
The physicians present included
Dr.. McComas and Legge, of Oakland.
'huey and Kalbaugh, of Piedmont,
md Drs West and Hoffman of Key
er, and DIR. Kemp, of Bloomington.
There were over two hundred men
Employed in clearing the wreckage.
The track was not cleared until two
o'clock Monday morning.
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