The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-01-13
ENGINEER BLAMED
For Wreck on the Cumberland Valley
Railroad on New Years Day.

wreck on the Cumberland Valley
on New Years day, IN which
three passengers lost their lives,
and several others, among whom
were Mr.. and Mrs. Jonas Lake
of this county, were injured, fin.
ished their investigation last
Thursday, and fixed the blame on
the engineer of the passenger
train.
1t will be remembered that a
freight was moving westward
from Harrisburg followed by a pas
senger. When near Newville the
freight stalled at a siding and the
flagman of the freight went back
and opened the switch for the pas
senger to take the siding and run
around the freight The passen.
ger tram in attempting to thus
pass around was wrecked.
The last witness leard was
Samuel Burkhart Shower, an eye
witness Of the wreck.
Mr.. Stover said his home was
near the scene of the wreck. On
the afternoon of January 1, he
was at his home. He as there
when the freight train stopped on
the main tracks. He walked over
to the track and saw the hagman
lngham, turn the switch and aft.
terward flag the passenger train.
He talked to Ingham. He saw
Ingham wave his flag across the
track and not getting any answer
throw the flag in the ditch and
give the slow.up signal with his
hands His testimony in this di.
rection substantlated the testi-
mony given before the jury by
lngham, except as to the location
which differed from the evidence
Of Ingham.
The engineer was looking out
of his cab window all the time,
Shower said. He also said that
the switch target was set with
the red side toward the passen
ger train.
Shower said that after the acci.
dent he talked to a NUM- ber of
people about the wreck and told
them what he had seen. Among
others to whom he says he talked
was NJ. G. Kennedy. vice presi-
dent of the road. He says that
he told to Mr.. Kennedy just what
he told the jury.
After the testimony Of Mr..
Stover the jury retired to the law
library Of the court house. They
went over the type written re.
ports of the testimony taken az
other sessions and balloted up.
on "A verdict. The veruict was
reached after three o'clock and is
as follows:
After having heard theevldence
and examining the bodies of A.
g. Meyers, Mrs. Nettie Dyer,
Miss Carrie T.. Fuller, whose dead
bodies were viewed by the under
signed jurors at the hospital,
Sellers Bros and e. NJ. Smiths.
and who died at the hospital of
the Children's Aid Society in
Chambersburg on January / and
2, from wounds inflicted by a
wreck on the Cumb berland Valley
railroad at 27-Mile Siding in the
county Of Cumberland, state of
Pennsylvania, about AIS p. M,
on January /, 1904, they being
Passengers upon train No. z of
said railroad. The switch, the
track, roadbed and the engine
and cars OF SAID train No z were
all in good condition. The time
was daylight and the atmosphere
clear. West bound extra freight
train No. 80 stuck on main track.
opposite 27 Mile Siding. 900 feet
vest Of the switch at the east end
of the siding.
flagman William Ingham Of
No. - went back to the switch at
the east end Of the siding. open.
ed ~" switch aDd when vest
bound passenger train No. 2
rcar'.cd pcint more than one