Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-07-20
J. s. SANDERS
BADLY INJURED

/ Jeremiah 5 Sanders, of Wilkesbarre
the well-known newspaper man anC
former resident of DanVille, was very
! badly hurt In an automobile accident
/ on Sunday evening.
Mr. Sanders was enjoying a ride in
an automobile along with his son in
law, and daughter, DR.. Morgan Weller
and wife. They attempted to cross tile
tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad
at South Wilkesbarre and failing to
see the approach of a freight train,
which was running backward, they
were struck, the forward car cutting
the automobile in two. That they were
not all killed is truly miraculous.
The following particulars of the ac-
cident are taken from the Wilkes
barre Leader:
. A coal train was backing up and
1t struck the machine squarely in the
middle breaking it into kindling wood
and throwing out the occupants. Mr..
Sanders was dragged over a hundred
feet and when picked up was unconsc-
lous. His leg was fractured below tn 9
knee and he was removed to Mercy
hospital. DR.. and Mrs. Weller were
also badly shaken up. The former had
his back bruised. All are still at the
hospital.
DR.. Weller stated last evening that
they were taking pleasure trip around
the city in an automobile of the Dur
yea make. Mrs. Weller was in the
front seat while DR.. Weller and Mr..
Sanders occupied the rear. They went
down Carey avenue and over Division
street to Barney and were on their
way up Barney street. As they neared
the Pennsylvania railroad tracks there,
coal train was backing down the
tracks at fair rate of speed.
The engine of the train evidently
was doing some switching in the
yards. He said there was brakeman
on the back eud of the car who mo.
toned to the occupants to cross the
tracks. the doctor then started the
machine slowly across the tracks, but
the train had gained on them quite
rapidly.
He saw then that it was impossible
to reverse the machine so he pulled
the lever back TO the fast speed with
the intention of darting past the train,
but in another Instant there was
crash and the machine was hurled
down the tracks
As soon as the train struck the auto
Mrs. Weller jumped but this was i'm
possible for DR. Weller and Mr.. Sand
ers as they we're hemmed in. DR. We'll
ler later escaped bat Mir. Sanders was
dragged along the track in the auto
The train was finally brought to a
stop and those who saw the accident
rushed down the tracks. The pieces
of the automobile. which was COM
pletely smashed, we're strewn all over
the tracks and Mr.. Sanders was pick
ed up unconscious. All thought that
he had been killed but after he was
removed to NaRle's drug store he re-
vived and 1t was then asceItsined that
his right leg below the knee was bad
ly broken, but that, besides a cash n
his forehead, he was not otherwise in
jured
Considering that he is 70 years of
age his escape was miraculous.
Jeremiah s. Sanders, the injured
man, is brother of Thomas Sanders,
of this city. He is brother in-lsw
of $. j. Welliver and of Mrs Charles
n. zimmerman, of Riverside. He was
born in Danville and many years ago
was publisher and editor of the Dan
Vile Intelligencer - He has been
identified with several influential
newspapers in this part of the State,
but at present is living retired. He is
a widower, his wife dying about two
years ago