Evening journal., 1905-07-17
OCEAN CITY FLYER
WAS ON THE BRINK
Passengers>to to the Maryland
Seashore Resort Narrowly
Escaped Death
HERO PULLED THE SAFETY ROPE

Salisbury, Nd. July 1.-THE close
call OF the Ocean City flyer from being
wrecked at the Nantcoke drawbridge
on Saturday nisht was the topic Of con-
versation at Ocean City and Salisbury
to-day. When one thinks calmly Of
the nearness to which the lives Of all
the passengers were to destruction It
almost freezes the blood In ones veins.
This was the remark OF one OF the lady
passengers to-day.
Among the Salisbury people on the
train were William II. Rider. OF the
E r.. Jackson Lumber Company, with
headquarters IN Baltimore; Miss Mary
Rider and Miss Lucy Humphreys, Mr.
lL j. Ulmin. NJ S. Hartzog. OF Balti-
more. and Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh J. Phil
lips and family OF Washington, but
formerly of salisbury
Hugh ]. Phillips who stopped the
train by pulling the safety rope, said:
"I had noticed for about half an
hour that the car IN which / was rid
ing was running unevenly and IL
seemed the further we went the worse
it got I afteuward learned that Il
was caused BY the fiange of the left
rear wheel OF the front truck breaking
Off by degrees as we ran. ! spoke to
the conductor. but he seemed 20 think
Il was probably the springs Of the car,
but as we neared the curve at Vienna
noticed that the car was humping
just as we rounded the curve. In fact,
the rear wheels OF the front truck were
Off the track then humping on the
ties / was sitting on the side OF the
car along which extended the safety
rope. contrvance which the public
seems to know little Of. but with
which I was familiar. and as soon as
In felt the car humping / pulled the
lrope. AT first the air brake 10 which
90 was connected did not respond as
the rope had probably not been pulled
since the car was built, so / then threw
my weight upon 1t and succeeded IN
bringing the train TO a standstlll just
as the trucks were about 10 run of the
bridge at Nanticoke river. The con-
ductor came IN and inquired the
trouble and said that ne. too, had
pulled the safety rope about the same
time"
MIR. BENJANIN'S STATEMENT
A. j. Benjamin. superintendent Of On,
Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlanti,
Railway. and the father-in-law OF Mr.
Phillips. whose presence OF mind ir
pulling the safety rope probably saveC
J great loss OF life. said:
1T is impossible 70 foresee accidents
of this character The nange on tn
wheel OF the car broke Off and OF cours
there was nothing 20 keep the wheel
, from becoming derailed. Such acci
dents happen to all kinds of trains, an
lit was not because OF the speed "a
(which we run this flyer which cause
the accident. We have a most rigl
inspection OF fhe trucks. wheels an
every portion OF our cars both a
Ocean city and Claiborne, and ever
care must be taken TO project the pas
, sengers from danger. on these Yer
q fast trains. such as the one on Satui
I day night. we make a more carefl
e inspection. II such a. thing as possibl'
! than we do on the ordinary expires
Z trains. The train Saturday night
: known as the Ocean City flyer an
makes only two stops between Clai
borne and Ocean City-at Easton an
Salisbury-an al each Of these point
we have an expert 10 sound the wheel
and look at the couplings.
Yes. II was a very narrow escap
for the passengers. and we are "a
grateful that the train was stoppe
just at the point where 81 was. Ha
e the car gone over the bridge the los