The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-05
SEVEN KILLED
TWENTY INJURED
Disastrous Wreck On Pennsy|Va-
MA Railroad Near Altoona
FAST TRAINS MEET HEAD ON
Misunderstanding of orders Seems to
Be the Cause of the Accident.
Both Locomotives and Sew
eral Cars Wrecked
FAST TRAINS MEET HEAD ON

Altoona, Pa, May 5, 2:3O a. m.-The most
disastrous accident on the Pennsylvania
railroad since the disaster east of Har-
risburg nearly a year ago, when about
twenty persons were killed, occurred last
night about 10 o'clock on the Petersburg
branch about 800 yards east of Glover
Creek Junction.
The Chicago mail bound east, and the
Chicago and ST. Louis express, bound
west, two of the fastest trains on the
system going at full speed. met head-on.
Seven cars were wrecked, and both en-
gines badly damaged.
The best information obtainable Is to the
effect that seven persons were killed, and
about twenty injured. Later particulars
may change these figures, but not to any
appreciable extent.
A partial list of the dead as far as could
be ascertained is as follows:
The Dead.
Frank Marder brakeman No. 21 of Har-
risburg.
Unknown woman of Duncannon, Pa.
j. W. Herr. baggagenlaster, No. 81,
Harrisburg, Pa.
Unknown man.
A partial list of the injured is as fol-
lows:
Oscar Anderson of Delva. N. D., bad
ly injured. will die.
Joseph Hopkin of Pennsylvania. slight
ly injured.
w. W. Attlegrapp, Baltimore, slightly
injured.
W n NJ Irut,. sf-..r Do
slightly injured.
A. w. Livngton of Lancaster. Pa,
slightly injured.
Fireman Cook OF No. IS of Harrisburg,
leg fractured.
j. w Wagner, postal clerk, seriously
injured.
Cause of Wreck.
The disaster was indirectly due to a
freight wreck on the middle division at
S.24 o'clock when twenty-seven loaded
cars of an eastbound freight train were
wrecked at Union Furnace, about twenty
miles south of here, blocking all tracks,
The cause of the accident Is attributed to
the bursting of an airbrake hose. In
order to avoid detentions of trains. pas
senger traffic was sent over the Peters
burg branch. The Pennsylvania special,
the eighteen-hour flyer westbound was
the first train to pass around and make
the trip in safety. No. 2l, the st. Louis
and Chicago express. was the next train
to be sent westward over the branch in
a detour 1t collided with No. IS. the Chi
cago mail, going in an opposite direc-
tion on single track, near Clover Creek
Junction.
Both locomotives we're wrecked. Six cars
on No IS. five mail cars and a coach,
were caught in the. smashup. The dead
and injured were passengers In the coach.
No q was sent out of Altoona reversed
that is, the coach run next to the To-
comotive This was done in order to avoid
long detention that would have been oc-
casloned by shifting the train. The train
was sent east as far as Elizabeth Fur
mace on the main line, when the locomo-
tive was shifted, and the trip over the
cutoff started.
Misunderstood Orders.
The accident appears to have resulted
from a misunderstanding OF orders on the
mart of the train crew of the Chicago
and ST. Louis express.
The information received by the Off
cials of the Pennsylvania railway here
indicates that there were between twenty
and twenty-five passengers In the coach.
An accurate list of the casualties. with
the names of the victims, was not obtain
able at an early hour this Saturday
morning.
information received at Superintendent
prestons office this morning was to the
effect that number OF passengers were
fastened under the twisted iron and
broken timbers of the wrecked cars. and
whether they are dead or alive. Will not
be ascertained until after the debris Is
cleared from the tracks.
The wrecking crew was sent from this
city and reached the scene OF the dis
aster at 1:3O a. m
Physicians from Altoona. Huntington
and Williamsburg were sent to the scene
tn render aid to the injured who will be
brought to the Altoona hospital