The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-04
ELEVEN LIVES
SNUFFED OUT
Runaway Mine Car Near Al
toona, Pa, Leaves Death
in Its Path.
VICTIMS WALKING TRACK
STRIKERS ACCUSED OF TURNING
CAR LOOSE.
VICTIMS WALKING TRACK

Altoona, Pa, July IA runaway mine
car, flying down a mine branch track that
runs from Puritan to Portage. just before
midnight last night, reaped a frightfui
harvest of eleven men killed and several
injured. The cars had been left standing
near Puritan when the mines closed last
night and some malicious person loos-
ened the brakes and permitted the car TO
speed down the sharp incline.
The disaster happened on what is known
as Martins branch, stretch OF track
four miles long that acts as feeder for
several mines that are located between
Portage ana Puritan: The car was stop
ped one mile west of Portage, but in the
short space of three miles eleven men
were instantly killed.
Finding of the Bodies.
The ear crashed into a number of cars
standing on the track and was wrecked.
An investigation disclosed blood and par
ticles of clothing on the wheels and sew
eral men were sent back over the track
10 see what had started the car on its
wild trip. They had gone but short
distance when they were Mortified by
seeing the mangled remains of a man
living beside the track. Going further an
Other body was found.
Several hundred feet further up the de-
cline two more bodies. horribly mangled,
were lying on the track. On and still on
the searchers went and by the time they
had arrived at Puritan, eleven bodies
had been counted.
Like Wheels of Juggernaut.
The accident was one of the most pecu-
liar that ever occurred in the history of
lailroading in this section More lives
have been lost at one time upon the rail-
load. but never have the deaths been so
evenly distributed. Like juggernaut the
wildly moving car exacted its toll of
death every few hundred feet.
The unfortunate dead at Portage last
night were laying in supplies for the
Fourth. Beside the bodies were found
food stuffs, fireworks and kegs of beer.
The branch track is the only avenue by
which Puritan can be reached In travel
ing from Portage to Puritan the railroad
track is invariably used. This course is
regarded as perfectly safe at night, be-
cause no cars are run over it after the
mines cease operations for the evening.
Several hundred persons are known to
have Travelled the distance last night
Danger Not Suspected.
The track is buttressed on both sides
by heavy woods and the tracks We're
shrouded in almost impenetrable gloom,
making il impossible to see objects at
Gny great distance. Not sLspecting any
danger, the men were travelling lelSurely
homeward when they were moved down
by the car as il made its way at terrific
speed down the sharp incline.
Telephone adVices received here this
morning declare that with one exception
the men were foreigners. 1t was impos
sible to obtain list OF names.
An engine and flat car we're sent up the
line and the bodies gathered up and taken
10 a mining settlement near Puritan. -Four
or five men we're injured, but not seri-
ouSlV.
Officials of the Puritan mine who have
just been reached. declared this morn
ing that 1t is their belief that the car
was started down the line by strikers at
the mines that were reOpened on a nom
union basis several weeks ago.