Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
MORE THAN FIFTY
HURT WHEN TRAIN
PLUNGES IN RIVER
accident Happened Near Johns
town and Every Passenger
More or Less Injured.
BROKEN BRAKE WAS CAUSE
Three Pullmans Plunged Over Sixty
Foot Embankment Into the
Half Frozen Stream.
HIGH SPEED TO MAKE TIME
Special Between New York and Chi
cago Was Running Down the
Mountain With Lightning
Like Swiftness.
HIGH SPEED TO MAKE TIME

-
the effect that fifty-four passengers
and train crew OF about a dozen
were injured in the wreck of the
Pennsylvania special, the fast eight
een-hour train on the PENNSYLVANIA
railroad between New York and
Chicago, which occurred at sharp
curve at Black Diamond, Pa, seven
miles east OF Johnstown, shortly
after midnight. No one was killed
and all the passengers have been &C
counted for. The engine and COM
bination smoking car remained on
the rails, but the three Pullmans
plunged over a sixty-foot embank-
ment into the Conemaugh river.
Fortunately. the cars were. not sub
merged A scene Of wild confusion
resulted. All OF the passengers were
in their berths and were thrown pro-
miscuously around the cars. All the
passengers on the train were injured
more or less, but with the exception
OF John p Kline of Chicago, it is
said none of the injuries are dam
gerous.
JOHNSTOWN. Pa, February 23.-The
Pennsylvania special. the fast eighteen
hour train on the Pennsylvania railroad be-
tween New York and Chicago, was wreck
ed at Black Diamond, Pa. seven miles east
of Johnstown, shortly after midnight.
Many prominent Chicagoans were on
the train. all of whom were injured.
Among those were F. a. Busse postmaster
of Chicago; Samuel F. Nixon of Nixon &
Zimmerman, theatrical proprietors; NJ A.
Singer, manager La Sale Theater Chicago:
Lightner Henderson, a civil engineer; Geo.
S. Wood. manager of Colonial Theater. Chi
cago and ]. j. Kern, ex-state's attorney Of
Chicago.
Going Fifty Miles an Hour.
The train was running about fifty miles an
hour and was thirty-five minutes late. When
rounding a sharp curve at Elack Diamond
the whole train swayed. The engine and
smoking remained on the tracks, but
the Pullman coaches left the rails and
plunged over a sixty-foot embankment
Trains were few and to reach the scene
it was necessary to take a ten-mile journey
of four or more hours around the noun
tains. From the scene it was learned by
telephone the train was late going west
nh
time.
The wreck was caused by what is termed
by rairoaders unavoidable accident
The brake rigging on the first Pullman fol-
lowing the combination coach on the train
dropped down and tore up the right rail
for a distance OF 800 yards. The engine
and combination coach did not leave the
rails. but the four Pullmans following
ploughed down over the embankment to the
river bank 100 feet below. overturning when
they reached the bottom.
High Speed Down Mountain.
The "eighteen-hour train travels at a
high rate of speed coming down the noun
tain. When the brake rigging fell 1t
either stripped the heads off the bolts
holding the rails to the ties or tore I'd
the rails themselves.
Rails Torn Up 800 Yards.
Every rail for 800 yards was torn IN.
however. The four Pullman coaches tore
down over the bank. The speed at which
they were travelling when they left the rails
was terrific.
There is a curve about where the first
rail was loosened. The cars did not over
turn going down the steep hill. There
were no trees or distractions in the way
to hinder them, and they remained up
right until they reached the bottom. The
first car overtr. ned and slid along on its
side for cutie a distance. The second car
did likewise. The third car turned over
completely. ard had It's top crushed In.
The fourth car as on its side. Most OF the
passengers en- the train We're in their
berths when the cars left the tracks
Wires All Down.
The telegraph lines were torn down when
thu train left the track and communication
with railroad headquarters was delayed
for nearly an hour. As soon as possible