Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-27
WRECKERS DERA|L
ANOTHER EXPRESS
Keystone Train Thrown From
the Track Fourteen Miles
East of Pittsburg.
NO PASSENGERS WERE HURT
All Escape From the Cars Without In
jury by Almost a
Miracle.
NO PASSENGERS WERE HURT
SLOW SPEED SAVED THE TRAIN
It Was Running Only Thirty Miles,
Which Perhaps Saved 1t From
Turning Turtle and Diving
Over Steep Bank.

The fear is entertained that the
same gang of wreckers who at
tempted to destroy the Chicago
Limited were also guilty of this
last ofense. The same plan to
throw the express from the track
was employed. Two men were seen
near the scene of the crime who are
believed to know something about
it. The engineer and fireman re-
NAMED at their posts.
PITTSBURG, Pa, March 27.-Train No.
20 on the Pennsylvania railroad, known as
the Keystone Express, eastbound, was
derailed near Wilmerding. Pa, fourteen
miles east of here early today.
The engine, two mail cars and a combi-
nation baggage and smoker left the tracks,
but no one was hurt.
1t was believed the train was INTENTIONAL
| ly derailed and that the deed was done
| by the same parties who wrecked the
| Chicago Limited. train No. 23 at Stewart.
| Pa, last Friday. Fl"
The same plan was carried out, and only
| the slow speed of the train, thirty miles
| an hour, saved it from turning turtle, div
| ing over a steep bank and crushing out
| perhaps a score of lives. The work of the
| perpetrators was thorough, and In this
| their evil intent was shown, for both the
| eastbound and westbound tracks were
| tempered with, one rail joint on each track
| being displaced within few rods of each
other. Had trains coming in opposite d.
rections met there, the onrushing flyers
would have collided with fearful conse-
quences.
Special Train Sent.
Following the derailment of the coaches,
the passengers rushed out in their night
clothes When they discovered there was
no immediate danger they returned to the
cars, and all acted as cooly 1t was
possible under the circumstances.
The officials at Pittsburg were notified,
and a special train quickly made up and
run out to the scene of the accident The
passengers on the derailed car were trans
d
delay of an hour and forty-five minutes.
Railroad detectives promptly started an
investigation, and the announcement was
made that the derailment was undoubtedly
the work of train wreckers, whether for
revenge robbery not known.
AS in the case of the Chicago Limited
wreck, tie same method was adopted. The
spikes bolts and fish plates from an entire
length of rail had been removed and the
rail turned inward tracks No. and
f. the main tracks east and westbound
Nearby were a track wrench and PAIR
Of gloves. while in the creek below
claw bar, nuts, bolts and fish plates were
found
Wreck at Sharp Curve.
The scene of the wreck is at sharp
curve Turtle run, and almost as IL
by a miracle, the outside rail held against
the grinding of the heavy train and pre-
vented the whole train from punging over
a forty-foot embankment into the river.
The two ran joints tempered with were
not more than twenty-five feet apart and
it is authoritatively stated that had a train
on the westbound tracks come along IL
would certainly have crashed over the
embankment. This would have probably
happened had not the Chicago Limited
train No. %, running on track No. 4 west
bound, been late. Fortunately IL was de-
layed and reached Wilmerdng some time
after the keystone Express had been de-
rallied.
Seen Near Wreck.
1t Is supposed the tools had been obtained
by breaking open a company chest
yardman, who passed the point where the
express was wrecked a few minutes before
the accident occurred, reported To the Of
ficials that he saw two men walking along
the track. He gave the detectives a de-
scription OF the men, and every effort Is
being made to find them.
1t Is regarded as a miracle that no one
was hurt In the wreck. When the pony
trucks OF the engine struck the projecting
corner OF the rail which had been tempered
with the engine leaped from the track.
carrying the two mail cars and the comb-
nation car with II. Engineer POorbaugh
and Fireman Johnson remained at their
posts and when the train stopped they were
none the worse for, the accident. Several
mail clerks had narrow escapes. aIi being
thrown from their feet by the sudden ap-
plication of the air brake and the terrific
joting over the ties.
AS the sleepers remained on the track the,
messengers were not even 5Oited
The Missing Fishplates.
In trying to locate the missing fishplates
the railroad officials discovered that one
of these had been fixed tightly between the
two rails that had been disjointed Tho
purpose Of this was to prevent the Interrupt
ton Of the electric current caused by the
breaking of the binding wires, which would
have set the signals to danger before the
engineer could have rea ched tho vrackinv