Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-03-01

! SlCSp eIuUdiihuSul, NNlCN WAS covered
with ice and SNOW, into the river. For
! tunately the water was very shallow.
! Had it not been for this it is probable
| many of the passengers would have been
! drowned before assistance could have
reached them. As it was, their escape
from death was very narrow.
Passengers Suffering Extreme.
| Without clothing, and exposed to the
! elements on one of the coolest nights of
| the year, the suffering of the passengers
! for Il time was extreme. The arrival of
| the train from the west and the prompt
response of the doctors from JohnStown
and South Park saved them from Suf-
| fering serious consequences from the eX-
IRENE cold weather.
The railway officials at both ends of
the Pittsburg division made every effort
| to care for the injured.
| There were but four women on the
| train, and only one of them escaped in
jury.
All Passengers Accounted For.
\ statement from the dispatchcr's
office of the Pennsylvania railway here
gives the following account of the acct
dent:
The train consisted of Atlantic type en-
| engineer and NJ w. ForI ) was the CON
! ductor. At 11:42 O'Clock last night the
| train was ABOUT mile west or M. L.
tower six miles from Johnstown and two
miles from ConemauSh, when the accident
one of the bolts holding up the brake rig
! ging under the engine snapped. with the
result that the brake shoes were let down
| on the rails. One of the brake shoes got
| under one of the driving wheels and partly
| derailed the big engine. About 300 yards
! of the track was torn up after which the
| engine left the tracks and dragged with it
| the three cars.
| These cars slipped down the embankment
and landed on their side in the Concmaugh
| river, submerging them to the depth of
| about two feet There were 81 passengers
on board and all were more or less in
| jured. The more seriously injured were
taken to Altoona and all the passengers
have been accounted for.
People Taken from Windows.
With some difficulty and amid consider
able excitement and confusion. he paSsen-
gers We're taken from the ears in the river
by way of the windows. No time was
wasted in collecting clothing or possessions.
as it was apprehended that the cars might
take another slide and land in deep water
AS train No. is was expected it was dccid
ed to stop 1T and ask for assistance. The
wrecked train had been running on track
No. 3, and when No IS came along track
No. . 1t was stopped and assistance OBJ
tanned.
The injured and other passengers were
placed on board the car 1rma and brought
to the Union depot in this city, where cloth
ing and refreshments were supplied Hotel
accommodation for those who did not care
to go west Immediately was also offered by
the railway officials. With the exception of
four, however, who were taken for treat
ment to the Allegheny General hospital, the
others decided to continue their journey
and they were sent west on extra No. %.
Tracks Nos. l and 2 were soon reopened
for through traffic after the passengers of
the special had started for Pttsburg on
No. 16.
Disorder After Wreck
Following the wreck, great disorder
prevailed. Until late today there was no
official representative of the Pennsylva-
MIA railroad at the scene of the accident
except a man who said he was =. H.
Robinson, detective.
Absolutely no facilities were extended
to the many newspaper representatives,
and as 4 result it was late in the day
before anything definite could be Sc
cured.
Assistant Engineer G. w. Snyder of
the Pittsburg division left about noon to
take charge of the wreck. He will make
a thorough investigation and report to
Supt. S. c. Long.
Happy Despite Losses.
\ special train bearing the passengers
who were only slightly injured, which
arrived at Pittsburg about $50 a. m.
left about 10 o'clock for the west AL
though most of the passengers lost their
clothing, money and valuables. all Of
them were happy, and thankful that they
had escaped so easily.
The attire of some of the passengers
was comical, as they were wearing some
body else's clothing, unmindful of the
rightful owner. They told MANY stories
of q miraculous nature.
Vice President Pryor of the Wabash
railway, was a passenger on the train.
Mr.. Pryor was going to st. Louis. He
escaped uninjured.