The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-11-07
THREE DEAD IN
SUNDAY WRECK
Runaway Freight Train Down Gran
berry Grade TO Destruction.
EN6I8E ANOTEH CARS DEMOLISHED
Lives of Engineer, Brakeman and
Fiagman Forfeited Body of En-
neer II, Fallon Recovered Mon
day Afternoon.

train drawn by engine No. 1847, with
Engineer Martin Fallon at the trottle,
plunged into the rear Of fifth 81, drawn
by engine No. 1871. Engine J. 7. Gift,
and Conductor J. H. Cornwell, and in
an lnstant's time three lives were snuff
ed out. The dead are:
Engineer Martin T4llon Of Piedmont,
W. Va.
Flagman Jacot W. Gerlack of Cum
berland, Nd
Brakeman W. E. Hamill of Keyser,
w. Va.
The injured: Conductor ]. H. Corn
well eff Grafton; cut and bruises about
the face and head; injuries not serious.
The brakeman of the runaway engine,
who was thrown a considerable distance,
was but slightly bruised.
The story Of the wreck as CLEANED
from one of the train crew of the runa-
way is about as follows: The extra had
left the top of the grade at Terra Alta
is good shape, having made the usual
stop and inspection of air. The descent
Of the grade was begun in the usual
manner, but before the Rodamer's tun-
mel was reached Engineer Fallon knew
that something was wrong, and his eff
forts to step the trein failed The air
would not work properly. Soon the
train was going at terrific speed. and
the engineer communicated to his fire
man the fact that the train was running
ava and was beyond control The
spec grew greater as every mile was
passed, and at every sharp curve it was
feared by the train crew that the engine
would jump the track and carry all to
death. The fireman got out on the en-
CINE and chung to the sandbox, and the
engineer remain / in the cab, only hop
ing that he would have a clear track at
Rowlesburg and his speed be stopped by
| the ascent of the grade leading upward
from that point
The blakemcn on the lr1aWay IL n
did ok -lIent duty. They set the hand
brakes until the wheels were sliding in
many instances, and fire flew from be-
tween the brakes and the wheels and
from beneath the wheels and the rails.
At the little station Of Mcmillan, which
is nothing more than a side track, and
when the runaway was at its highest
speed, it plurg 4 into the caboose Of
Conductor j. H. Cornwall s train, drawn
! by erG,ne No. ISL. The caboose was
smashed into splintors and several of
the cars just ahead Of it were wrecked.
The runaway engine, togo Their With
twelve laden cars, jumped the track
and plunged into the waters OF Salt
Lick, the stream that runs along the
track for quite a distance and which
empties into Cheat at the Rowlesburg
bridge. Engineer Fallon went down
with his train and was buried beneath
the wreckage, Brakeman W. +. Ham
i'll, also of the runaway train, was
caught in the wreckage and killed.
Flagman J. w. Gerlack of Conductor
CornwelPs train, who had Just left the
caboose, was also caught and instantly
killed. The frem ! on the runaway,
who was cliEging to the sand-box on
the top Of the engines boiler, believing
this to be the best place of safety, was
thrown considerable distance when
the engine plunged into the 81, but al
most by a miracle ESCAPED injury. He
alighted in the creek at a point where
the water was shallow.
When the runaway bore down upon
his caboose, Conductor Cornwell had his
head out of the window and did not
know his train was in danger until the
on-coming train struck, He was listen
| ing to hear his own engine blow for the
signal at the tower just below Nc
Millen, and his train was making at the
time about twenty miles an hour Con-
ductor Cornwell was thrown out of the
window, alighting between the tracks
in an unconscious condition, and in
which state he remained for about three
hours. Dr. Proudfoot of Rowlesburg
and Drs. Scott and Daley of Terra
Alta, were summoned and hurried to
the scene as quickly as possible, doing
everything possible for the wounded
conductor and finally bringing him back
to consciousness.
The fireman on the runaway train
stated to some Of his acquaintance at
Rowlesburg that Engineer Fallon said
to him several times that he feared they
were ''goners," and at one time the
engineer got down on the step of the
engine with the evident intention of
jumping, but that meant certain death,
and he returned to his cab, remaining
there until the end came. When the
runaway engine struck the caboose of
81 and cut through that and two cars
ahead the shock threw on the emer-
gency brake of the runaway train, and
this in all probability saved the total
wreckage of the extra. The cars