The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-25
CRAZY ENGINEER
is 0YERPOWERED

ALBANY, N. Y Special.-With
With an engineer crazed by a blow
on the head, a West Shore train. IL
was learned Friday from railroad en-
ployes, ran twenty-eight miles Thurs
day night at the rate OF hfty-five
until the conductor and the fireman
had oVerpowered the engineer.
Train No. LOG, of the West Shore
road-known as the Albany Local
left Albany Thursday evening at $3.50
o'clock. 1t was due at Weehawken at
1895, but it was over an hour late.
having been held up soon after leav-
ing Albany and at stations further
down the line.
The evening milk train on the West
Shore is scheduled to follow this train,
the time between them being twenty
minutes. Thursday night the milk
train was keeping the distance re-
quired behind the passenger train.
Stunned by Falling Stone.
The engineer Of the milk train, Will
liam Herlohy, of Middletown, y. Y,
leaned out his cab window as he was
coming through the tunnel at West
Point, and a big stone fell, striking
him on the left side of the head. and
stunned him.
Instead OF becoming unconscious
Engineer Herlehy became frenzied
and lost all knowledge of how to con-
troll his locomotive. He intended to
stop his engine, but opened the throt-
tie wider.
The crew of the milk train knew
nothing of the accident. Fireman Ell
dred was busy at his work and could
not see the engineer. The conductor.
Star Church, and the brakeman were
back on the cars.
There is a trestle at Haverstraw
over which engineers are not allowed
to take their trains faster than eight
miles an hour. Before this trestle is
reached ii is always necessary to slow
down considerably. Instead of going
slowly, Engineer Herlehy took his
tram across the trestle at the rate of
a mile minute. Then Conductor
Church went forward TO investigate.
Approaches Other Train Fast.
In the meantime the passenger
train, in which there were 400 per
sons, was going ahead, trying to make
up lost time. When Conductor Church
reached the engine of the milk train
II was only 600 feet behind the pas
Senger train.
The conductor, as he climbed across
the tender. saw that Engineer Herlehy
was injured. Blood was flowing from
the wound in his head. Church called
TO Fireman Eldred and they went to
the engineer. who, by this time. had
fallen TO the floor of the cab. Her
lehy jumped up, just as the fireman
reached for the throttle. and attack
ed Eldred. The conductor went to
help the fireman, and as he battled to
get at the throttle, the train sped on
after the Albany local.
Collision Narrowly Averted.
III the latter train had had any
stops TO make at way stations, there
would have been a rear-end collision.
and 1t is likely many lives would have
been lost.
Just before the milk train reached
Tappan, however, the engineers
strength gave out. He was oVerpow-
cred and the fireman stopped the
train.
John Overbey, an engineer, who was
riding in the caboose Of the milk
train, took charge and brought the
train to Weckawken. Engineer Her
lehy was taken to the North Hudson
Hospital and yesterday was removed
to his home in Middletown, at the re-
quest of his family. There is a six
inch cut behind his left ear and his
skull is fractured. 1t is not expected
he will recover.