The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-12-01
THREE MEN KILLED IN
WRECK SUNDAY NIGHT
Passenger Train No. 7 Crashed Into
Helper Engine at AItamOnt.

b. q y. passenger tram NO. ana help-
ing engine 1890, Sunday at midnight, at
Altamont, three trammen were killed
and three injured.
The dead:
L. j. Flanagan, OF Grafton, W. Va,
engineer OF No. 2O64, the engine that
that took No. out of Cumberland
aged about AZ; killed in the wreck.
H. A. Demoss, OF Grafton, fireman
Of engine 2O64, aged about - years;
killed in jumping.
Joseph Weaver, OF Piedmont, W. Va
fireman on the helper engine, aged 70;
killed under engine tank.
The injured:
William Plerson OF baltimore, cA-
pressman.
w. ii. BlSer, OF Cumberland, baG-
gagemaster face cut and back injured
Oscar Jeltnes' OF l'2' LutaW street.
Baltimore, tram electrician, cut about
the face and bruised.
New York and Chicago express tram
No. I was 70 minutes late arriving at
Cumberland and LETT at lO:l3 o'clock IN
charge OF Conductor Albert Shahan, OF
Cumberland, Engineer L. }. Flanagan,
Of Grafton. and Fireman Il. A. Demoss,
OF Grafton.
AS customary at Piedmont, helper,
engine 1870, in charge Of Engineer Pat
Small and Fireman Joseph Weaver,
coupled on in front, to take the train
over the mountain to AItamont, where
the helper uncoupled and ran ahead to
switch, to permit the passenger train
to run on to Grafton. 1t is said west
bound extra freight and another helper
lay IN switch, and when No. rs helper
ran ahead, Fireman Weaver found the
back-in switch frozen up, heavy sleet
prevailing at the time. The helping en-
CINE 1850 lay on the main track, and
as Fireman Weaver attempted to throw
@1>ether switch, the passenger train,
ing at a terrific speed on the level
= 4ratn, crashad into the standing helping
engine 1890. 1t is presumed that En-
gineer Flanagan, of train No. :. saw
the other helper in the switch standing
back of the extra freight and thinking
his helper was in the clear, opened up
his engine in order to cut down some Of
the time he was late.
The passenger train and engine 2064
crashed into the standing helping engine
1890 with fearful impact, throwing the
tank of the helper engine 1890 and the
engine and tank Of engine 2O64 over the
bank for a distance Of fifty yards or
more. The baggage and express and
smoker cars bucFled up in the air and
derailed and to add to the horror, train
So came on the eastbound track and a
part of that train sideWiped the passen-
ger train and was dcrailed and thrown
over the bank.
When the crash came Fireman Demoss
leaped off on the right side Of passenger
engine 2O64 directly under the wheels Of
train Sc, and despite his body was man
gled and severed into four pieces, he
lived for several minutes.
AS Fireman Weaver leaned over at
tempting to turn the switch he slipped
on the ice and fell beside the helper en-
CINE 1890, and when the crash occarred
and the tank was thrown in the air, the
iron step struck him in the face at the
mouth, severing his head and hurting
the body under the trucks Of the derail-
ed baggage and smoking cars. En-
ginneer Flanagan was also buried unde~
the wrecked engine tank and smoking
and baggage cars, which were thrown
up in ''V'' shape. The trucks of the
smoking car crashed on his body, throw
ing him face down, severing the legs and
arms. 1t was necessary to wait until
the tool cars came with the powerful
cranes to lift up the heavy steel cars
before either the bodies of Demoss or