Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-07-28
8 INJURED IN
PASSENGER WRECK

The worst smashup in the history of
the Susquehanna. Bloomsbury & Ber-
wick railroad, which crosses the north
ern end of Montour county. and the
only passenger wreck the road has ever
had, occurred Tuesday morning at
II 80 O'Clock, when the east bound
train was ditched between Mordans-
Vile and Eyersgrove.
The trouble was caused by broken
brake beam on cattle car that was
being hauled on the rear of the train.
This car, full of cattle, landed on it's
top in the ditch and the passenger
coach, next ahead, fell on it's side, nine
of the seventeen passengers receiving
more or less severe injuries.
The car which caused the trouble
was a New York Central cattle car
which left the shops on July 10th,
1910. 1t was filled with cattle con-
signed to the Berwick Store company
at Berwick.
The train is known as passenger No.
2, due at Berwick at ~ 80 and was
running five minutes late, making
about 30 miles an hour when the ac-
cident happened.
The cattle car ON the rear left the
tracks on a sharp curve at Hawks
bridge, half mile below Eyersgrove.
The momentum of the train carried
the car hundred yards before it turn
ed complete somersault and landed
on its top in the ditch.
In the passenger coach ahead were
II passengers, many of whom were ON
their way to attend the funeral of Mrs.
j. W. Bruner at Bloomsbury. This car
was pulled from the tracks and fell on
its side in the ditch, hurling the oc-
cupants to the lower side. The COM
bination baggage and mail car, the only
other one on the train, remained part
ly on the track with its rear end in
the ditch. The tender was partly off
the rails and the locomotives weight
held it on the track.
The only means of exit from the
passenger coach after the accident was
the rear door and the passengers whose
injuries had not incapacitated them
rushed for this opening.
The injured were:
Mrs. Lewis Heddens, of Pine Sum-
nit, right arm broken between the
shoulder and elbow.
Mrs. Eugene Lyons, of Luzerne,
back and hip sprained.
Harry W. Hartley, of Harrisburg,
formerly of Bloomsbury, wrist spIain-
ed and finger badly cut.
John Gardner, Of Unityville, con
tusicns of the chest.
Mrs. John Gardner right wrist
sprained.
Miss Clara Ewes, of Millville, back
cut and sprained.
Mrs. B. S. Gardner, of Buffalo, New
York, wounds and decorations.
Eugene Lamb, of Luzerne, hip and
back badly bruised.
Vernon Miller, conductor, of Ber-
wick, hand badly cut and confused
wounds of the head.
All the passengers were able to leave
the car unaided except Miss Ewes and
Mrs. Heddens, the former being pin
ned under seat. The conductor aided
these women out of the wreck.
The passenger car was badly wreck
ed. Every window on the lower side
was broken, but not pane of glass ON
the upper side suffered. The seats
were all wrenched loose, but curious
ly, the lamps in the car, even to the
shades, were intact.
The cattle in the car that caused the
wreck, of course, landed ON their heads,
when the car overturned, but, with
the exception of few broken horns,
not one was injured. They succeed
ed in breaking open the door and gain
ing their freedom, but were later cor
raled in nearby pasture.
Several doctors were rushed to the
scene and dressed the injuries. The
passengers who were bound for Blooms
burg made the remainder of the trip
by automobile.