The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-12-13

Il
M. Wagaman and j. Roger Laughlin.
i A special train was started az the
same time from WayneSbOrO, with
Drs. y. w. Croft, =. ID. Hoover and a.
Barr Snively.
When Trainmaster Sheets, the sur
geons and wrecking crew arrived
shortly after 1 o'clock all the injured
had been taken out excepting Fireman
CLAYTON and Conductor Eichelberger,
the latter buried deep i'm the cement
bags and debris.
Immediate attention was given to
Fireman Clayton, to release whom
the survivors and volunteers had
been working with the steel jacks,
but to no avail. Clayton was in a
pitiable condition, having conscious
moments and making a brave tight a.
he hung there by his foot, his head
propped up to prevent rush OF blood
to his brain.
you can't get me out of here,
Doctor" he said, according to- one re-
port "Cut my foot Off"
lit was the only thing to do. The
amputation was speedily performed
and Clayton was released and sent to
Hagerstown, where he Immediately
began to sink, dying at 10 o'clock
All this time there had been hur-
ried and frantic counting up and call
ing of names. The one man missing
was Eichelberger, and from end to
end Of the scene searcherS went, with
the theory that he might have wan
dered away in the excitement. But
finally it was decided that he must be
under the wreckage. Men were set
to work digging for him.
As torches and flares were lit all
around and up and down the $50
yards, covering the chief damage, the
sight was one of utter destruction.
Even the bridge over the Pen-Mar
road had been torn from its fasten-
ings by the appearing cars and flying
metal Later the bridge was taken
down altogether to allow the wreck
ing crane to work.
Even while the bodies of the dead
were being removed to the station,
which was converted into temporary
morgue, and neighboring cottages
were pressed into service as f1rst-aid
hospitals for the injured, efforts were
being directed to an immediate re-
stOration of telegraph service and
train movements, which had been
interrupted by the breaking of wires.
1t was hard, grinding, digging, lift
ing work-the kind that strains the
mind and soul of strong men. 1t was
done there in the black of night with
flares and torches, in a deep cut with
hardly foot room to walk about, with
whatever implements and tools there
were convenient and with nothing to
lift heavy metal or beams.
Lined along the banks were thou
ar,Ir of M
ing The Chambersburg, Greencastle
and Waynesboro trolley car line put
extra cars into commission and every
one was loaded to the guards.
Coroner Maclay ordered the bodies
to be held in the county and sent
them to Waynesboro, and the injured
survivors went to their homes. No
body lodged duty on the jury of in
quest.
Wild rumors began to stir. One
was that Is tramps had gone under
the debris-18 who were riding one
of the freight cars. Then they had it
that every member of the train
crews had been killed. When these
reports were passed on to those who
knew they shook their heads, and said
nothing, unless perhaps, 81 work for
the road; l don't know a thing!"
A caboose drawn up on the siding
at Pen-Mar Station was converted in
| to headquarters by Trainmaster
Sheets Provisions were ordered for
the workers and cook set to work.
They had breakfast there i'm the gray
dawn. All day they kept struggling
in for food and warmth. Then they
were out again at the work of clear
ing the tracks.
All the cars still on wheels were
first drawn away and then the crane
went after dismantled trucks and the
bodies of broken cars. But it was
noon before the first engine-the one
that pulled the passenger train-was
taken away.
After the crane had torn the pas
senger engine and the first freight
engine from their telescoping en-
brace-after some of the cars had
been removed-the coroner's jury
came and viewed the wreck, walking
about the scene methodically, two
abreast, followed by a great crowd of
the curious.
Oscar Bixler, son of Mrs. Rebecca
Bixler, this city, who was injured in
the wreck arrived i'm this city Sunday
evening on the fast mail. He was
asked about the wreck and said:
Il was riding between the baggage
coach and tender of the passenger
train and when the trains came to-
gether l was thrown high upon the
bank, injured, and seeing the escap-
| ing steam from the engines and the
position I was i'm I beat it up the
hill. I afterward looked through the
passenger coach but found no one
there. t then went to the place of the
wreck" He was asked in regard to
Baggagemaster Lightner being at the
throttle, and Engineer Cook firing.
He said: 1--we heard that Lightner was
looking ahead and Cook was raking
over his fire when the crash came"
That the negligence of w. c. Fleigh,
train dispatcher at HagerstoWn, and
OF Conductors w. G. Fauver and j. w.
Butts, and the lax discipline of the
Western Maryland Railway manage
ment were responsible for the wreck
on the Western Maryland Railway, at
Pen-Mar last Friday night in which
five men were killed, was the verdict
of the cOroner's jury of inquest, which
met at the Hotel Leland, Waynesboro,
Monday to make an extensive inquiry
into the affair The verdict came af-
ter the jury had deliberated four
hours and was brought in about 1880
o'clock p. m. The testimony taken at
the inquest showed that Fleigh, Butts