The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-05-23
Fast Pennsylvania Train No.,
IS Jumps Rails Near Cow
ington, O., While Going
90 Miles an Hour.
NO COACH PULLED
OVER ON ITS SIDE:
But Engine, After a Wild
Dash, Collapsed, Crushing
Fireman Okert.-N None of
Passengers Hurt.
palladium Specially


PIQUA. Ohio. May Ga First SEQ
tion of Pennsylvania fast mail and
passenger train, No. 25, New York to
st. Louis, shortly after 4 o'clock this
morning while running at a rate OF
between so and 90 miles an hour.
jumped the rails on a wide curve one
mile west of Covington, o.. which 10
six miles west of here, and ran along
the ties for a distance of over three
hundred feet, when the engine fell
over. killing Oscar okert, fireman.
None of the coaches fell over and not
soul aboard the train was injured.
The accident is regarded as one of
the most peculiar in railroad annals.
How the coaches escaped toppling
over during their wild dash along the
ties, or being pulled over on their
sides by the engine when IL collapsed
will forever remain a mystery. The
engine attached to the train for
some time had the reputation among
Engineer Mike Kerrigan and Fire
man Okert remained in the engine
cab after it left the rails, but the
former escaped with a few cuts and
bruises.
okert Was Crushed.
Kerrigan states that after the big
locomotive jumped the rails and had
dashed some three hundred feet along
the ties il turned TO the north and
ran along the right of way its own
distance. then fell over on it's left side.
Okert was sitting on the left side of
the cab and was crushed by the weight
of the heavy engine. II was several
hours before the unfortunate man,
still breathing. could be removed
from under the engine. He was then
| hurried to Bradford Junction and
| died there about o'clock Okert was
% years old. married, and lived at
! Columbus. o. Kerrigan says that af-
ter the engine toppled over he crawl
ed out of the cab window on the right
side
When the engine fell 1t pulled the
steel mail coach off its trucks but
the mail clerks escaped with only q
shaking up. Immediately after the
train came to a stop frightened pas
sengers poured from the combination
baggage and smoking car. the day
coach and the two Pullmans. many
of them in their night clothing and
the widest confusion reigned for
| some time. The men passengers gave
a. -
sistance in the work of removing
Okert from the engine wreckage
Wrecking crews from Bradford and
Columbus were sent to the scene OF
the wreck but 1t will be late today
before the west track has been clear
ed and traffic resumed.
Railroad men here blame the en-
gine for the wreck They say the big
locomotive was defective. not being
jumped the rails on several other oc-
casions. always on a curve.
II is believed that there were n few
Richmond persons on the Pennsylva-
mia passenger train No. 25 which was
wrecked at Bradford Junction this
morning, although the names of the
Richmond passengers could not be
learned The wrecked train was due
in Richmond at $40 o'clock this morn
ing but did not arrive here until late
this afternoon. Other trains into Rich
mond from Columbus. o.. via Bradford.
We're also running behind schedule.
No. 33. due here at 9:45 o'clock was
four hours late. and No. 81. due here
at 10 O'Clock, was more than three
hours late.