Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-27
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All of those killed were in the car
Bellwood, which was telescoped and
crushed to pieces.
Blame Harrisburg Engineer
An official of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road here said the list of dead may
exceed twenty. as fourteen bodies have
been recovered and at least six are
known to be dead in the wreck.
At this time the railroad company is
inclined to place the blame for the
wreck on the enginer of the freight. A.
r. Cook, of Harrisburg, who had
leg crushed. 1t was his duty, said an
official. to get Oft his engine, walk
ahead. and look at a signal in case of
fog, rather than run past it,
Chester A. Minds, who, with his fam
lily was killed. was a coal operator
in the Clearfield region of Pennsylvania.
He was travelling to Utica, n. Y, to
attend the funeral of his wife's father.
Minds was a football star on the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania team and a
brother of John II. Minds, a Philadel-
phia attorney. famous years ago as
captain of the Pennsylvania team.
The express is said to have arrived
at Mount Union station Il minutes late,
with brake trouble. 1t was held there
while the trouble was remedied. it is
declared, and the signal to start had
"
freight crashed into The rear sleeper.
Claims Signal Showed "WhIte"
Cook the freight engineman, who had
only recently been promoted to the
throttle, it was said, declared that the
block signal at "MU" tower, Il mile and
half from Mount Union, showed white,
indicating a clear track. His fireman
and brakeman, who were in the cab
when the tower was passed, are re-
ported to have told him it was green,
which would indicate that another
train was in the block.
Near Warrior Wreck
Wrecking crews and relief trains
with physicians, nurses and all first
aid equipment. We're rushed TO the
scene of the wreck within an hour
after it happened.
The wreck occurred within ten miles
of the scene of the disastrous wreck
at Warrior Ridge, six miles west of
Huntingdon, few years ago. In that
wreck an all-steel. train fell down /
the embankment to the bank of the |
Juniata river. Several We're killed and |
many passengers were injured.
Harrisburg Engineer -.
The passenger train, which left |
Pittsburgh at I O'Clock last night for |
New York and known as the Mercan- |
tile Express, had stopped at Mount |
Union TO discharge passengers and /
was testing the airbrakes when the |
Sleepers, two mail cars and a COM !
bination day coach. The freight !
ploughed into it with such force that
the rear sleeper the Bellwood was
completely cut in twain. The other |
sleepers were partly telescoped, but
aside from a terrific shaking up none of a..
their occupants was hurt. All were of !
steel construction and were wedged |
together so tightly that it was several /
hours before workmen could eXtricate /
the bodies of the victims. \. T. Cook. !
OF Harrisburg, engineer of the freight /
train, was the only one of the freight
crew to sustain injury. His engine /
and six cars were wrecked and de- /
rallied, several of the cars going over
the embankment into the street. I
\ relief train carrying railroad off, /
cials, physicians and nurses was rush
ed to the scene from this city and q. !
w. Creighton, general superintendent /
left later to conduct an investigation /
into the accident. the cause of which !
has not been determined The relief !
train was pressed into service and to- /
Sether with train No. took the pas /
sengers who escaped injury, eastward. /
Wrecking crews? from Huntingdon, !
Miffiin and Denholm also were called |
out and 1t was necessary to raise two
of the sleeping cars vertically before ,
cupant of the rear sleeper is believed /
to have been killd.
First Fatality in Three Years
1t was the first time in three years
that passenger has been killed in Il
wreck on the Pennsylvania railroad.
The illfated passenger train. however,
was the same one that was wrecked al
Mexico, Pa, last August when it ran
into a stock train, killing three en-
ployes.
With the recovery of other bodies it
was learned that four children with
Mr.. and Mrs. Minds. instead of two, as
at first reported, had lost their lives. !
Miss Maude Minds, a sister, and NJ. a. !
Calfsch, of Confer. \. Y, brother
in-law of Minds; Nj A. S. Yelling, |
Cleveland, the nurse, and Milton /
Hymes, of New York were also among /
the victims
Mercantile Express left Altoona with /
engine No. 7iS. The crew included con-
ductor w. w. Stewart. this city, engine I
man ]. E. Gearhart: fireman d. Fl. I
Banks, Altoona: bagga gemaster w. ]. !
McAllister, Philadelphia, and brakeman /
:. X. Jacobs, and NJ. Il. Baird. Harris /.
burg.