Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-15
ONE MAN KILLED
ANOTHER HURT ON
GRADE CROSSING
Fast Passenger Train Runs
Down Big Truck at
Middletown
LAMP THROWN 1000 FEET
Watchman Injured When
Flying Truck Splintered
His Box
LAMP THROWN 1000 FEET

One man Is dead ana an0tner is In
critical condition as a result of
collision between fast express
train, No. So, westbound. and a heavy
auto truck at the Ordnance Depot
crossing at Middletown at $50
o'clock this morning. The train was
travelling at the rate of seventy or
sevcnry-five miles per hour. it was
said.
The dead man is r. Z. Welbourn,
% years old, driver of the truck.
Frank Still. of Highspire. the watch
man at the crossing, who is believed
TO have been sleeping at the time of
the accident. is in a serious con-
dittion at the Harrisburg Hospital
with a probable fracture of the
skull, probable internal injuries and
badly broken bones. with severe
bruises and cuts. Welbourn, the
truck driver, came to Middletown for
employment came from 143 Cherokee
avenue. Atlanta, Ga. He resided in
Harrisburg at 1906 Allison street.
Train No. SO. one of the fastest
express trains on the Philadelphia
division of the Pennsylvania rail-
road, was being hauled by two high
power locomotives engines 1245 and
3370. The former engine was in
charge of Engineer II. s. Holtry and
Fireman II. Stoner. 341 Harris street,
while the latter was in charge of G.
w. Welch, $40 Cumberland street.
+. S. Quinland was the conductor of
the crew. The entire crew was from
Harrisburg.
Watchman Asleep?
Still. the watchman who is believ-
ed to have been asleep at his post at
the time of the accident, was injured
when the train struck the truck, the
rear end of which in swinging around
hit the watchman's box and Knocked
il down over steep embankment.
The truck, one of five-ton capacity.
was heavily loaded with cinder used
for filling in purposes at the depot.
Not noticing the approach of the fast
train and not being tagged by the
watchman, Welbourn drove on with
the truck across the crossing, but
had just started across the first track,
the westbound passenger track, when
Aiit last tApIGSS SUI uCh lllt NIuCh.
The truck, badly wrecked, together
with Welbourn and what cinder was
not thrown out, was carried a dis
tance of two thousand feet before the
fast moving express was brought to a
stop. Welbourn, who was instantly
killed, was removed from the front
of the first engine by Fireman Stiner
of the first engine. His body was bad
ly bruised and crushed.
Thrown Thousand Feet
Evidence of the speed with which
the train was travelling is given by
the fact that the rear lamp of the
truck after being catapulted through
the air for a distance of thousand
feet, was imbedded six inches deep
in one of the railroad ties.
The front of the first engine, No.
1245, was badly smashed in the COL
lision with the heavy truck The
truck, which is a complete wreck
is the property of Thomas Gray, the
contractor at the depot.
Still Declared Sick
G.. W. Terry, an officer on duty at
the ordnance depot at night said that
he had gone to Stills Matchbox at
80 o'clock and found the man COM
planning of not being we'll. At 1926
o'clock, Terry again visited the
sleeping man, but Still appeared to
he unwilling to get up, it is said.
After awakening him and warning
him of the danger, Terry proceeded
on his rounds. He had gone scarcely
five minutes when the accident oc-
CURED.
c. S. Silger and A. A. Slavin, two
government employees, who were
abed in structure near the scene of
the accident, were awakened by the
crash and rushed out to be of what
assistance they could. They picked
up the injured watchman and
brought him to the Harrisburg Hos
pital in Silger's automobile.