The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-01-27
TWO KILLED, EIGHT HURT
in LOG TRAIN RUNAWAY
Brakes Failed To Hold Heavily
Ladened Cars on Kendall Lum-
Der Read in West Virginia.

Two men were killed anu elSHI III
jured in a lumber train accident near
the Kendall Lumber Company's plant
located at a point in West Virginia
between Morgantown and Cheat Ha
ven, Pa, early last Thursday morning.
The Dead.
Hubert Butler, %, single, trackman.
Parents live near Kendall Lumber
Company's plant.
Charles Perry, So, married, track
man. Survived by wife and several
children, who are living at point in
Pennsylvania.
The Injured.
Edward Sholtz, 40, superintendent
of Kendall Lumber Company. Suffer
ing from severe decorations about the
body; internal injuries feared. Taken
70 Morgantown City Hospital.
511l,e,v Baker, SO, fireman of en-
CINE. Suffering from broken leg and
severe cuts and bruises; in City Hos
pital. Baker went to the Kendall
plant at Cheat Haven following the
closing down of the mill of the same
company at Crellin about a year ago.
Sears Johnson, brakeman; Bob c.
Champ brakeman; Jam. Miller, load
er; VIM. D. Wilbourn, conductor; John
Cole, engineer; James Getz, track
man; Emory Dewitt, trackman, all
Suffering from painful but not serious
injuries and are being treated at their
homes at the lumber mill settlement.
One man rode to his death while
another jumped to his death when
the log train on the Kendall Com
pany's tramway broke away at the
top Of Pisgah Mountain, raced mile
down the steep grade and finally left
the track at slight curve in the right
of way, piling engine and cars in the
ditch along the track. Engineer John
Cole, who reversed his engine when it
became apparent the train was run
- ming away, escaped with but minor
,uts and bruises, but trackman, who
was riding on the water tank of the
locomotive was crushed to death be-
meath the overturned engine, while
the second man to be killed attempted
to Jump to safety but lost his life.
The wreck occurred about two miles
from the bottom of the steep grade
leading into the Kendall mill. When
the engine pulling six double deck
lumber cars and one car filled with
props started down the steep incline
there were ten persons in board, in
Guiding the regular train crew and
trackmen and the superintendent, Ed
ward Sholtz.
Realizing the situation, the engin-
eer called to the men to jump for
their lives.
1t was at this time that Hubert
Butler who was riding one of the log
cars jumped. His body struck some
object along the right of way and
was hurled back against the moving
train. He died almost instantly sur
vivors of the wreck say.
Other members of the party on
board the train jumped and escaped
with only minor injuries.
Superintendent Sholtz landed in a
brush heap and it is believed that
this saved his life. The train kept
the tracks until it reached slight
curve nearly half way down the
mountain. Here the front trucks of
the log train failed to hold the tracks
and the entire train piled up along
the right of way. Perry's body was
pinned beneath the overturned engine
and it was necessary to dig the body
out of the dirt.
A graphic story of the accident was
rected Thursday night by Superin-
tendent Sholtz, who was taken to the
City Hospital in Morgantown follow
ing the accident.
eve started over the top of the
mountain and started to descend the
steep grade leading to the MILL" he
said. "The train seemed under con-
troll until after the engine had been
shifted to the rear and then it began
to gather speed. The tighter the
brakes were drawn the faster the
train seemed to go until | believe the
cars were running at least 100 miles
an hour. Everything seemed to run
6ogether, l mean that woods, brush
piles, logs, trees and rocks were piled
together so fast was the train travel
ing. Some jumped while others stayed
with the train"
Survivors of the wreck, including
the engineer, are said to have at
tributed slippery rails as the cause of
the run away. 1t was pointed out
that when the brakes were applied
that the wheels slid and formed a
sled causing the train to run faster
than if the brakes had not been APP
Piled so tightly.