 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| On this Monday afternoon, the Lackawanna Limited speeding along at
70 MPH to make up twenty minutes of lost time, sideswiped a switcher freight
engine that had not fully cleared the main line. There were more than 500
passengers aboard the 11-car train. The track-side signals and cab signals
indicated clear. The engineer of the switcher thought he had time to finish
his chores and was moving along the siding. The engineer of the express
noticed the moving switcher on the siding and assumed it would stop; when
he realized it was not, he applied the emergency brakes, but too late to
avoid the ensuring collision. The Limited’s locomotive sliced off the front
end of the switcher and split its boiler, derailing itself and several
following cars. Every window in the express was shattered and scalding
water burst from the broken boiler of the switcher flooded the windowless
Nickel plate coach which had stopped by the switcher. Twenty-six passengers
in that car were killed from the scalding water and steam. Riding in the
cab of the Limited was F. H. Meincke, DL&W’s superintendent of locomotives.
He jumped from the cab and was killed when the engine toppled on him; the
engineer and fireman was not injured. Two other passengers died later.
About four months later, an inquest was held which, although declaring “negligence of employees and failure of officials of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to provide adequate safety facilities”, the coroner concluded that no useful purpose would be served by recommending criminal action. |
Fatality List
At the Scene of the Wreck
At The Wayland Hospital
At Bath Memorial Hospital
At Strong Memorial Hospital,
Rochester
All died of steam burns except
Fred Henry Meincke.
|
This page is maintained by the PHGS
Last Update February 8, 2006
© 2002 by The Painted Hills Genealogy Society
Main | Email
Us | Look-Ups
| Members Family
Pages
Chat and Meeting
Room | Disclaimer