Erie Railroad Biography - Lanesboro Bridge Accident


From the July 2, 1881 Issue of the Port Jervis Evening Gazette:

A Double Collision at Lanesborough Bridge This Morning
A singular wreck occurred at Lanesborough bridge on the Delaware division just east of Susquehanna at about three o'clock this morning.

Coal train 14, Marooney conductor, bound for Carbondale, was running across both the west-bound and east-bound tracks and was stretched across both tracks, when train 36, with engine 168, Taylor engineer, came out of Susquehanna and struck train 14 on the east-bound track. Almost at the same time train 35, engine 377, Shay engineer, ran down the hill and struck that part of train 14 lying on the west-bound track.

The damage was considerable, although not near as much as one would imagine from the nature of the collision. The engines mentioned were damaged as also was the 569, Oakley engineer, which was pushing coal 14. The caboose and an empty box car on the latter train were also wrecked. One track was cleared about an hour afterward, so that trains were run around.


From the July 5, 1881 Issue of the Port Jervis Evening Gazette:

The Accident at Lanesboro Bridge
In speaking of the accident to regular coal 14 at the west end of Lanesboro bridge last Saturday morning, it was stated the train was stretched across both tracks when the accident occurred. Such was not the case, however. The train had crossed the tracks and had passed up around the curve at the west end of the bridge and had stopped at the junction waiting for orders. Taylor with engine 168 and train 36, Jesse Ingram conductor, was following. The engineer had been flagged for the switch and held his train. When 14 pulled on around the curve, Taylor followed, as was his right, and no flag being out he struck the pusher of train 14 and threw the caboose and a boxcar over on the west-bound track. At this moment extra 35 came down the hill and 377, Shay engineer, struck the wrecked caboose and car, throwing 377 off the track. It was a "bad muss" indeed, and the wonder is that the men on train 35 were not killed. Marooney has run a train on the Erie road many years, and this is the first accident of any importance that ever happened to him. And this would not have occurred, it is said, had he not been of neccessity on the forward end of the train.


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