Cobleskill, New York, USA
1892 - NARROW ESCAPE OF A TRAIN. COACHES SCRAPE ALONG A WRECK NEAR COBLESKILL STATION.
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BINGHAMTON, Oct. 28 - The Delaware and Hudson train No. 3, which leaves Albany at 4:25 P.M., narrowly escaped a wreck this afternoon near the Cobleskill Station. Engineer Whitaker had just pulled out of the station on time as a mixed freight and coal train bound east was drawing in. The freight, however, had broken in three sections. The middle section had been stopped half a mile west of the station and into this crashed the third section, which had whirled down the steep grade beyond the control of the trainmen.
So violent was the shock that three coal cars were derailed and one was thrown well over on the west-bound track. At the moment of the collision the passenger train, which had obtained, fortunately, a speed of not more than ten miles and hour arrived and for several seconds, or the time required for the baggage and Wagner cars and two day coaches to scrape along the edge of the wreck, there was the liveliest sort of a time.
There is not question that the heavily-built Wagner car, "North Shore" prevented a disaster. Its steps on one side were knocked off and the forward platform destroyed. Several of its windows were smashed and the woodwork on the outside looked as if it had gone through a bombardment. The passengers, including State Treasurer Danforth, were pretty well shaken up.
The engineer applied the air brakes and the train was brought to a stop. It was standing on an embankment twenty-five feet high. After a careful examination of all his cars, conductor Evans found that no injury had been done to the running gear, and the train pulled out and arrived here on time.
The wreck jumped over on the west-bound track after the Binghamton express passed it, and the Cherry Valley train, which followed No. 3, ran into it. The engine was wrecked and the passengers, among them Assemblyman Hill of Albany, were pretty badly scared.
The New York Times
New York, New York
October 29, 1892
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