Wreck of the Red Arrow

Under normal circumstances, the engineman of the Pennsylvania Railroad's flyer Red Arrow has a clear track as his train roars through Philadelphia's famed Main Line suburbs on its run from Detroit. But as it came hurtling in toward the city at 7:30 one morning last week, complications developed up ahead; the Philadelphia-bound Pittsburgh Night Express--which was running 48 minutes late on the same track--had been stopped up ahead by a block signal near the station at Bryn Mawr.

Other signals began flashing a warning (repeated by colored lights in the cab of the Red Arrow's 320-ton electric locomotive) back along the narrowing interval of steel between the two trains. Near Villanova, a mile and a quarter west of the stalled express, the oncoming flyer was ordered to "stop & proceed" at no more than 15 m.p.h. The Red Arrow slid obediently to a halt. But when it started again it inexplicably began picking up speed.

The Night Express was lying just beyond a blind curve, and its brakeman had hurried a thousand feet back along the tracks with a red flag in his hand. When he saw the Red Arrow rumbling toward him, he stood between the rails in the bright morning sunshine and waved desperately. He had to jump for his life. As the Red Arrow rounded the curve, its horn blasted. Then, with a roar and a blinding electric flash, its locomotive sliced through the rear Pullman of the express, derailed the car ahead, reared like a wounded beast, and toppled sideways in a blizzard of dust, broken glass and feathers from burst pillows.

Eight passengers were killed and 63 injured.* At week's end there was no official explanation of the wreck. But a doctor who examined the Red Arrow's 62-year-old Engineman F. B. Yentzler after the wreck reported that he was suffering from what appeared to be a cataract, and from all initial tests, was virtually blind in his right eye.

* Thirteen passengers were killed, 103 injured in 1947 when the Red Arrow jumped the tracks on Bennington Curve near Altoona, Pa. Total casualties from wrecks on the Pennsylvania Railroad in the past 18 months: 123 dead, 931 injured.

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