Railroad accidents were extremely common in the 1800s and early 1900s. Every day, newspapers printed lists of accidents that happened on the railroads. Most of the deaths were people hit by the trains. Some were suicides. Other deaths were those involving the railroad workers.
Trackman
The trackman (U.S.) or platelayer (British) was the person who inspected the railroad tracks to make sure everything was as it should be. He would grease point and would gather a team together when sections of the railroad needed to be replaced. It sounds like a safe job, but the truth is that many trackmen were killed doing their job. The Carbon Advocate, November 29, 1873, gives this chilling incident:
“Amandus Hagerty, a trackman in the employ of the L. & S. Railroad at Mauch Chunk, was killed at a place Wednesday afternoon. As No. 4 passenger train, which remains there about twenty minutes to allow passengers to take dinner, was backing to the station, Hagerty, who was repairing a switch at the time, did not notice or hear it approach, apparently, and was struck, two of the wheels of a passenger car running over his body and severing it in two. He died almost immediately. The remains were taken in charge by the railroad company.” [Source]
Brakeman
Brakemen were also mangled while on the job.
“Joseph Fritzinger, of Weissport, was engaged as a brakeman on a coal train on the Lehigh Valley R. R. On Friday evening last, in leaning over to signal the engineer, he fell from the train and was mangled in a terrible manner; his death was almost instantaneous. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, from his late residence in Weissport. Deceased leaves a wife and one child to deplore his sudden demise.” [Source]
Watchman
The watchmen should be pretty safe, right? Far from it. They were in just as much danger as anyone else working for the railroad.
“Paul Schaffer, watchman on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, was killed near Coplay on Friday afternoon of last week by being run over by freight train No. 43. He was walking on the up track and seeing a coal train approaching, stepped over on the other track, when he was struck by the engine of the freight train and almost instantly killed.” [Source]
Baggage Master
Baggage master sounds rather easy, but these men were on and off the trains so often that they often grew careless.
“On Thursday afternoon last, Douglas Miller, baggage master on the L. & S. R. R., met with an accident on the railroad at Mauch Chunk, whereby he lost his right arm at the shoulder and received other injuries. It appears that he had stepped on a train to speak with his brother, and in getting off, while the train was in motion, he slipped in some way and fell upon the track, the cars passing over his right arm, mangling it so that it was necessary to amputate the limb near the shoulder, the operation being performed by Drs. DeYoung and Leonard, of Mauch Chunk. He was also somewhat bruised about the head and body. He is a young married man and resides in Easton.” [Source]
