The Explosion At Devils Elbow, P.&R. 1921

  

Engine 1091 of the P&R, shown some time before it exploded in October of 1921

Prior to 1928, there was a section on the "Danville Milton Highway" [642], known as "Devils Elbow".

It was the scene of many auto accidents.  In 1924, plans began to remove the curve.  By 1928, the route from Danville to Milton had been considerably straightened out.  A new bridge had been added, and two railroad crossings had been removed, in addition to the road being rerouted through several farm fields.

Before the road was changed, on October 26 1921, "Engine on P&R blows up at "Devil's Elbow", Killing Four."

"The explosion occurred while the locomotive was proceeding from Catawissa to West Milton over the Catawissa branch.  The engine, which was No 1091, was being used as a "pusher" on the rear of a freight train on account of the heavy grades between the two points.

Originally, one man was killed and four were injured, but three of those injured would die from their injuries.

The engine was completely demolished, along with the cabin of the freight train. Shirley, Miller, and Halyard were all riding in the cabin of the freight train.

Bergenstock was "blown through the roof of the engine and landed on the first freight car beyond the cabin ahead.  He was killed outright". Harry Miller of Catawissa,  suffered from a fractured skull and died from his injuries later that same morning.   Alvin Sheidly of Tamaqua, a flagman, died from his injuries on October 28th.  It was originally thought that Sheidley had not been severely injured, but later discovered that he has severe internal injuries.   He was reported to be the third death from the explosion.  [I could not find the 4th death reported in the local papers, although the assumption is that it was Harry, or Irvin,  Levan of Catawissa , who was not expected to survive his injuries after the crash.  Levan and Halward however, were both reported as "recovering" on Nov. 3rd.]

The Danville fire company came to extinguish the flames, as the freight car and caboose "took fire".

The cause of the explosion was determined to be from "running with the water in the boiler low".

Other Accidents At Devils Elbow

On August 17th 1915, three men from the local brick companies, Walter Parsons, R.B. Follmer, & Forest Krumm,  traveled together to Bloomsburg to submit bids for a paving job to be done there.

They made the trip in a Studebaker, recently purchased by Harvey Reese.  On their return trip, Reese misjudged the road  and ran too close to the overhanging rocks.  The car struck the ledge and overturned.

Follmer  was thrown from the car and severely injured.  Ten years later, his cause of death would be reported in the newspapers to be from injuries sustained in this crash.  Parsons was trapped under the car and thought to be dead, but it was found that he had "suffered an attack of heart trouble", and he recovered a short time later.

1919

Engine of "Big Winton automobile" owned by Dentler Garage caught on fire at Devils Elbow in April 1920

A ford touring car owned by Robert Coleman flipped in 1924

The Removal Of Devils Elbow

March 1924

May 1928

August 1928

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March 1924