Head On Collision At Cranberry
What might have proved a serious wreck
on the Sussex railroad was averted one evening last week through the
alertness of Conductor Frank Quackenbush, who is in charge of the
last train to Newton, connecting with Conductor Slack's train from
New York at Netcong. The orders were for the train to take the siding
at Cranberry Lake to allow the freight train from over the Lehigh
& Hudson River road to pass at this point. As the train approached
the switch at full speed, Conductor Quackenbush, who was engaged in
taking up tickets, discovered that the train was going to pass the
siding, when he jumped to the lever in the coach and put on the emergency
brake. Fortunately the long train of loaded freight cars from the
Lehigh & Hudson River road was coming up the heavy summit grade
at a slow rate of speed, and the two trains came together head-on
just as the train in charge of Conductor Quackenbush came to a stand
still. Both engines were slightly damaged, and the passengers were
a little shaken up. If it had not been for the alertness of Conductor
Quackenbush a serious wreck would have followed.