On Tuesday morning of last week the huge snow plow came up the Harlem RR from Dover Plains. Behind it were five powerful engines. Dashing through one cut after another, they went on their triumphal course until they reached the long rock cut about a mile north of Coleman's Station. This was drifted full and the recent thawing had made it a dense, compact mass. Into this the plough dashed at full speed, with the engines behind pushing it on with great force. There was an awful crash and the front engine went into the first, the third was pushed over the fourth, which reared on end, the fifth remaining partly on the track. Those killed outright were Thomas Riley, fireman on the first engine; Thomas Feeney, conductor in the third engine; George Fowler, engineer on the third engine; Charles Orton, fireman on the third engine. Luther Gates, engineer on the first engine, died the same evening. A relief train was immediately sent up with physicians. The bodies of Riley, Feeny and Orton were taken to Dover, while Cameron and Gates were taken to the resident of F.N. Wheeler, adjacent to the scene. Fowler's body was entangled in the wreck, and it as some time before it could be extricated. It is hard now to ascertain where the blame should be placed. The order which placed five engines behind the plough has been severely blamed, and others say there was a spirit of recklessness and bravado on the part of the engineers.
Amenia Times, 19 March 1888
Amenia Times, 19 March 1888
On Tuesday morning of last week the huge snow plow came up the Harlem RR from Dover Plains. Behind it were five powerful engines. Dashing through one cut after another, they went on their triumphal course until they reached the long rock cut about a mile north of Coleman's Station. This was drifted full and the recent thawing had made it a dense, compact mass. Into this the plough dashed at full speed, with the engines behind pushing it on with great force. There was an awful crash and the front engine went into the first, the third was pushed over the fourth, which reared on end, the fifth remaining partly on the track. Those killed outright were Thomas Riley, fireman on the first engine; Thomas Feeney, conductor in the third engine; George Fowler, engineer on the third engine; Charles Orton, fireman on the third engine. Luther Gates, engineer on the first engine, died the same evening. A relief train was immediately sent up with physicians. The bodies of Riley, Feeny and Orton were taken to Dover, while Cameron and Gates were taken to the resident of F.N. Wheeler, adjacent to the scene. Fowler's body was entangled in the wreck, and it as some time before it could be extricated. It is hard now to ascertain where the blame should be placed. The order which placed five engines behind the plough has been severely blamed, and others say there was a spirit of recklessness and bravado on the part of the engineers.
Amenia Times, 19 March 1888
Amenia Times, 19 March 1888
Inscription
Front of Stone: FOWLER; Geo.C. Fowler Mar 16 1888, age 24 years
Gravesite Details
Fowler
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