The Southern Central Railroad, which extended from Fair Haven to Sayre, Pa. began operation in 1869 after several previous attempts to start the line were unsuccessful. Locally, the line was active by 1872. The main commodity shipped was coal from Sayre to all points along the way. Two stations existed in the town of Cato - one in the village of Cato, now a flower shop, and the other called Brick Church Station where the railroad crossed Short Cut Road.
During construction of the line, a swamp between Weedsport and Cato created difficulty. After fill had brought the road to an acceptable level, 50 to 100 feet of it then sank. After this happened twice, pilings were installed.
After several years of service the Southern Central was taken over by the Lehigh Valley Railroad which continued service until 1953. If you cross Route 34 bridge and look east, you will be able to see the abutments of the old railroad bridge in the distance. The railroad right-of-way is now a hiking, biking and snowmobile trail.
In 1884 a terrible accident occurred on the railroad bridge across the Seneca River. Based on newspaper accounts of the time dated, the following story unfolds.
Feb. 14, 1884:
A south bound Southern Central train, consisting of the engine, two box cars, one coach and caboose, fell into the Seneca River when the northern side of the bridge collapsed. The bridge, built in September 1882, was made up of three spans each approximately 130 feet in length and supported by piled abutments. The engine, a recent addition called The Owasco, crashed through the northern most span and went into the water backward with the two box cars going in forward. The coach, which was behind the caboose, remained on the tracks while the caboose hung precariously from the tracks with half of it in the water. In the coach were seven passengers that were uninjured. The engineer, fireman and brakeman were in the engine which sank below the ice covered water. The conductor, seeing the fate of the engine going in ahead of him, had time to sound the alarm. The telegraph wires went down with the bridge which delayed the notification of any possible assistance. In the locomotive were engineer, Burr Ridgeway; fireman, John Strait, and brakeman, Tim Danahey all from Auburn. The conductor sent the other brakeman, Tim Danahey's brother, up the tracks to warn a train that was due to follow coming from the north. Coincidentally, this engine, a new six-wheeler, ran into a train at Cato a few days before, resulting in that engineer being discharged and Ridgeway replacing him.
Feb. 15:
A diver from Oswego was called in to try to find the missing bodies with no luck. It was noted that this train had gone over the same bridge three hours before without incident.
Feb. 16 through 18:
After diving six times, the search was abandoned. The diver did state that the front trucks of the tender were forced approximately three to four feet into the mud on the river bottom. By this time over 2,000 spectators had assembled on the ice and were carting off pieces of the cab when the ice gave way and several of the onlookers fell into the water and were quickly retrieved.
Feb. 21:
Reporters interviewed Fred Hudson who witnessed the accident. “I was at the boat house on the river just below the highway bridge, helping pull a boat out of the river at the time of the accident. My position placed me facing the train, and as it came on the bridge, I noticed the engine not steaming but moving along by the momentum of the train. When the engine was right over the pier, I noticed a sudden sinking of the lower part of the bridge directly under the junction of the post with the top timbers and on the side nearest me. The tender seemed to sink bodily down and about the same time the rest of the bridge quivered and went down, drawing the engine back on the top of the tender. The whole was done so quickly that it was over before I could speak. I did not see any of the men in the engine and did not hear anything because of the wind which was blowing in the direction of the bridge. When we realized what had happened, we all started for the depot, but met Fred Kenyon, who ran back and told what had happened. It was at least a minute before I saw any one jump off of the passenger car.”
Feb 22:
Tim Denahey, brakeman, was found 200 feet down river. Still in his pocket was found his watch with the hands stopped at 3:21, the time of the accident. The coroner ruled death by drowning. The river continues to be dragged as Ridgeway and Strait have not yet been found. The bridge is being rebuilt but many workers quit, claiming the work is too dangerous. On this same date, John Danahey, another brakeman is injured while coupling cars by being caught between the bumpers. He was scheduled to be on duty the day of the accident but had taken the day off.
Feb 25:
Engineer Ridgeway's body was found by dragging. On this day is Tim Danahey's funeral.
Feb. 26:
Ridgeway's funeral is held with his body being brought by a special train to Waverly for interment. He was a member of the Knights of Honor. A rumor was heard of another train going into the river but this was actually based on a small accident one mile south of Ira where a wheel of a tender broke and cars were derailed.
April 3:
A diver from Buffalo by the name of William Anderson was hired to find the body of John Strait the fireman for the ill fated train. This was found about 10 feet from where the engine was lying near the north bank. Mr. Strait will receive a funeral in charge of the Knights of Honor.
After an inquest, the state railroad commissioners were faulted for not examining the bridge more often and with greater thoroughness.
The bridge was replaced with one of heavier timbers that withstood only two years of use being replaced again in 1887.
As for the engine, they were able to pull it from the bottom of the river, rebuild it and use it for many more years.
Thank you to Herbert Trice for the use of photos and for his consultation in the preparation of this article. Check out his book, “The Gangly Country Cousin.”
A correction needs to be made regarding my June article about the Cato Boys in the 111th. Horace Acker and Reuben Myers were actually from Sterling, not Cato. Thank you to Hallie Sweeting for bringing this to my attention.
Eva Taylor Sholes is the
town of Cato historian and can
be reached at 834-6306
After several years of service the Southern Central was taken over by the Lehigh Valley Railroad which continued service until 1953. If you cross Route 34 bridge and look east, you will be able to see the abutments of the old railroad bridge in the distance. The railroad right-of-way is now a hiking, biking and snowmobile trail.
In 1884 a terrible accident occurred on the railroad bridge across the Seneca River. Based on newspaper accounts of the time dated, the following story unfolds.
Feb. 14, 1884:
A south bound Southern Central train, consisting of the engine, two box cars, one coach and caboose, fell into the Seneca River when the northern side of the bridge collapsed. The bridge, built in September 1882, was made up of three spans each approximately 130 feet in length and supported by piled abutments. The engine, a recent addition called The Owasco, crashed through the northern most span and went into the water backward with the two box cars going in forward. The coach, which was behind the caboose, remained on the tracks while the caboose hung precariously from the tracks with half of it in the water. In the coach were seven passengers that were uninjured. The engineer, fireman and brakeman were in the engine which sank below the ice covered water. The conductor, seeing the fate of the engine going in ahead of him, had time to sound the alarm. The telegraph wires went down with the bridge which delayed the notification of any possible assistance. In the locomotive were engineer, Burr Ridgeway; fireman, John Strait, and brakeman, Tim Danahey all from Auburn. The conductor sent the other brakeman, Tim Danahey's brother, up the tracks to warn a train that was due to follow coming from the north. Coincidentally, this engine, a new six-wheeler, ran into a train at Cato a few days before, resulting in that engineer being discharged and Ridgeway replacing him.
Feb. 15:
A diver from Oswego was called in to try to find the missing bodies with no luck. It was noted that this train had gone over the same bridge three hours before without incident.
Feb. 16 through 18:
After diving six times, the search was abandoned. The diver did state that the front trucks of the tender were forced approximately three to four feet into the mud on the river bottom. By this time over 2,000 spectators had assembled on the ice and were carting off pieces of the cab when the ice gave way and several of the onlookers fell into the water and were quickly retrieved.
Feb. 21:
Reporters interviewed Fred Hudson who witnessed the accident. “I was at the boat house on the river just below the highway bridge, helping pull a boat out of the river at the time of the accident. My position placed me facing the train, and as it came on the bridge, I noticed the engine not steaming but moving along by the momentum of the train. When the engine was right over the pier, I noticed a sudden sinking of the lower part of the bridge directly under the junction of the post with the top timbers and on the side nearest me. The tender seemed to sink bodily down and about the same time the rest of the bridge quivered and went down, drawing the engine back on the top of the tender. The whole was done so quickly that it was over before I could speak. I did not see any of the men in the engine and did not hear anything because of the wind which was blowing in the direction of the bridge. When we realized what had happened, we all started for the depot, but met Fred Kenyon, who ran back and told what had happened. It was at least a minute before I saw any one jump off of the passenger car.”
Feb 22:
Tim Denahey, brakeman, was found 200 feet down river. Still in his pocket was found his watch with the hands stopped at 3:21, the time of the accident. The coroner ruled death by drowning. The river continues to be dragged as Ridgeway and Strait have not yet been found. The bridge is being rebuilt but many workers quit, claiming the work is too dangerous. On this same date, John Danahey, another brakeman is injured while coupling cars by being caught between the bumpers. He was scheduled to be on duty the day of the accident but had taken the day off.
Feb 25:
Engineer Ridgeway's body was found by dragging. On this day is Tim Danahey's funeral.
Feb. 26:
Ridgeway's funeral is held with his body being brought by a special train to Waverly for interment. He was a member of the Knights of Honor. A rumor was heard of another train going into the river but this was actually based on a small accident one mile south of Ira where a wheel of a tender broke and cars were derailed.
April 3:
A diver from Buffalo by the name of William Anderson was hired to find the body of John Strait the fireman for the ill fated train. This was found about 10 feet from where the engine was lying near the north bank. Mr. Strait will receive a funeral in charge of the Knights of Honor.
After an inquest, the state railroad commissioners were faulted for not examining the bridge more often and with greater thoroughness.
The bridge was replaced with one of heavier timbers that withstood only two years of use being replaced again in 1887.
As for the engine, they were able to pull it from the bottom of the river, rebuild it and use it for many more years.
Thank you to Herbert Trice for the use of photos and for his consultation in the preparation of this article. Check out his book, “The Gangly Country Cousin.”
A correction needs to be made regarding my June article about the Cato Boys in the 111th. Horace Acker and Reuben Myers were actually from Sterling, not Cato. Thank you to Hallie Sweeting for bringing this to my attention.
Eva Taylor Sholes is the
town of Cato historian and can
be reached at 834-6306
The Citizens' Say
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