Sullivan County Record
May 31, 1877
A Queer Craft.
Under the supervision of Master Mechanic Minshull, the N.Y. & O. Midland shops have just turned out a small steam car, to be used for making short trips and excursions over the road, and for the purpose of inspecting the track. The car is built low to the track, quite similar to the ordinary hand-car, and driven by a small engine. The machinery, with the exception of the steam-box and piston heads, is all below the platform of the car. The boiler stands in the center of the car and a small tank underneath supplies it with water. A seat at the rear end will place the driver within reach of his lever and gauges and one at the front end will accommodate the travelers. - Union.
Oswego Palladium
Friday, April 19, 1878
Improving the Condition of the Midland
Receiver Stevens of the N.Y. & O. Midland Railway and C. W. Lanpher were in town yesterday. They had been over the entire line in a steam hand car to examine tracks, trestles, etc. It was decided to put in steel rails at and in the vicinity of Fulton. The favorable winter just past; the absences of snow, &c., has saved the company a good deal of money, every dollar of which with all the earnings and above running expenses, will be put into improvements - rails, ties, filling trestles, etc. Mr. Stevens is greatly encouraged by the condition and prospects of the road. ’’
Evening Gazette, Port Jervis, N.Y.
Thursday, August 29, 1878
A STEAM HAND CAR
A Novel Craft on the New York Midland -
It’s First Trip
A new steam hand-car which Mr. C. W. Lanpher, Superintendent of the Northern Division of the New York & Oswego Midland, had built at the Norwich shop, arrived in Middletown Tuesday night of last week just behind the milk train. It was the car’s first trip ever on the Middle Division, although it was taken from the shop several days ago. Mr. Lanpher and bridge builder D. Lamont were the passengers, having come over the road to inspect the trestles and bridges.
The car works handsomely in every way. It has two pistons and a patent valve, and is supplied with an air brake which will stop it in twice its length no matter how fast it is running. The little thing can be run 40 miles an hour, and kn the Northern Division made with safety 19 miles in 30 minutes. Coming into Middletown it made the milk train’s time from Sumitville with is very fast. The car has four chairs with spring seats and it rides like a palace coach.
It was built, we understand, principally at Mr. Lanpher’s private expense. This is the second steam car that has been built for the road. The first was constructed at Middletown by Master Mechanic Minshull, who now has a third one under way. The steam cars save no little “elbow grease,” the wages of a gang of several workmen, an much time in the trips. - Argus.
Monticello Republican
Friday, October 4, 1878
Another Collision of the N.Y, & O.M.
R. R. Steam Hand Car - Two Employees Injured.
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Tuesday morning about ten o’clock B. W. Thatcher, General Freight Agent of the N.Y. & O. M. R.R., accompanied by his head clerk, F. W. Getty, came down the Midland from Liberty on board the Superintendent’s steam hand-car which was in charge of Phillip Minshull, brother of Master Mechanic Minshull. They were wild-catting down the road, their intention being to arrive in this village in time to take an eastward bound train over the Erie for New York, and as a natural consequence were running at a high rate of speed.
In coming into the company’s yards in this village, in the cut just north of the Wickham avenue depot, the hand-car collided with the tender of engine 82, Ed. McNiff, engineer, which was slowly backing toward the round house. The point where the collision occurred is on the curve, and neither Minshull nor McNiff, after they came in sight of one another, had time to stop their engines.
Just before the crash, Thatcher and Getty jumped from the hand-car, but Minshull stood at his post. When picked up after the accident, it was found that he was considerably injured. He received severe cuts in the head and face, dislocating his wrist, and injured one of his legs. His injuries, we are glad to be able to state, are not considered dangerous by his physicians. Mr. Getty was injured somewhat about the head and leg, but not sufficiently to prevent his taking Train 6 for New York. The car was somewhat wrecked. - Mercury.
Oswego Daily Times
Thursday, December 16, 1878
Shocking Railroad Accident
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A Snow Plow and two Engines Run
off the Midland Track near Battle
Island - Two Men Reported Killed.
At 2:15 this afternoon a despatch came to the Midland operator at this city, from Fulton, stating that the snow plow and engines had run off the track, and that some men were killed.
Drs. Burrows and Stockwell were at once notified and a special train was started for the scene of the accident.
Further Particulars
At 2:30 the following was received from the Midland train despatcher at Norwich:
The plow ran off the track near Battle Island, turned partly around, two engines and plow wrecked. We have not been able to obtain particulars yet, but understand O. H. Page. flagman and a nam named Ellis were kill; others slightly injured. Among the injured is Mr. John Minshull. Two doctors were immediately despatched from Fulton and a train with physicians and other means at hand, from Oswego.
There were three engines behind the plow: Numbers 68, 35 and 80, which were engineered and fired as follows: No. 80, engineer Andy Bennett, fireman William Young; No. 35, engineer James Norton, fireman, Fred Clark; No. 68, engineer Nelson Waterman, fireman James Hartigan. Frank Murphy was in charge of the plow and Edward Gillen had the train.
Orville H. Page, one of the killed, was a flagman on train 36 and was on engine 68 at the time of the accident. He formerly drove the D.L. & W. Express wagon in this city. Mr. Page was about 28 yeas old, has a wife and two children in Oneida an has been in the employ of the Midland since last May.
Ela Ellis the other man reported killed, is about 25 years old an lives on West 10th street in this city. He was tried and acquitted at the last Oyer and Terminer for breaking into the Midland shops and stealing a quantity of brass. He was employed as a shoveler. Not one of the twelve men in the snowplow was injured.
Looking for Friends
The Midland depot was besieged by the relatives and friends of those on the train inquiring anxiously for the. No particulars however could be given except those received in the telegram at 2:30.
LATER. - The relief train from the scene of the accident arrived here at 4 P.M. Ellis is not dead but has a leg broken in in two places, all the flesh stripped from one of his feet, is arm punched full of holes and he is internally injured. He may recover. Paige was on the top head of the engine, 68, and was crushed to death between the cab and the tender. A casual look at the body showed no external injuries. Some of the other men on the engines were slightly bruised. Minshull is injured internally above the bowels - not supposed to be severe.
Oswego Daily Times
Friday, May 16, 1879
The Steam Hand Car
Midland Superintendent Lanphear’s steam hand car brought Mr. Theodore Houston to tis city yesterday. The little car stood on the track before the Midland depot this morning and was viewed by a crowd of curious people. The affair is about the size of an ordinary hand car, with an upright boiler and engine. There are four seats, one at each corner, and the man who sits in the right hand forward corner governs the machine. The car is entirely uncovered. Engineer O’Neil says she will make a mile a minute for a short distance. It seems to us that on a pleasant day nothing could be more enjoyable than a ride over the road in the car.
Delphi Republican
Saturday, August 23, 1879
Last week Wednesday morning, August 13th, Master Mechanic John E. Minshull, Superintendent T. C. Purdy and Assistant Superintendent A. B. Danforth, of the Midland, started from Middletown for Oswego, on one of those little steam cars used on that road. As the car approached a crossing between Trout Brook and East Branch, a horse and wagon came out of the bushes to cross the road.
The driver turned the horse quickly and stopped it close to the track. At the same instant the car which was running at great speed was checked suddenly, and Mr. Minshull, who was sitting on the forward corner was thrown off, striking his head and rolling under the wagon. There was no collision, and the other remaining on the car escaped unhurt.
Mr. Minshull was picked up unconscious and taken to the house of Mr. Hall, at East Branch. He recovered unconsciousness about twenty minutes after the accident. A special train with Dr. Pillsbury and Mrs. Minshull on board left Middletown at 2:16 p.m., a telegram having been sent, and arrived at East Branch about 4:30.
Mr. Minshull died at four o’clock on Tuesday morning. The remains were taken to Middletown the same day by Conductor Brazee, of the Delhi Branch, on a special train.
The deceased was the youngest of five children and is the last to pass away. He was a man purely devoted to his family, and during his late sickness his wife and daughter have been his constant companions, he never wanting them to leave him for a minute.
He learned his trade in the Erie shops at Susquehanna, beginning when but eleven years of age. After a year or two in the West and Canada, he entered the Midland shops at Oswego, where his father, Edward, was foreman. Afterwards he was an engineer on the Notth Branch, and later on the Middle Division of the road. He was foreman of the Middle Division Shop for a year, from 184 to 1875, and when the late H. M. Flint became General Supeintendent, in January, 1875, he made Minshull Master mechanic.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Minshull are Phillip, master mechanic of the O. & W. in this city; Thomas E. of Weehawken; Annie, wife of Bert Hasbrouck, of Montclair, N.J.; George B., of Montclair; James E., of Caldwell, N.J.; and Frank, of this city.
Middletown Daily Press
Wednesday, October 12, 1881
Rockland. - The one-horse steam hand-car that carries the officials of the Midland railroad on their pleasure trips ran into the trackmen of this section last week. The trackmen were returning from their work at 6 o’clock, with their tools, &c., on the hand-car, when the steam car ran upon them, just giving them time to jump for their lives.
They escaped with slight bruises, but the hand car was a total wreck. The section boss or foreman was promptly discharged. Of course the officers of the road could not be the ones in fault. The working men ought not to have been in the way. The men working under the foreman also quit work.
So at the present writing we have no trackman on this section. “Charley,” the foreman, has been in charge a number of years, and no train has been off the track on his section.
Republican Watchman
October 21, 1881
Mr. Edward Minshull, Mater Mechanic of the Ontario & Western Railroad, was badly injured yesterday at the Westfield bridge while assisting to clear the recent wreck there. The huge cable with which the engine was being hauled out broke, and in the recoil wrapped around one of his legs, dragged him down and injured the limb badly. He’d will be laid up for some time.
Middletown Daily Press
Wednesday November 3, 1897
Edward Minshull
Mr. Edward Minshull, former master mechanic of the O. & W., died a his home on North street, corner of Chattle street, this morning at 3 o’clock.
Deceased was the son of John Minshull, a Welshman, and Elizabeth Bradshaw, and was born in Glassop, Eng., Nov. 24, 1827, and would have been 70 years old had he lived until the 14th of this month.
At the age of 19, on Nov. 14, 1846, Mr. Minshull was united in marriage with Maria McGurn, at Stockport, England. They came to this country in 1854, settling in Lowell, Mass., where they remained a short time, going from there to Canada where they remained until 1860. He then returned to the states and lived at Oswego and Susquehanna, Pa., successively. He returned from the latter place to Oswego in 1867. In 1869 he entered the employ of the New York & Oswego Midland as a machinist and was afterward made foreman of the , and on the death of his son, John, who was killed in a railroad accident in 1879, the subject of this sketch was made master mechanic.
In 1880 the family removed to this city which has since been their home. In 1891 Mr. Minshull resigned his position with the O. & W. and was succeeded by his son, Philip. Since then Mr. Minshull has lived quietly. He was one of the park commissioners of the city for a time and later, on the appointment of his son Frank to that position, he devoted much time to beautifying Thrall park.
On Nov. 14th last Mr. and Mrs. Minshull celebrated the golden anniversary of their marriage by inviting a number of friends to their home and entertained them in a hospitable manner.
Mr. Minshull was largely instrumental in bringing the O. & W. shops here. Mr. Lanpher was making a strong effort to get the shops moved from Oswego to Norwich, but Mr. Minshull triumphed, and much was done for Middletown’s figure by the change.
Middletown Daily Press
Wednesday, June 24, 1896
Steam Launch
Successfully Launched on the Hudson
____
Middletowners Will Be Thicker Than Ever
on The Hudson’s Bosom This Summer -
Description of an American Shipbuilder’s Work.
Since last July, Mr. Horace W. Corey has been constructing a steam launch in his orchard at Lochsley Hall. Saturday it was launched at Marvel’s shipyards, Newburgh, and the managerial dream which has been poured into the cars of his companions the past winter, was found to be a success. The boat did not sink, it was not top heavy; Marvel’s men said it was a fine boat.
The coal box was then filled, the wheels oiled, the larder stocked, the engineer took his place, the electric bell tinkled, the whistle tooted, and in 17 minutes the boat and Captain Corey and his gold-corded cap were tied up at the Cornwall dock. The Cordella had joined the Olivette.
Manager Corey is proud of the boat he designed and built in his back orchard. It is really a handsome launch, 35 feet long, of 7-foot beam, and draws 36 inches of water. The engine was once in use on the fatal O. & W. grampus on which was killed Mr. John Minshull, well known and highly respected in this city a few years ago.
The boat weighs five tons. She carries 1,500 pounds of ballast, and a ton of coal, of which she burns 500 pounds a day. There are accommodations on board for 22 people and sleeping accommodations for five. The cabins are finished in quartered oak, and are 9x6. The engineer has a space 5x6. The gallery is in the after cabin.
The work on the boat was done by Havey Oles, steam fitter ; Levi Lonsbury, Ulysses Johnson, joiners; Harvey Corey, painter and varnisher. The boat is arranged with all the conveniences; ice tank, closet, dishes, electric bells, etc.
