OBIT: Gerald I. WATT, 1919, Portage, Cambria County, PA

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Altoona Tribune
Friday Morning
March 28, 1919


CALL CORONER BEFORE DEATH CLAIMS YOUTH
Gerald I. Watt, of Portage, Lives an Hour After Removal from Car at 
Wreck
ACCIDENT AT KITTANNING POINT

Deputy Coroner C. T. Rothrock, of this city, was called an hour 
before his services were needed yesterday afternoon after Gerald I. 
Watt, aged 18, of Portage, was supposed to have been instantly killed 
by an overturned car at Kittanning Point, and who died from his 
injuries later.

Watt was a member of the Cresson wreck force and the son of a track 
foreman, who witnessed the accident, which occurred at the scene of the 
big freight wreck near Horseshoe Curve early on Wednesday night.  The 
youth had sought shelter under an overturned car lying along the 
mountainside, when a heavy rain started at 11 a.m.  Loosened earth 
caused the car to slide down upon Watt.

SHOWED SIGNS OF LIFE

Mr. Rothrock was first summoned about noon.  Permission was asked to 
take the body to Portage.  The local official said a death certificate 
must be obtained first.  His informant on the other end of the line 
paused abruptly during the conversation and then told the coroner that 
Watt had shown signs of life.  The call for the Altoonan had been 
premature.

Shortly after 1 o'clock, Mr. Rothrock was again summoned and was 
informed young Watt had died a few minutes previously.  He was injured 
so badly that nothing could be done for him.  The body was placed on a 
train and brought to this city, accompanied by the youth's father.  The 
coroner viewed the corpse and on learning the particulars decided an 
inquest unnecessary.

BODY BADLY CRUSHED

The body was then taken to Portage and prepared for burial.  Foreman 
Watt made an official statement to Mr. Rothrock.  He said the youth was 
one of a gang assigned to duty at the wreck and had walked beneath the 
partly overturned car to escape the rain.  He was away from his post of 
duty when the miniature landslide resulted in the car falling.

Young Watt's torso was badly crushed by the heavy car, but his head 
and lower limbs were practically unmarked.  An internal hemorrhage 
evidently was the fatal injury.  It was reported here that two boys had 
been killed, but no companion had followed the young man's example in 
dodging the rain.

MOVEMENT MUCH DELAYED

Wreckers were busy until late yesterday at the scene removing the 
eighteen wrecked cars containing coal and making repairs to the tracks 
and right-of-way.  The train movement was resumed at noon yesterday, 
but all the tracks were not in service until 4 p.m.  Several were badly 
damaged.

The wreck was one of the most spectacular, as well as being numbered 
among the most costly and serious as far as delay to traffic was 
concerned, happening on the Pittsburg division in several months.

Altoona, Gallitzin, Hollidaysburg and Cresson wreck forces were 
called shortly after 9 o'clock Wednesday night, and the members were on 
the scene until late yesterday.  Passenger trains were diverted over 
the New New [sic] Portage branch until the normal movement could be 
resumed.  Unfavorable weather retarded the progress of the wreck and 
work train forces yesterday.