Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-08-23

and hospitablo family as well as from
the ladies' Of Suffolk, the unfortunate
sufferers received every attention that
could be bestowed. MIR. Goodwin's
house presented the appearance Of a
hospital. Every room was filed with
beds containing the injured, whose cries
and groans were heard atar off. Under
the large shed Of his tu.pentne factory
lay the bodies Of tie deceased young
ladies, surrounded by their mourning
relatives and friends. Two Of these
young ladie5 were very soon 10 have
entered Inc married state. The ac.
cepted Of one Of them was by her side
whe.i The death blow came upon her,
agid he could have escaped unhurt by
! leapIng from the car, which he said he
! refused 10 DO, unless he could have sa.
we'd her. He remained in his seat,
therefore, and received such injury as
nc will probably never recover from.
The young gentleman to whom the
other was engaged, came to the scene
few hours after the accident occur.
red, and bydhe expression of bis grief
too we'll told the wounds Of his heart.
The Directors Of the Company upon
hearing of the disaster, proceeded with
an engine forthwith 10 the house Of Mr..
Goodwin, accompanied by Drs. Watts,
Scheduled, Butt, and Collins, efforts.
mouth, and DIR. Williamson, surgeon OF
the u. 5. Naval Hospital, who prompt.
~ volunteered his valuable assistance
on the occasion, and reached there
about dark. Immediate and indefati
gable attention, however, had been gi-
ven to the wounds Of the sufferers in
the interim, by Drs. Webb, Raddick,
and Cohoon, Of Suffolk, and DIR. Pur.
die, of Smithfeld.
YET ANOTHER FATAL ACCIDENT
When the Directors and Physicians left
the engine, it returned to Suffolk for
wood and water, propelling before it
the coach in which they had come up.
The night was dark, and heavy rain
falling, so that no look out could be
kept on the road. When within one
huadred yards Of the watering place,
the coach and engine passed over Mr..
James Woodward and Mr.. r. Oliver,
two citizens Of the neighborhood, who
were walking on the track, and so man.
gled them, that the former died almost
Immediately, and the latter is so badly |
injured that he cannot possibly reco.
yer. This accident was wholly una
yoIdable-the engineer could not see |
through the darkness, (havng a large
passenger coach before him. that the
men were in his way, and
they by the same cause, together with
The pattering OF heavy shower ofrain
'alling at the time, were rendered I'm.
conscious of the approach of the train,
lntIl they were struck down.
The days disasters are stated as fol.
ows: A killed, 10 severely wounded,
and % or 80 slightly.
An inquest Was held on the three de.
ceased young ladies, and another on
hr, Woodward, whose verdicts are
ubloined.
From all that we can learn, there is
lot the shadow of cause to Justify COM
1laint against the agent and engineer
If the passenger train. The whole
Dlame rests on the agent Of the lumber
train, whose duty it was To have de.
tanned it at the turn out above Suffolk,
until the passenger cars, passing at
their regular hour, had gone by. But
he is in the hands Of the law ana there
let US leave him.
NERDICTs OF THE INQUrsTs. tive |
the Jury, are of the opinion that the |
deceased came TO their deaths on the !
Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail Road, |
near Goodwin's landing, in the county
OF Nansemond, between the hours of 0 |
and 10 O'Clock, a. NJ, on Friday, the |
18th of August, 1887, by the violent
conclusion of the lumber train coming
in contact with the regular train, which
conclusion was occasloned by the will
full msmanagement and gross negl.
gSnce Of the captain and engineer of
the lumber train, Gordeus Eheridge
and Williams, by running down ra.
pid descent on n curve Of said road
with great velocity, at time, when
they might reasonably have expected
to meet the regular train"
eve, of the Inquest, find that the
deceased came to his death accidental.
ly on the Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail
Road, on Friday night during heavy
rain by car and engine running over
his body-that we entirely exonerate
Mr.. Culpeper, who had charge of the
engine, from any and all charge OF
blame of negligence, or mismanage.
ment on his part whatever.