Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-29
| ..ATlISI NEWS.
Terrible na,Irond Co,l;.iov.

4 boRhoNsNllLE. Dec. 10Th, 1896
7 Having just escaped the dangers and emerged
1 hon the ruin. Of fearful railroad collision.
asaii myself If the earliest opportunity To com
mnncate thu particulars. Ia company with u
large number # passengers left Richmond ear.
| iy tai, morning by the Central Rnad and had
reached point about two mile, below this place,
when we came in contact with the down train
which was running nj the rates of b miles per
hour. The crash awful and the scene that
| folio we'd terrible. Cars were crushed aud shiv-
cred. engines battered aud broken, and. worse
still To relate. number # persons were injured
in mnst shocking manner-mos, of them ne.
groes. Some have their legs broken. some their
feet and ankles crushed off, one his jaw aud one
leg broken, aud one his skull fractured, besides
many others bruised aud wounded less Seriously.
| The numocr badly hurt does not. think. amount
to more than sx-.of these the probabilities are
that one or two will die. although they my re
cover-a all will, however, be manned for lite.
The injuries received by the white passengers
are confined to few bruises aud scratches
cept the engineer on the up train, who complains
of internal pains. He h al almost succeeded in
checking his train when the collision occurred,
and sprang from The engine iu-t before the shock.
Capt. Swift, Conductor Of the down train. was
taken from under the ,uins and remarkable to
say. was unhurt. Indeed it seems almost mi
racuous that not more were injured than were :;
and it is wonderful that a terrible desiruc-
ton of human life did not occur. Cars were
driven half their entire length int, each
other an seats and sides shivered to atoms
The engi ines, which were Two of the best ON the
road. very much damaged, and altogether the
pecnniary loss brought on the company by this
accident will be very heavy-probably not less
than ten or fifteen thousand dollars. The mails
of both trains set on fire by the overturn-
ing of st ives, but were extinguished before much
damaged. The trains consisted Of five cars each,
out of which about four are total wrecks. The
cause of the collision seems to have been a con
fusion in the schedule arrangements for the pnss
rg of the trains. Up 10 few weeks since they
have passed nj thi. place. but the President has
recently against the alvice of other officers and
without any apparent reason. had turnout con
struc,ed at Melton's four miles below here. for
! them to pass. The instruction furnished the
conductors Is ii seems, that the down or Rich
mond train arriving there shall wait many
mnDtes for the other, and if it does not come in
the specified time tie other shall then 60 on to
Gordonsvill,. The conductor the train from
Richmond asserts that he complied with his or
ders. while the conductor of the down train also
says he running on time. Both cannot ba
right; and he who wa. wrong is eulpabe Of con
duct most reprehensihle. hear more blame.
however, attached to Col Fountain, the Presi-
dent of the road for the foolish change above al
| luded to, than uuy one else. The matter should
be rigidly investigated by the proper authorities
Such reckless conduct aud objectionable trhng
with human life should not he permitted to pass
in silent Indifference. II nothing short Of rxem
plarv pnni shment will arouse railroad officers to
a sense of their responsibilities and their duties,
even that would be justifiabIc to effect the object
| In much ha,tp and c infusion. A. Med.