Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-04-20
THE RAILROAD COLLISION OF YES
TERDAY-FURTHER PARTICULARS

We were at considerable trouble this
morning getting full additional partic-
ulars of the collision OH the Virginia
and Truckee Railroad yesterday, but
the following from the Carson APpeai
of this morning we find 50 fully cor
roborated by our own information, that
we adopt it in preference. The sad
accident occurred about l o'clock yes
terday afternoon, in the deep cut ear
Carson river, known as the Vivian Cut,
and the circumstances are substantially
a follows:
The up train, under Conductor
Shrieves, was ordered on III the direc-
ton of the accident, with Instructions
to pass the down train. under Sondsct-
or Bell, at a given point-which Is in
dispute with Shrieyes and Capt. Hay
ME, Train Dispatcher at this end Of the
line. The two trains, each going ut
their accustomed slow speed they
"slow down" when approaching the
cut above mentioned) came in sight Of
one another, ona sharp curve, too late to
enable the engineers and brakesmen to
stop. The two engines, the Virginta
on the up train, and the Carson on the
down train, collided with a tremendous
shock, piling the cars II upon another
and creating a general wreck of both
trains.
r. W. Thornton, o young man, for
merly a telegraph operator, and who
had been in the employ Of the railroad
company but q few days, rs n brakes
man, was standing at his post, between
the two forward cars Of the up train.
which were loaded with wood; and
when the shock came he was thrown
with great violence forward, upon the
first car; and he was found, immedi-
ately after the accident, crushed be-
tween the piles of wood, mangled and
unconscious. He was dead before
those who came to his assistance could
free him from the wood. The deceasd,
as we are Informed, was q native OF
st. Johns, Newfoundland, and was
about IS years of age and it Is also
said Of him that he was the author OF
some very clever lines Of poetry which
appeared in the GOLD HILL NEWS Of
the nth instant, entitled Twilight
Musings" His body vas taken to
Carson and placed in q building adj
joining the railroad office on Carson
street.
|. p. Lewis, engineer ofthe Virginid,
was quite severely bruised about the
back and scalp. Charles B~urkhalter,
fireman on the same engine, was badly
bruised; and conductor Shreives
got somewhat cut by the break
ing OF the glass windows in the
cab of the locomotive. The fire
man Of the Carson got bruised some
what. None Of these injuries are con-
sidered Of . serious nature. Brakesmen
Verrill and Kennedy, on the Shrieves
train, both escaped unhurt, as also did
conductor Bell, engineer Mccormick
and the two brakesmen on h down
train. These escapes are quite remark
able-almost miraculous. The up-train
consisted of six cars-five of wood and
one of lumber. The down-train was
the largest that ever came over the
road, consisting of twerty-siN cars, six
of which were loaded with ore. The
others were empty "dump-cars and
FLATS"
ACoroner's inquest will be held to,
day over the body Of Thornton; and
the full facts of the case will then,
doubtless, be elected. The misunder,
standing of instructions which has
arisen between Capt. Haynie and con-
ductor Shrieves, illustrates the danger
Of relying upon verbal orders. 1t
would seem best, always, to give those
charged with the responsibility OF III
ming trains, orders in writing.
In addition to the foregoing account
from the Appeal. MI. A. Z. HAY, OF
this town. who, together with some
thirty or forty Others, under the direc-
ton of the Railroad Company. worked
energetically at the scene of the disas-
ter all last night, gives us the follow
ing items: Neither Of the locomotives
were thrown from the track, but the
cow-catchers and pony trucks OF each,
together with other portions Of their
front works, were badly demolished.
The boilers and machinery were not
much injured, and both locomotives
will be speedily repaired. The Carson
pa.sed up through Gold Hill about 10
O'Clock this morning, on her way to
the machine shop of the railroad com
pany, at virginia. None Of the car,
Of the down train were thrown from
tbe track, except II ore car, which
was merely off the rails two or three
inches. One or two of the platform
cars got smashed up somewhat, ant
he ore cars. made Of heavy boiler
iron. were considerably stove and ben
ont Of shape, but the running gear wa:
not Injured much. All the cars Of tht
down train were taken back to- TIN
Mound House switch by the loco
motive Lyon, and those of the y
train were distributed upon I'm
switches below the scene OF TN
collision, by the locomotive 0rr'soy
which also took the Yirginfa down &c
the Brunswick switch. The cars Of tn
M train were the most disabled, an.
il took some time to clear away tn