Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-11-22
FIRST EDITION..
400 p. M.
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Frightful Collision on the Il. W..
and Il. ROa|.
TWO PERSONS KrLLED-MANY WOUNDED

Ni'yi oh the ihllauelplla, wilmington, and Balti-
more Railroad. The train which leaves Philadel-
phia, at 1880, for Wilmington and Baltimore, had
proceeded far as the junction Of the old track
with the Darby Improvement" just above
Chester, when the connection with the throttle
| valve broke, disabling the locomotive. It became
necessary, therefore, to send to Lalnokin for
another engine, and upon its being procured, the
whole train, including the disabled locomotive
| proceeded Southwark. Ii had become important
| TO make up time AZ rapidly as possible for the
fast line from New York for Washington was
nearly due, and no stop was made at Chester At
LamOkin the disabled engine was switched of
and the train again came on
The train, however, was too heavy, apparent
y, for the second engine. IL consisted OF ten
cars, the three rear ones being those for Will
mington. The forward one of the three was
what is called " chair" car and the other
two were passenger cars, both half filled with
people. mostly residents of Wilmington Pro-
ceeding without stop, below Lamokn, the
locomotive began to run out OF steam and
the speed became quite slow. The remnant Of
time before the New York Express shonld be
due grew painfully aud aarmingy short FL
nally, at point Just this side Of Ellerslie Sta
tion the locomotive gave out entirely, and the
train came to a stand.
The New York train was now due. all but a
minnie or two, and yet il does not appear, that
before the train actually stopped any signal
man had been selt to the rear A man with a
red lantern was then sent up the track to warn
the approaching train. Just then, the Express
train, going North, passed up, on the other
track, and seeing the signal man in the rear of
the disabled train with his red ''danger'
light, paused for moment, and seeing
the situation went on, the engineer giving
on his locomotive signal of warning. Thi',
the approaching New York train observed ana
it had the effect Of causing the engineer to
moderate his speed, before he sd,o he signal
man, sent up by the disabled train. This signal
man had only got away from the rear Car, the
distance OF seven telegraph poles (about $40
feet,) when the train came down upon him.
In 30 short distance, the impetus Of the COM
ing train could not be controlled, aud it ran into
the rear car OF the stationary train, damaging it
badly. This car contained about thirty pas
sengers, some OF whom, unaware Of the situ-
alton, were probably asleep. The engine which
struck ii penetrated perhaps six or eight feet.
The car, itself, driven into the car in 'front.'
teiescopng" 1t for a distance OF about forty feet
The cars in front OF this we're not damaged but
the shock caused the whole train to move for
ward on the track and broke the New York To-
lOmotive loose from its cars.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The alarm and confusion OF the moment were
torrible. for most OF the passengers received
the first warning at the moment Of collision.
The following persons were hurt as is stated:
Henry Fritz. Wilmington killed.
George Pollitt, Salisbury, Md, killed.
Charles E. Fritz, Wilmington, fatally hurt.
Mrs. Henry Fritz Wilmington, both legs and
one arm broken
Mrs. Charles E. Fritz cut, and Bruised but
not seriously.
James Shakespeare Philadelphia. foot injured.
Samuel Il. Lawson, Wilmington, right leg
broken
Chas. j. Kyle, Wilmington, leg broken.
Milton Jackson, feet injured.
Mise Meredith, hurt.
George A. Garrett, Wilmington, slightly in
jured
Frank Myers, Wilmington, injured in both
legs
/. D. Kerr, Frenchtown, N j., scaldod and
collar-boue broken.
Theodore Thomas, Wilmington, slightly in
iured.
b. Hammer, Wilmington. slightly injured.
William Gordon, Wilmington, slightly injured
Mrs Geo. IL. MARBLE, somewhat bruised.
W. X. Bowman, foot crushed.
Word was sent to Wilmington at once several
gentlemen walking down for the purpose, and
an engine and two cars being procured, they ran
up to the wreck. Several Of the wounded were
transferred to the cars, and it brought
down 10 the city.
MIR. Fritz, killed, was an elderly gentleman,
formerly from Philadelphia He has resided in
Wilmington, number of years, and was super
intendent OF the morocco factory OF William
Bush Co. lie lived but a few minutes, though
no appearance of wound could be discovered on
his person. His wife, as stated, Is very badly
hurt.
Mr.. Fritz, the younger, is terribly hurt and
as his physicians consider, cannot recover. Va
rious reports of his death were current this morn
ing, but at IL O'Clock, he was still alive. One
leg is broken in several places and deep wound
was made IN his breast, which is regarded AZ
necessarily fatal His wife is not badly injured
but her anguish was 30 great as to overthrow
her mental balance and she remained, through
out the night, in condition OF terrible distress
ooRoNERs INQUEST.
Coroner winslow. this morning, summoned
jury. Rs follows: Geo. S Hagany, James Crook,
l.. f. Adair Reece Pyle. NJ. W. Macklem, John
V. Chrlsty, L. X. Crawford. O. W. Pyle, T. ].
Bennett, L. W. Palmer, ]. Donahoe, Joseph
Dickerson Bernard Bonner, J. O. Peacock, John
H. Moore, Washington Cox, George Wilhelmi.
The jury first met in the Engineers Room, at
the depot, where the bodies Of Mr. Fritz and Mr..
Pollitt were living after which the remains were
remoyed-thoSe of Mr. Fritz to his late residence
S26 Washington street, and those Of Mr.. Pollitt,
(who was a cOored minister at Salisbury were
enclosed in 'aieofin and sent Southwark, by the
1910 Delaware train.
The jury then proceeded to the railway car
shols and viewed the broken cars which though
badly injured had remained on the track, and
were sufficiently whole to be brought down to
the city. The seats are much broken, and pools
OF blood are to be seen in the last The jury,
then, at Ills, went in special car to the scene
of the disaster, which is Just about 100 yards
below Elerslle Station. Having seen this. they
returned to Whining on, and adjourned until
seven o'clock, this evening, when they will meet
at the Depot, to take testimony
MARROW ESCAPE.
George II. MARBLE and wife, Of this city, were
passengers tire wrecked train. in the rear car,
and MIR. MARBLE had got up and walked to the
rear platform, an instant before the collision.
Seeing the locomotive close upon him, he sprang
from the platform, distance Of some twelve
feet, falling on his head. HIS wife was slightly
hurt.
THE TRAIN INJURED
Was mo. l. Express, and runs from Philadel-
phia to Washington. Anthony Rue is conductor,
and James Mitchell, engineer. The ooliding
train No II Express" and runs between
New York and Washington. Walter Lackey is
| conductor and John Orem, engineer.
CARE OF THE WOUNDED.
Immediately after the occurrence of the acci-
| dent the locomotive of the injured train was
| detached and came on down to this city. An
other engine and two passenger cars were at
once dispatched to the scene of tho disaster,
and gathering up the killed and wounded
returned with them to the Wilmington
| depot Geo. Politt was buried beneath the
seats Of the rear car and under the floor Of the
second car. hole was cut in the side OF the
car, near the middle, to take him out One foot,
it is said, was cut of in extrioating him. He was
still alive when taken out, but died after reach
ing the Wilmington depot. Mr.. Fritz was taken
! out dead.