Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-05-28
LOCAL NEWS.

RAILROAD ACCIDENT. two clock
yesterday afternoon the through freight train
from Gordonsville, bound for this city, met with
q serious accident a mile and half this side of
Fairfax station. The train was moving at slow
rate of speed, not more than eight miles an
hour, when turning curve, the engineer saw a
COW in a deep cut just before him. As she
would not heed the whistle he turned on full
head of steam IN order to increase bis speed and
knock her off, but she was caught between the
drivers and threw the locomotive, the Fauquier,
off the track The train contained twenty cars,
nine of which, seven box and two fats, were
smashed to pieces A fat loaded with sand
was next to the tender, and one. loaded with
lumber was next to that. The one loaded with
lumber ran over the one loaded with sand and
into the cab of the locomotive, in which were
the engineer, c. NJ. Keys, and the fireman,
John II. Watkins both Of whom were bruised
and cut by the glass from the cab windows the
former on the left side, and the latter on his
left hand. Neither are much injured, however,
aud the former went to his home In Gordons-
vile this morning, and the latter is walking
about The seven box cars were telescoped, and
piled upon each other in dreadful manner,
and it is a wonder that all the hands on them
were not killed; but only two were hurt, John
II. and Martin Van Buren, kidwell, brothers
and brakesmen. The former, who lives at
Gordonsville, had his LETT thigh fractured, and
his head badly cut. lie has wife, who arrived
here this morning. and two children. The latter
lives here, and he also has wife and two chill
dren. He had his leg crushed below the knee
The news reached here at four o'clock and
passenger train with Dr. Lewis was immediate
iy dispatched to the scene of the accident,
where as the track was torn up for consider
able distance and INSTRUCTED by the broken
cars, the passengers, mail, baggage and express
matter from the train due here at 6:25 p. ID.
were transferred. aud the wounded men put
aboard and made as comfortable as possible.
Exaggerated reports of the accident having
been extensively circulated IN the city, i large
crowd assembled at the depot to await the ar
rival of the train, and at eight o clock when it
reached here all the open space 10 that neigh
borhood was filed with people anxious to know
the extent OF the Injuries that had been re-
ceived The wounded brakesmen were taken
in wagon to the house of Martin Van Buren,
kidwell, the one whose leg was crushed. who
lives on Duke street, between Alfred aud Pat
rick, where DR.. Lewis, assisted by prs Brown,
Powell, and Edward Stabler amputated his leg
above the knee joint this morning, and put the
fractured limb Of his brother in splints. They
are both doing we'll and the probabilities are
that both will recover. A temporary track was
laid around the obstruction at the scene OF the
accident, on which the through train for
Lynchburg ran last night, and on which trains
have been running regularly ever since, and a
large force of laborers was set to work there lm-
mediately to clear the maiu track. The loco
motive was almost completely demolished, and
the cars were piled up in the cut as high as the
second story of house, and the scene OF the
acc dent is described by those who have wit
messed it, as fearful.