Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1872-02-28
Horrible Accident at Vim
ton Station.
Death Of william H. Black.

On Tuesday morning, FEBRUARY
20, at about 1915, WILLIAM IL.
BLACK met with q horrible accident
upon the railway crossing, at Vim.
ton Station, while attempting to
cross the track on horseback, as the
westward bound Fast Line Train,
which makes no stop at that sta
ton, was passing. AS the grade is
descending, the train was running
at high speed. The locomotive
struck The horse, throwing Mr..
Black about thirty feet high and
sixty seven feet from the railway
track. The horse was thrown a
distance of eighty feet, and, being
badly mahgled, was Immediately
shot. 1t is said chat the horse be.
came unmanagoable and attempted
to run along the track, Instead OF
going directly over, as the impress
tions left by its feet were discover
ed on the ground bet~eeh the rails
for a distance Of eight feet beyond
the crossing. The train was stop
ped as soon as possible, and the
officers and passengers returned
to render any assistance that might
be necessary. Mr.. Black lay bleed
ing on the frozen ground entirely
unconscious and frotionless, his
skull being fractured, either by the
fall upon the frozen ground or by
being struck by some part of the
locomotive. He was carried to the
Station House, to await the arrival
of Drs. D. V. and B. S. RANNELLs,
who had been sent for. They ar
rived about 1890, but the unfortu-
nate man was beyond the reach of
any surgical aid, A messenger had
also been sent to Zaleski for his
brother, John T. Black, who arriv-
cd just in time to havs him placed
On the Mail East. He was taken to
zalcski, to his brothers residence,
where he breathed his last at
o'clock on that night-not quite
ten hours after the accident occur
red.
Mr.. Black resided on farm, near
Packard's Mills, in Knox township
Vinton county; and was about 81
years of age. He was on his way
to McArthdr to attend to some bus
mess he hal in Court. He was, a:
we were informed by persons ~ thu
Station on ednesday, withir
twelve roads of the railway crossing
when the whistle sounded, as usual
at d point about forty rods east o
the crossing, but no one knows
whether he heard the whistle, OF
oven saw the train until he reached
ths crossing, as he was riding very
fast. IF he did hear the train, HI
must have thought it was some dis
tanco away and would probably
stop at the Station and give hin
sufficient time TO get 6tt Of danger
That part Of the highkay east from
the crossing, excepting the ap
proach to the crossing, is much low
or than the main line of the railway
track between the Station Hous'
and the crossing, and alntost the en-
tire view Of the highway between
those points was hidden from tn,
sight of the engineer of the train BY
a Number of box cars that stood up
on the side track between the mair
line and the highway. The ongin
ecr did not observe him until th,
engine was within few feet of th,
morse. 1t is said that the horse; in
stead of going directly across tn
track, attempted to run afohg the
track ahead Of the engine, rs tn,
impressions left by its feet were dis
covered in the ground, about eigh
feet from the crossing.
:, Mr.. Black leaves q widow and {
number of children and q grea
many relatives in this county Il
mourn his untimely loss.