Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-05-28
BRANDYw1NE MILLS QUOTATIONS TO. DAY.
Tic periIs Of tn. RniI.

A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE DELAWARE II. n, LA ST
NIaHr-A PASSENGER TRAIN ALMOST ENTIRELY
wREoKED-oNLY ONE CAR LEFT UNFRAMED ON
THE TRACK
A "run of" occurred at Prettyman's Switch
on the Delaware r. r., about 2l miles below
Pennington, last night, which was, probably, the
most disastrous to the rolling stock of the Com
sany of any which have yet happened. Singu-
lar to relate, no lives were lost. but the escape
is as remarkable as gratifying to the friends of
the men whose lives were in jeopardy.
The accident was purely the result of careless
ness, but no blame attaches to the Railroad Off
cials. Shelldrakes saw mill is located along
side this switch, and during the day the sawyer
had been engaged in wheeling some articles to
the other side OF the road laying down board
across the track as roadway for his barrow.
When he quit work at night, he forgot to re-
move the board, and whom the train came thun-
dering alongi it struck the board and was thrown
from the track with the result as stated below
The train to which this accident happened was
the Gas r. NJ. passenger south, consisting of
three cars-a baggage smoking and ladies car
and being little behind time was running at
higher rate Of speed than usual making from
30 to 30 miles per hour. The board was not OBJ
served in the darkness of the night until tue
train was almost upon il, and, consequently, the
speed could not be checked in the least.
The locomotive was thrown upon ono side of
the track. and entirely stripped OF its outer COW
ering and the cab. 1t Its total wreck, pronoun-
ced by an experienced railroad man the worst
one he ever saw. The tender turned a COM
plete somersault, and landed close by the To-
comotive. The baggage car broke loose from
the trucks andwa turned bottom upwards on the
other side of the track, whie,one truck fell with
the locomotive and the other ran ON down the
track, but was soon thrown off. The forward
truck of the smoking car was broken off and run
back under it, the front platform crushed, and
the end of the car partially STAYED in. The rear
car was alone left standing wholly on the track
and unframed.
The engineer, William Pyle, and the fireman,
VIM. Waterman were both in the cab and were
swept away with it. miraculoualy escaping with
their lives. Mr. Pyle was pretty badly, but it
is thought not not dangerdesly, hurt, and
bone in one wrist is also broken. His foot was
caught under the tender which held him 30
firmly that he had to be dug out. Mr. Water
man escaped with slight bruises. They both
came up on the morning train to-day, which ar
rived on time, an engine having been detached
from freight train for this purpose, The bag
gage master and brakeman were riding in the
baggage car when it upset, but they wore not
hurt beyond few bruises
wreckiug train went down to the scene of
the disaster, last night, and 80 much of the roll
ing stock as can be got ready will be brought up
this afternoon.
BRAKEMAN KILLED ON THE W. & W. RAILROAD.
Evan Barben, a brakeman ON freight train, on
the Wilmington q Reading Railroad, was killed,
yesterday morning. The train was nearing
Chadd's Ford, about 915, when this brakesman
was passing along the train and while crossing
a lime car, covered with canvas, his foot slipped
and he fell to tile track Sixteen cars passed
over him, cutting off his legs, one arm, and
breaking his skull. He lived but few moments,
barely having time to speak to his brother, who
was the conductor of the train, telling him he
knew he would have to die. Deceased was a res
ident of Oxford on the line of tho p. 4 b. Gem
tral, and was considered one of the most efficient
and careful brakemen on the road.