National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-09
THE RAILROAD SMASH UP.

CORONER'S INQUEST yesterday.
The name Of the man injured on Thursday
night by the accident on the Baltimore and Po-
tOmac railroad and sent to Providence hospital
was John Barr. Although badly injured his
condition is not considered serious.
Yesterday Coroner Patterson held an inquest
on Il e remains Of Thomas H. FaymAn, the postal
clerk, burned in the accident. The corpse was
placed In an upper room Of the depot where the
Inquest was held. The following Jury was SUM-
mOned: Z. E Newton, foreman; James Reagan,
Thomas =. Young, Lewis BENJAMIN, VIM. J.
Spence, VIM. J. Armstrong, VIM. NJ. mcCauley,
J. W. Richardson, Albintus Knowlton, Charles
T. Krauss, N. kaufman. b. b. Smith.
THE TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Henry Freeburn, engineer of the New
York train, was sworn, and testified that he was
running about IS miles an hour when he caught
sight OF the switch target at Benning's; saw the
target was wrong, and saw the Waterman at the
target with his white light; thought from the
latter fact that the switch was right; did not
know that the switch was wrong until the engine
passed on TO the wrong track; freight train,
with engine headed southwark, was standing
about $50 yards from the Baltimore and Potomac
track on the Baltimore and Ohio track; tried to
stop, and succeeded in reducing speed to about
Is miles, but struck the other engine; witness
lBmped of when the engine struck, and the m all
car, having telescOped the express car half way
was on fire from one end to the other inside Of
five minutes; saw the remains Of deceased in the
flames, and hooked them out: was told by others
who had been in the car that when they left they
called to deceased, but got no answer; the train
OF the Baltimore and Ohio road was in proper pO-
sitioD, waiting for the train North to pass, but
the sWitcbma1 appears TO have opened the
switch Tor the Baltimore and Ohio, and not to
have noticed the Baltimore and Potomac train:
the switchman had no business to touch the
switch until the train north passed; he was en-
ployed by the Baltimore and Potomac railroad,
and his business was to let the Baltimore and
Ohio trains on the Baltimore and Potomac track:
he had no business to signal the train north, but
the white light he held signified safety; the
sWitchman put the key in the telegraph office and
dissppeared; IVES within thirty yards Of the
switch when he discovered the target was wrong
and did everything to check up, putting on the
brakes and using the sand lever.
The next witness sworn was Edward K. S.
Plant, who testified to his being in the mail car
at the time Of the accident; felt the car Jumping
and supposed they were applying the all. brake,
and 1ellOW-clerk, John L. Smith, told him to
Jump for the stringeTs, and he jumped on the
table; then the end Of the car went In, and the
deceased was crushed against the table, and wit
ness was pushed down, but witness got out; the
deceased was crushed against the end Of the
tables heard tWoOr three groans and ali was still;
heavy mail.
John Steck, a postal clerk, testified that he
was thrown against the side door Of the car when
the crash came, and Mr.. Plant assisted to get
him out; the deceased was mashed up against the
case by the table.
Capt G. W. Hambright testified that he was
conductor Of the New York night express and at
the time was on the rear car: went forward; found
the engineer at his post; saw the express messen-
gers (four in Dunber) and postal clerks getting
out, and going back to the passenger cars found
send an engine, as his train was on fre; told the
passengers as to what had occurred, and told
them that unless the cars were cut loose they
would all be destroyed; asked for assistance and
received 1t, and they were all got away from the
burning cars the sWitchman could not be found,
hut had thrown the keys into the office and LETT.
James McComb, conductor, who took the Mid
land train through, testified that the New York
train was one minute late at Benning's, and cor
showing q white light and to the positions Of the
trains. Witness climbed into the postal car to
rave deceased, but was Obliged to leave to save
Mr.. Z. L. DuBsrry, superintendent, testified
that the sWitchman, Nolan, had been employed
for two weeks; believed that he was a competent
man.
The case was then giTer to the Jury, who re-
turned the following verdict: "thst the deceased
came to his death, between Q and 10 O'Clock, on
the night Of the It'll instant, by reasons OF in
juries received in q collision on the side track
near Benning's station; and they further mud
that the accident was the result Of carelessness
the Aforesaid station
Thomas BOyler, the fireman, was badly burned
about the knees and shoulders, and when the col
relieved.
AMOUNT OF DAMAGE.
1t is thought that the coin in the United States
Treasury chest is SAFE but the impression is that
All the notes were destroyed, as the chests were
heated to white heat.
The burning OF the postal car destroyed such
letters as were sent from Georgetown in the 7.3o
p. N. mall and those sent from Washington In
the O'Clock mail. All letters Of Importance in
these mails should be duplicated. The mails for
| the West, Northwest and Southwest went on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and are all right,
and not included in the calamity.
The circulars sent out by the Comptroller OF
the Currency calling for an exhibit OF the con-
dition of national banks at the close Of business
on the 3lst Of December last were destroye by
the burning Of the postal car These calls wifi
be duplicated at once. Some four hundred thou
sand dollars in new national bank notes sent
from the COmptrcller's office were also burned.
1t lie possible that a large portion OF these notes
may be returned in q chsrred condition, and may
be Identified Between two and three hundred
thousand dollars Of legal tenders and fractional
currency. which was sent to the assistant treas
uTer at New York, and to the national deposito-
ries in the North and East, were also destroyed.