Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-01-16

u pTOiliiSihS youhS ihab, 49,
years, son of Mr.. George II. Fayman,
native of this town, but q citizen OF
Washington City for number OF years,
and Postal Clerk on the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad, was instantly killed
on Thursday night of last week, the 9TH
instant. This young man was here on
visit to his relations and friends, but
few weeks since, in the vigor OF health,
and it is certainly sad reflection to
know that he so soon met an untimely
death. His parents and relatives have
the sympathy of this community in their
sad aftiiction. The following account
of the accident we clip from the New
York World of the 9th instant -
Several Of the passengers who were
on the train at the time of the accident
arrived at the Jersey City depot a lit
tie before | o'clock yesterday. Among
them Was John A. Smith, the second
assistant postal clerk, who was with
Fayman, the first clerk of the sorting
department, at the tine he met with
his death. Smith appeared to be very
intelligent man, AID last night made
the following statement, Just before
starting for his return trip 10 Washing
ton:
We left Washington LAST night at
$50 with the United States mail and
large amount of money and bonds,
which were received from the Treasury
and bankers at Washington, in addition
to the mails south of Washington. The
train was the regular night express
mail train. 1t consisted of the engine
and tender and engine cab, one Adams
Express Car, one baggage car, two pas
scngor-coaches, four sleeping cars, and
one parlor-car. The number of passen-
gers, which included ladies and gentle
men, cannot tell exactly, bat | should
Judge it was about 10 or 200. They
were for different places along the
route. We should have arrived at New
York at 5.l5 this morning / can hard
ly describe the scene which followed
the disaster,as it appeared to be the
work of few minutes before two of
the cars were blazing fearfully. Inside
the mail car were John Steck, II. II.
Fayman, Edward Prout, and myself,
belonging to the Post Office, and Ii. Il.
Southwick, chief clerk of the Northern
Central Railroad. The engine was in
charge of Harry Freebon. All was
well when we started at the time stated,
and nothing took place until we reached
the junction of the Metropolitan branch
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at
Benning's Station, Md. This is only
seven miles north Of Washington-and
here the train crosses the track OF the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Balti-
more road. At this point there is a
switch for the purpose of allowing
freight and slow trains to get On side
track, SO that the express trains may
pass without interruption. When the
engine driver neared this point he OBJ
served the correct signals and of course
went ahead. We were going at the
rate OF thirty-four miles at this time.
AS soon as the engine Of our train was
close to that standing on the side track
the driver could see that the train was
upon the wrong track, the switchman
having neglected to put the switch in
its proper place. Freeborn did all he
could, which was very little; he instant
ly saw the danger at hand, and applied
the air-breaks for the purpose of slack
ing speed. He had not time to signal
the brakemen, and within few yards !
both. he and the fireman jumped off TO
avoid the death which stared them in
the face. The collision was fearful
one. We were at our work sorting
the different bags when the accident
occurred. Everything, snch as desks,
tables, and cases, were completely
broken up. Three of us made our es-
cape as soon as we could find out our
position, but poor Fayman was not so
lucky. He got pinned against the sides |
OF the car and could not extricate him
self. Southwick was knocked down at
the first, and falling under a strong
bench he was saved from death or great
injury by the falling debris. He soon
got near to Fayman, but was unable to
do him any good. The cars immediate
ly took fire, the oil-lamps having been
broken, and set fire to eleven coal-oil
lamps, holding about quart each. AS
soon as we could we went into the pas
senger cars, and found that beyond
few bruises and scratches the passen-
gers were uninjured. We then went
to the engines, and there met with the
engine-driver, who had jumped off He
was badly cut about the face and bead,
and So were the firemen. We found
all hope of getting at Fayman was use
less. While we were hunting about
we came over dead body whose head
had been completely cut off. 1t was
discovered to be that of ''stow-away"
who had been riding between the buff
ers of the mail and express cars. His
name is unknown. His body, with
that of Fayman, was sent on to Wash
ington to await the inquest. We got
at the safes of the Adams Express Com
pany, but they were red-hot, and all the
money and contents were destroyed.
The mail-bags and letters were simply
mass of ashes, and so they were left.
There was doctor among the passen-
gers, and he did all he could. AS soon !
as we could telegraph, another train