Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-08
SMASH UP on TIE B. &P.RAHpoaD.
A Neglected Switch Ii. Cause Of a Collision.
ONE MAN KILLED AND ANOTHER INJURED.
Engines and Cars Smashed Up and the
Postal and Express Cars Burned.

ThOs. III. Fayman, of this city-lost his life,
and another man, named John Barr, was
badly injured. The New York express train,
consisting OF postal express and baggage
car, two coaches, and five sleeping cars,
drawn by engine No. Q, Engineer Freeburn,
and IN charge of Capt. q. w. Hambright, left
here on time. (9:0s p. n.y. and was proceeding
at good rate of speed nOrthward. The switch
at Benning's, connecting with the East Alex
andTia branch of the Il. & q. r r in charge
of Switchman John Nolan, had been left
open, and on the East Alexandria road was q
freight train destined for the Virginia Mid
land railroad, ready to proceed in this direc-
ton as soon as the New York train passed..
Engineer Freeburn, as he neaTed the station.
saw that the switch was open. and immedi-
ately put on the air brakes and reverse the
engine, but so great was the momentum OF
the train that it ran on to the switch. and
CRASHED INTO THE FREIG HIT TRAIN.
driving II back few yards. Both engines
were badly broken. and the postal car (iG
which was five clerilS) took fire, as also the
Adams express ear, in which were a number
OfpackageS and safes containing money from
the L. :. Treasury. The clerks i'm the postal
car, with the exception Of Mr.. Fayman, ma ie
their escape with but few bruises. Mr.. Fay
man was caught between the side of a car
and table, and il is supposed ne was
CRUSHED TO DEATH INSTANTLY.
The letters taking fire from the lamps the
mails was destroyed, and the body OF Fay
man was found to be terribly burned. in fact
the head and arms and legs were almost en-
tlrelN consumed He was q young man of
excellent character. a native OfthiS city and
the only son of Mr. George II. Fayman the
local mail agent He was formerly engaged
in the bookstore OF Mr.. John &. Parker and
about year since accepted an appointment
as postal clerk, and was regarded as one of
the most efficient clerks in the service. He
was about 20 years of age.
INCIDENTS.
The train officers and passengers immeli-
ately got out and did what they could to save
property.
There was found on the Midland train n
man named John Barr, who, il is said was
beating his way" from Baltimore to this
city. He was badly injured about the spine
owing 10 the presence of mind of Mr. Free
burn, the engineer, in reversing his engine.
and putting on the air brakes, a greater loss
of life was prevented. He stuck to his post
until the train came to a StandStiII Con
ductOT Hambright behaved with great cool
ness, and although the force of the collision
Jared the whole train not q platform was
broken, and under his direction efforts We're
at once made to remove the wreck. Word
was sent IN Immediately, and in little time
the superintendent, Mr.. F.. J.. DuBarry, and
The wreckers' ear were at the scene OF the ac-
cident.
THE BODY OF Mr.. FAYMAN
was recovered and brought in about / O'Clock
this morning, and placed in the baggage
room to await the action of the coroner
Barr. the wounded man, who came in on The
same train, was sent TO the Providence Hos
pital.
DESTRUCTION OF MAIL AND EMPRESS LET
TIERS.
The entire contents of the postal car "a
very heavy maiD with the exception of n few
pouches were destroyed, as also a part Of the
contents OF the express car. The iron safes
money, were heated TO white heat
and IT Is thought their contents are DESTROYED
except as 10 the coin, and il is said there was
the safes.
The bright light made by the fire caused an
alarm of fire 10 be sounded from box
The train proceeded nOTthward, and arrived
in Baltimore about two O'Clock this morn
ing.
This morning when the news of the accl-
dent became generally known, quite a num-
Der OF the friends of parties known to have
taken passage on the train visited the depot
10 make inquiries as to the extent Of the dis
aSteT, and were informed by the officers of the
/, 'niIany tlat all the passenger cars had es-
ap ii and the passengers had proceeded north
ward, minus baggage, The car containing
which Lyaa slightly scOrChsG. and was brought
.aTE to the city; but the baggage was sent on
his mor~irg,
rho Goroney's InquesS,
At 1Ox o'clock lie morning the Coroner,
Or. Patterson, appearer1 al the depot, AID the
Orpse. having been place" III q Plalh coll.n'
vas taken To an upper room IL tnG uePOt' ,
where the inquest was held, the lOIIOWlag
leing the jurOrs:-E. f. Newton, foreman;
lanes Reagan, Thomas f. Young, Lewis
benjamin, VIM. j. Spence, VIM. j. Arm |
trong, VIM. NJ. McCauley,g. W; Richarison,
AlbintuS KnOwlton, Charles 7. krauss, ".
Il. b. Smith, l
TIE FIRST WITNESS |
vas Harry Freeburn, ne engineer ,ha1 %, OF Ine
>e" ork train, who testi1eS. i''' me va" ba
umIlrg ABOUT IS miles an hour ~.
aught sight of the switch target at "
ing's; saw the target was wrong, and saw .
he Waterman at the target with his white L
light; thought from the latter fact that the /
witch was right; did not know that the |
witch was wrong until the engine passed on /
o the wrong track; a freight train, with en-
inc headed southwark, was standing about |
80 yards from the b. & Z. track, on the B. & /
}. track; tried TO stop, and succeeded in re-
lucing speed TO about % miles, but struck |
he other engine. Witness jumped off when |
he engine struck; and the mail car, having |
eleScoped the express car half way, was on |
Ire from one end 10 the other, inside Of five |
minutes; saw the remains OF deceased in the |
lanes, and hooked them out; was told by |
,thers who had been in the car that when /
hey left they called TO deceased, but got no |
answer. The train on the B. & o. road was in |
roper position, waiting for the train north |
o pass, but the switchman appears TO have
'pened the switch for the Il. & o., and not TO |
rave noticed the B. & Z. train. The switch
nan had 10 business TO touch the switch |
until the train north passed; he was employed
~ the b. & Z. railroad, and his business was
10 let the Il. & o. trains on the b. & Z. track; |
he had no business to signal the train north
but the white light he held signifed safety.
The switchman put the key in the telegraph
'ffice, and disappeared; was within thirty
-arls OF the switch when he discovered the
arget was wrong, and did everything to
heck up, putting on the brakes and using
he sand lever.
OTHER WITNESSES.
EihCdrd X. y. Pldu, swOrn:-WitnesS re-
sides at 1910 9th street, and was in the mail
ar at the time, and at the time was speaking
lf an accident on the Baltimore and Ohio
-Oad; felt the car jumping, and supposed
hey were applying the air-brake, and a fell
Ow clerk. John f. Smith, told him to jump
Or the stringers, and he jumped on the table;
then the end of the car went in, and the de
ceased was crushed against the table, and
witness was pushed down, but witness got
put. The deceased was crushed against the
md Of the table; heard two or three groans,
and all was still. All were at work at the
time, for 10 was very heavy mail.
John Seek, postal clerk, testified that when
the crash came he was thrown against the
side door of the car, and Mr.. Plant assisted to
get him out; the deceased was mashed up
against the paper case by the table.
Capt. O.. ". HdDBbrigd testified that he was
conductor of the New York night express,
and at the time was on the rear car; went
found the engineer at his post; saw
the express messengers "A in number) and
postal clerks getting out, and going back to
the passenger cars foudd them safe; tele-
graphed TO the superintendent 10 send an en-
CINE, as his train was on fire; told the pas
told them that unless the cars were cut loose
they would all be destroyed; asked for assist
ance and received 1t. and they were all got
away from the burning cars; the switchman
could not be found, but had thrown the keys
into the Office and left.
James AeCO1ab, conductor, who took the
L. - a. al 81 -.