Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-03-14
SHOCKING RAILROAD DISASTER.
Eleven Persons Killed and Seven
Wounded.
Eleven

night OF last week, about twelve o'clock, on
the Harper's Ferry and Valley branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, at the Marrow
Passage bridge, fifty three miles southwest of
CharlestOwn aud sixty three miles southeast
of Stauutou, by which train comprising
eleven loaded cattle cars, five freight cars and
one passenger coach. was wrecked. Eleven
lives were lost and seven or eight persons
wounded The train was precipitated through
the middle span of a wooden bridge III feet
to the rocky bottom of small stream. The
cars and their contents of eighteen human be
ings, 125 head eff cattle, sheep and hogs, were
dashed to pieces and piled up in shapeless
mass, in which rafters, iron rails, machinery
and mangled flesh aud blood were mixed in
inextricable confusion. There were fourteen
passengers in the passenger coach, eight of
whom were killed. Three train hands were
also of the killed, and no one on the train
escaped uuhurt, the majority of them seriously,
and some fatally.
THE TRAIN AND Irs CONTENTS.
The fated train. as the report of the Balti
more Sun says, left 'Harrisonburg, Va, at
6:S5 p. NJ. Monday ,>in charge Of Conductor
James Russell, Fiorance Donavan, engineer,
aud T. Cunning, fireman, of Sandy Hook,
nd j. chapman and 7. Jefferson, brakeman,
of Winchester, Va. The stock was mostly
shipped at Mount Jackson and Edinburg, and
several of the passengers were persons who
owned or had charge of the stock. When
the train reached the centre span of the mar
row passage bridge the structure sank under
the weight of its burden and the entire train,
engine, tender and all the cars plunged head
long into the fearful depth below. The pas
seDser coach was in the rear, and to this fact
is probably due the fact that some OF those
on the train escaped with their lives.
SPREADING THE NEWS.
The news of the disaster was quickly con-
veyed to Edinburg and Woodstock, few
miles distant, by some of the hands who had
been employed in rebuilding the bridge, and
soon help came to the dying and wounded
DR.. a. w Prescott and DIR. Ballew, Of Edin-
burg, and Drs. Campbell, McGruder and D.
D. Carter, of Woodstock arrived at the scene
of the disaster about one o'clock, and at once
rendered all the assistance medical skill could
afford.
THE FATAL BRIDGE.
The bridge at which the accident occurred
is midway between Woodstock and Edinburg,
in Shenandoah county, Va. 1t is III feet
high at the centre span and about 200 feet
long, crossing deep narrow raviue formed
by two steep preclplces, at the bottom of
which RUS small stream known as Narrow
Passage creek. This portion OF the Valley
road is part of old Manassas Gap railroad.
The original bridge was burnt by Gen.
Turner Ashby, i'll March, 1862, when Stone.
wall Jackson made his first retreat up the Val
ley from Winchester to Rude's Hill, in front
of Gen Shields. 1t was rebuilt in 1865. at
the close of the war, by the Manassas Gap
road. but not in very substantial manner,
of wooden tresslework. When the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company came in possess
sion of the road, several years since, the
bridge was greatly strengthened, and last
summer the company built two heavy stone
piers, with view to -eEecting a new bridge
with three spans. two of which had been put
in place, and the third, or middle span. over
the deepest part of the ravine, was being con-
structed in the place of the old span at the
time of the accident. In building the new
bridge the old timberS were taken down, so as
not to stop travel. This was the portion of
the bridge that gave way and caused the ac>
cideut.
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER
An extra of the Woodstock Herald, printed
Tuesday afternoon, gives the following:
cattle train. consisting OF engine, tender
and seventeen cars, went down with portion
of Narrow Passage bridge, about three miles
south of Woodstock, Monday night, few
minutes after twelve o'clock. The bridge
is the highest on the road. The distance from
the rail to the stream below is one hundred
and fourteen feet. About one hundred and
twenty five feet of the bridge fell with the
train
1t is certainly known that eleven persons
were killed and seven wounded. The follow
ing is list of the killed:
W. a. Wightnan, Edinbnrg Va; Charles.
L. Noel, Shenandoah county. Va; Reuben
E Hammyn, Shenandoah county, Va; r
j.. Wood. Alexandria. Va C. q uodgsou,
Berkeley Springs, W. Va, member of the
West Virginia Legislature and editor of the
Morgan Mercury ]. A Baldwin. Baltimore,
Nd; Henry Q Quantz, blacksmith. Win
chester; 4. S. Bower commercial traveller,
Baltimore. Md: f. Donovan, engineer, Sandy
Hook. Md; j. Chapman. brakeman. Win
chester; T. Jefferson, brakeman, Winchester.
WOUNDED.
Julis Sibeit, New Market, arm broken and
bruised.
Jacob Hahn, of Shenandoah, injured abou.
the head severely, but is is thought not NOR
tally.
II. c. Baker of Baltimore, thigh fractured
Bernard Hughes, Of Fox Lake, Lodge
county. Wis, fractured leg and clavicle
Jas Russell, conductor, badly cut on the
head.
T. Cunning, fireman, arms broken and
badly scalded. His injuries, is feared, are of
a very serious character
p. NJ. S, Bird, of Sit. Jackson, slightly
wounded about the head The two men sit