Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-03-08
Railroad Disaster.

assas Gan railroad, now branch of the Bal
timore and Ohio,-an account OF which was
published 10 yesterdays Gazette, are taken
from the Baltimore Sun of this morolng:
Au appalling disaster occurred Monday
night, about u clock, on the Harper's Ferry
and Valley branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, at the Narrow Passage bridge sixty
three miles southwest of Harper's Ferry and
the same distance south east Of Stanton, by
which trait 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 pre-
cpitated through the middle span of a wooden
bridge ia feet to the rocky bottom OF small
stream. The cars and their coutcu's of nine
teen human beings, l25 head Of 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 inex,ricable confusion. There were
fourteen passengers n the passenger coach,
eight OF whom We're killed Three train hands
were also of the killed, and 90 one on the train
escaped unhurt, the majority Of them serious
ly, and some fatally.
The fatal train left Harrisonburg, Va, at
6.35 p. M. Monday, in charge of Conductor
James Russell, Florence Donavan, engineer,
and T. Cumming, fireman. of Sandy Hook,
Md; J. Chapman aud F. Jefferson, brakemen,
of Winchester, Va. The stock was mostly
shipped at Mount Jackson and L luburg, and
several Of the passengers were persons who
owned or had charge of the stock. When the
train reached the ceotre span Of the Narrow
Passage bridge the structure sank under the
weight of lis burden and the entire train, en-
CINE, tender aud all the cars plunged hcadlong
into the fearful depth below. The passenger
coach was in the rear, and to this fact is prob
ably due the fact that some oil those on the
train escaped With their lives
The news of the disaster was quickly con-
veyed 10 Ediuburg and WOODSTOCK few miles
distant, by some of the bands who bad been
employed in rebuilding the bridge, and soon
help came to the dying and wounded Dr. A.
w. Prescott and DR.. Baew, Of Edinburg, and
Drs. Campbell, McGruler and D. D. Carter, Of
Woodstock, arrived at the scene of the disaster
about one clock, and at once rendered all the
assistance medical skill could afford.
The bodies of those who were killed were
sent to Winchester and placed 10 charge of au
undertaken, who placed them 10 cotins to be
sent to their friends The woun led were made
as comfortable as possible and SEPT to their
homes The conductor and fireman were taken
by special Car to Sandy Hook, Nd, and MIR.
Baker, the wounded Baltimoreau, was brought
10 Baltimore in the same trao.
The bridge at which the accident occurred Is
midway between Woodstock and Edinburg, 10
Shenandoah county, Va. 1t is ! II feet high at
the centre span and about POO feet long, cross
ing deep, narrow ravine formed by two steep
preoipices, at the bottom of which runs a 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. Tur-
ner Ashby, 10 March, 1862, when Stonewal
Jackson made his first retreat up the Valley
fion Winchester to Ruke's Hill, in front oil
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 aud Ohio
Railroad Company came 10 possession of the
road, several years since, the bridge was great
~ strengthened, and last summer the company
built TWO heavy stone piers, with view to
erecting new bridge with three spans, two of
which had been put 10 place, and IN. third, or
middle span, over The deepest part OF the ra
vine, was being constructed 10 the place of the
old span at the time Of the accident. 10 build
ing the new bridge the old limbers were taken
down, 80 as not to STOP travel. This was the
portion of the bridge that gave way aud caused
the accident.
The locality is noted and well remembered by
travellers through the Shenandoah Valley for
its wild scenery. A short distance below the
bridge Narrow Passage creek approaches the
Shenandoah river, runnDg parallel with it, al
the loot of precipioe On the other side OF
the ridge the river courses at the bottom of a
corresponding precipice leaving just room
enough 90 the top of high ridge between the
two streams for the Valley turnpike road. The
traveller in passing over the turnpike finds him.
self between two precipices, with the river and
the creek on either side far below, and to the
westward, high above him, spanning the ra-
vine, is the bridge through which the train
plunged.
The locality takes its pane from the narrow
pass 90 which the turnpike is built. From the
railroad bridge the scene is Que of the finest in
the lower valley. The narrow passage, the
Shenandoah river, and only mile to the east
the Massanutton mountain. rlsiog abruptly, al
fords grand and picturesque view of valley,
river and mountain.
An extra of the Woodstock Herald, printed
Yesterday afternoon, gives the following
A cattle train, consisting of engine, tender,
and seventeen cars, went down portion Of
Narrow Passage bridge, about three miles south
of Woodstock on Monday night, a few minutes
after twelve o'clock. The bridge is the high
est IN 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 woueded. The following
is list of the killed: