The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-06-28
DISASTER AND DEATH.
A Kentucky Central Train Runs
into Cattle Near Cynthiana,
and Jumps the Track.
ANOTHER RAILROAD TRAGEDY.

ANOTHER RAILROAD TRAGEDY.
TWO EXPRESS MESSENGERS killed.
BAGGAGEMAsrER SEVERELY HURT-How
THE SAD NEWS WAS RECEIVED.
A special dispatch to the Enquirer from
Cynthisns, KY, yesterday says: One Of
the most horrible and heart-rending scci-
dents ever occurring on the Kentucky
this afternoon. The Covington bound pas
senger train, Doc Westherby conductor,
left this city on time, but when about
two miles below here wien turning
q short curve, a drove of about
twenty cattle was discovered on the track
a very short distance ahead. The brakes
were Instantly whistled down, but too late,
and the en- CINE and tender, two baggage cars
and the front passenger coach were thrown
from the track. The baggage cars were
thrown down an embsnkment. The front
one completely overturned. In this car
was no one, but in the rear baggage car
were L. G. Psrshall, train messenger for
the Adams Express Company, Ed. Thomas ;,
his assistant, Robert w. Martin, baggage
master, aud Henry Ssyers, mail
s 5SsR tbPswb from and III, Thomas ssr
instantly killed, having their necks, legs
and ribs broken, and other wounds and
bruises on their heads. Ed. Thomas, who
was brother to Billy Thomas, the engin-
GER who was killed by an almost similar
accident near Paris some months since,
was horribly msngled and bruised, and
they were compelled to dig his body from
under the car where IL was fastened.
Robert w. Martin was also thrown
a IN ruff nofr
iut but not dangerous wounds on the
head and neck and right leg. Henry
Ssyers stayed in and escap I'd with no in
jury at all worth speaking Of
HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED.
The city of Covington was shocked late
yesterday afternoon at the intelligence of
another distressing accident on the Ken
lucky Central railroad-a double fatal ca
tsstrophe this time. The fret news came
in a telegram from the conductor of the un-
fortunate train to the superintendent as
follows:
"CYNTHIANA, June 81, 1876.
81. r. LEDYARD, Covingtop, kentucky:
Train No. 5 ran into a drove of cattle at
six,y-third mile post, north of Cythisns.
Engine badly of. Express and baggage
cars in the river. Express messengers,
Parshsll and Thomas, both killed.
"WETHERBY
Telegraphlc communication thus opened,
continued throughout the evening and up
to midnight almost constantly. The snx-
iety was not alone of the off cisl sort, nor
was its expression confined to an exchange
of kilograms of inquiry and information
between railroad and telegraph officers
The train wss the regular north-bound
passenger train, due in Covington at 6
O'Clock, and many people expecting friends
or relations, or members of their families,
or fearing with that gratuitous fear horn
of their affection for absent ones, that those
absent ones might have been aboard, sent
urgent inquiries over the wires. Crowds,
too, gathered and lowered in and about the
depot during the entire evening.
asking questions, making such answers as
we're possible and exchanging sorrowful
on the new horror. The casual
ties, however, were confined to the two
killed, and one other slightly injured
Robert W. Martin, who re-
ceived a cut on the head and a sprained
ankle. The two suffering death we're
David Psrshsll and Edwin M. Thomas,
both express messengers on the road.
Parsnall was returning home Gesd-head,
according to custom, after taking his car
to Lexington, and Thomas was in charge
Of the express Car attached to the wrecked
train. 1t appears that both were in that
car, and jumped off when the collision oc
Cured, and were run over by the passen-
ger coaches, under which
THEIR DEAD BODIES WERE FOUND AFTER
THE ACCIDENT.
The locality of the accident is what rail-
road men call a reverse curve, two and a
half miles this side of Cynthisna, and 1t
was impossible for the engineer to see the
in time to save the train. He
ran into nine head Of cattle, which, it Is
were thrown by the engine from
,he track up the sides of the cut and
rolled back for the cars to wreck them
selves upon. AS to what other damsgt
was done the train we are not informed,
but it must have been quite serious,
though the track was again in operating
order at last accounts. David Parshall,
Dne of the killed, was man OF probably
s. years of age, lived at AZ Barr street.
and leaves a vile, son Ia
years of age by his first vile, and q cbilo
less tDsn year old by his second wife
The sad intelligence OF the husbands
awful death was conveyed to ner at her
home yesterday evening by Mr.. w. n.
Waters, general agent of the Adams E&-
press Company, with what effect is easily
imagined. Edward NJ. Thomas, the otner
victim, was the youngest son of Mr.. ID. j.
III West Twelfth street, CoviDg-
ton, aud brother of William B. Thomas.
the gallant young engineer who gave up
his life in an accident at Boyd's alton,
On the same road, on the night
Of the ooh OF November last. The
of the two deaths
were singulsrly and sadly coincident
THEY RAN ON THE SAME ROAD,
and were killed near the same place, In
Lhe same manner. Edwin was 81 years
old 10th OF last December, and the family
were making ready for happy celebration
Of his majority birthday when the tragedy
of Williams taking off occurred and pre-
vented. He bad been on the road about q
year. His poor old father and mother.
erieving their little remaining life away at
the loss of one cherished SOD, will scarcely
long survive the dreadful death of their
boy-the second offered ND
within seven short months. A
week ago this evening they started