The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-11-04
HURLED INTO ETERNITY.
A Locomotive, Tender and Nine Cars
on the b. d D. Road Plunseo
Through Bridge and To-
tally Wrecked.
Engineer wash. Hamilton, oi '"s
City, Instantly Killed. and an m
known Man Seriously Injured.

Early yesterday morning various fu'
mors were current throughout the city
that a train had plunged through
bridge, about two miles east OF Mounds
vile, and had been precipitated into the
bed of the creek below. The list OF
was estimated at from three
to five, and the train SAID to have
been a total wreck A REGISTER reporter
Yesterday visited the various places
about the Baltimore and Ohio road
where there was possibility of gaining
any information whatever, and from all
that could be learned about the accident,
the casualties are one man killed and one
wounded. So far as our information
goes, it appears that yesterday morning
about three o'clock, as the west bound
freight train on the Baltimore and Ohio
road, consisting OF nineteen cars, drawn
by engine No. 175, with Wash Hamilton
of this city as engineer, and in charge OF
Conductor S. A. Baird, was passing
over Purdy's Mills bridge about two
miles east of Moundsville, the bridge
gave way, and the engine, tender and
nine cars went down into the ravine be.
meath, distance of twenty-five or thirty
feet. The cars were piled one on top OF the
other, and wrecked beyond description.
Mr.. Hamilton the engineer, went down
with the engine, and was almost instant
ly killed, but the fireman and man
who was riding on the engine at the
time, jumped from the engine and thus
saved their lives, the fireman escaping
uniniured. and the stranger receiving
serious injuries, although it is
thought they will not prove
fatal. A telegram was Immediate
ly sent to headquarters in this city, and
wrecking train dispatched to the scene,
which arrived there short time after
the accident occurred, and the body of
the unfortunate engineer was taken
from the wreck, as soon rs possible and
forwarded to this city. Itarrived on the
train due here at $50 A ~, but which
was delayed on account of the accident
over four hours, and did not reach here
till about 1890 o'clock yesterday. The
body of Hamilton was taken from the
train at the Baltimore and Ohio shops
between Twenty-seventh and Twenty
eighth streets, and transferred to the
"dead- house" Of the company, to be pre-
pared for burial by the company's under
taker, who was busy at work dressing the
corpse at the time of our visit to the "dead-
house" yesterday afternoon. The exact
cause of the accident cannot be ascertain
ed, except that there was something detec.
tive about the bridge. Trains, however,
had been passing over the bridge during
the day, and passenger train had passed
over it but short time previous TO the
accident. The companys officials are
at loss as to what cause to attribute
the giving way of the bridge, unless it
be to the fact that it had been repaired n
few DAYS since. or was then undergoing
repairs, and WAS thus weakened SO as to
be unable to sustain the great weight
brought to bear upon it.
Hamilton, the dead engineer, has been
in the employ of the company OF and on
for long time, but had only resumed
active duty on the road about five months
ago, after an absence of some two or
three wears. His remains were taken
from the"dead house, to his late residence,
in Alley B, between Alley Fifteen and
Twenty. First street, Centre Wheeling,
last evening. Hamilton was about nifty
years of age, and leaves wife to mourn
his loss.