Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-10
Local
A RAILROAD HORROR.

PRECIPITATED ia FEET INTO CHAsl
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF THE sPo,
DEATH IN THE MooNLIGHT-1NCI
DENTS.
&C., &C., sc.
On Tuesday, about noon, it was mystic
riously reported in Staunton that an acct
dent had taken place on the Vale.
r. R. The reticence of the employee
at the depot, who are forbidden by thu
rules of the company to communicate an.
information of accidents, made it impos
sible to relieve the pnblic mind until thu
VINDICATOR, which is not to be discour
aged, bulletined from another source the
number of killed and wounded, and the
fact that there were no citizens of Staun-
ton on board, which somewhat relieved the
anxious people. When the accommodation
train arrived we gathered some additions
particulars which were bulletined, and
started reporter for the scene.
THE TRAIN.
The train to which the accident occurred
left Stanton Monday afternoon, with the
usual freight cars. sand: a passenger coach
attached. On its way down it picked up
additional cars until, when it arrived at
Edinburg it consisted of sixteen freight
cars, three of flour, three Of cattle, three Of
sheep and hogs and three of iron, the others
being the conductor S and passenger car and
miscellaneous freight. 1t was in charge of
Capt. James Russell, with Florence Dona-
van engineer. The passengers picked up
at the towns on the way down, consisting
chiefly of commercial travellers and persons
who owned the cattle, at midnight num-
bered fourteen, and the party, with two
or three exceptions, who were asleep,
were keeping up pleasant laughter at some
humorous stories being told by MI.
Quantz, a German passenger from Win
chester.
THE BRIDGE.
The bridge which the train was approach
ing is of trestle, about two hundred feet
leng-nearly as long as a square in Staun-
ton-and lis feet high-a little higher than
the steeple of the Lutheran Church here.
Across the abrupt chasm which is called
Marrow Pass, this bridge is thrown, rest
ing on three tiers of trestle-work supported
by four piers Of stone, and on top of all is
the railroad track. Viewed from the bottom
of the gorge, along which runs little
thread of a creek, it looks like a spider
web thrown from. precipices which would
be well represented. by Bessy Bell and Dr..
Sears hill, if they were more abrupt and
thrown closer together. This is the same
bridge that Stonewall Jackson burnt after
the fight at Kernstown, and the burning
of which he superintended in person. Last
summer the Baltimore & Ohio Company
put an additional pier to streng then it
and good portion Of the woodwork had
been rebuilt anew. A camp of workmen
was on the spot. engaged in rebuilding,
when the accident occurred.
THE DESCENT.
After leaving Edinburg the train pro-
ceeded on it's way, and on approaching the
bridge it slowed up to cross, the crossing
being done at pace hardly faster than a
man can walk. The bridge keeper stood
at his sentry box, with white light sig
mailing all was right. The moon was shi-
ming as clear as day. The passengers in the
car seen through the window were smok-
ing and laughing and talking. Two of
them were standing near the door to look
at the stupendous bridge by moonlight
The engineer cheerily cried back ''good
bye'' to the bridge keeper, who was put
ting up his lantern. The camp workmen
lounging listlessly to see the train pass,
stood idly watching it in the moonlight as
it moved slowly over the web-like struc-
ture. The little creek sparkled along in
its narrow thread at the the bottom of the
black gorge. The red light hanging like
an ominous prophet at the back Of the re-
ceeding train, was the only thing that said
.sdanger." The cars reached the middle,
All was still. Those standing on the bank
saw the centre of the train bend down.
The engine made a sudden struggling eff
fort as the engineer opened his throttle to
null away There was sharp cracking.
the engine was dragged back, and in mo-
ment more it's glazing head light
was pointing up to the sky, and then shot
down with the mass, turning a complete
somersault and facing its light to the
bank it had left. The red light too reared
I'D few feet as it turned the fatal
edge and fell into the darkness
There was sound as if Of thunder and
the earth trembled for miles around, The
whole immense mass of cars, men, cattle
iron and flour lay quivering one hundred
and fifteen feet below. The sound and
4reusor was felt six miles up the gorge
the people around thinking it Was an earth.
quake.
In few moments the men from the
bank were crawling down the steep sides
to the aid of the sufferers. 1t was hard tc
tell where to commence. The -four in the
cars had bursted and covered everything
and the mass, some thirty feet high, pre-
seuted in the moonlight the appearance Of
an immense snow bank. The aid could
hardly tell the men from the cattle. Fortu
nately the passenger car was next to the
rear and was not buried beneath tlse 9th.
er cars Those who were alive were quick
ly gotten out, and Of those who were dead
the bodies were soon recovered. Physi
clans from Woodstock and Edinbure
were soon on the spot and all the aid poss
ible was rendered
THE KILLED.
The following is a list of the killed: W
A. Wightman was resident of Edinburg
and for many years Justice of the Peac
of Shenandoah. At the moment Of tn
accident he had the door Of the Cal partl
open to go out. His back was broken, AM
his other injuries frightful. When take