Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-04-13
Z. Shocking Accident.

e. Shocking Accident.
A MAN CRUSHED TO DEATH RESULT
OF COUPLING IN MOTION AND FAST
RUNNING.
A shocking accident occurred near Ale
ghany tunnel Oh the G. q U. road On FIJI
day morning last in which Thomas q.
Scott, Jr., young man well known in
Staunton. lost his life. A train was running
in sections and on approaching the tunnel
the forward train commencing dragging
and the rear train, Of which David Wilt
shire, was engineer, was run up to couple
on and push it forward. Scott who was a
brakeman on the rear train got on the pi~
lot of the engine to hold up the coupling
bar. The engine of the rear train, howev-
er, was driven with such violence that it
was rushed into the caboose Of the forward
train with such force as to lift the rear
truck off the track, crushing young Scott
into an almost unacceptable mass of
flesh and broken bones from which the flick
ering life departed in a few minutes. If
the facts as related by those cognizant of
them are correct, the accident might have
been avoided by the proper precaution,
the life Of q valuable man saved and the
company saved from the payment of heavy
damages. II is an occurren ce that de-
mands investigation both on account of the
living and the dead. 1t appears that the
fast running of the rear train was so
marked that Capt. Macon Jones, conduc.
tor of the other train warned young Scott
of his danger, but he was unable to get
away from his dangerous position.
Young Scott was from Cumberland co.,
where his father is a farmer. He came To
Stanton ABOUT three years ago and was Il
clerk for W. o. Thomas and afterwards
conducted business with his employer in
Washington city as Thomas & Scott. He
had been a brakeman about six months
and in few weeks would have been pro-
NOTED tc conductor. This coming fall he
was to have been married to daughter of
one of our most estimable citizens. His
body was taken On Saturday to the resi-
dence of his father in Cumberland.
THE STATEMENT OF THE ENGINEER.
In justice to Mr.. Wiltshire. the engineer,
who was a warm friend Of the deceased,
and a member of the same church with
him, we publish his statement of the &C.
currence, prefacng it with the remark
that he made it with the evident intent to
give the exact factS
We were running in four sections. One
section had gone on clear, but the two be-
hind it were dragging up the grade. Scott,
who was q brakeman on our train, cam e
over the cars onto the engine, where was,
and went out on the pilot, to make the
coupling to push the two trains in front.
| ran up at q speed between six and eight
miles an hour to couple while in motion.
AS | got close Capt. Jones made a signal,
and l reversed my engine and did all l
could to stop. The train in front must
have stopped, or it's engine been slipping.
My pilot ran under its caboose, and pushed
away the trucks letting the caboose down
on the track. l did not and do not know
Of any rule Of the road forbidding coup
ling while in motion. 1t has always been
our custom to do so. [ am sure Scott did
not make the coupling, but missed it. The
coupling pin was not broken.
At the Y. M. G. Association prayer
meeting Sunday evening Capt. VIM. MIC
Cue in the course of his remarks alluded
to tie death of Mr.. Scott who he charac-
teriZed as lone of our most active brothers
who did good as he had opportunity" He
said.he had been suddenly cut off but was
not without remedy-a remedy which had
ben applied by the great Physician Of
ssuls. Tbs Association had often heard
The voice Of the deceased urging us to pre-
pare to meet cur God, and it had teen en-
couraged by his prayers. He had been in
strumental in the conversion of many of
his companions on the railroad during the
late revival at the Baptist church. He hat
made his peace with God before the awful
summons came and his life and death
should both be useful lessons to us. BE
ye wAtetiful. Tor the Son of man cometh at
an hour when We know not.''
Rev. DR.. Manly, On Sunday morning,
allud d to the death of young Scott, in a
most touching manner, speaking of his
Cody walk before al men, and the efful-
gence with which his piety shone On the
railroad. When, said he, his worldly fell
low workmen looked upon the mangled
body they sid, "Thers lies Christian"
W ho is to take I}rother SCOTS place?