The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-08
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.
Collision on the Panhandle
Railroad.
SIXTEEN PERSONS KILLED.
Fifey or More wounded.
SCENE OF THE CALAMITY.
Tho Wreck and RUNE as They
Appeared Yesterday.
ALLEGED CAUSE OF THE COLLISION.
SIXTEEN PERSONS KILLED.
|Fifty orMore Wounded,
SCENE OF THE CALAMITY.
ALLEGED CAUSE OF THE COLLISION.
Loss 100000.

In this city that y serious collision mao
happened on the Panhandle Railroad
near Mipgo Junction, but As nothing of
the particulars could be learned, re-
porter was dispatched from this office to
the scene Of the disaster. Arriving at
Mingo Junction he learned that No. Q,
fast line passenger, going West, Capt. Ed.
Morrell conductor, bad collidsd At lam
with Section 2oi No. IS, freight, coming
East, Capt. Sterling conductor. Repair.
Ing to the locality Of the disaster we found
1t one mile west Of Mingo Junction, on a
curve about 200 yards west of what is
known as Jumps Point, and directly
abreast Of Gross Creek Falls, where there
is high embankment fauked on the
north side by the creek, and on
the south side by narrow strip
Of bottom. It >is also within, about
one hundred and ftty yards Of the spot
where the wreck Of 1875 occurred. It
would be an imposdbility to exagserate
the frightful character Of the disaster.
On either side Of the embankment lay
the tangled ruins Of passenger and postal
cara. One Of the former, the emigrant
car, was reduced to mass Of kindling
wood, which children might carry away
In armsiull. 1t was positively without
the semblancs Of It's former self. It
would seem an utter impossibility that
any human being could have escaped
| from It with life. On the north side Of
the track, in one confused mass, were
piles of baggage, boxes and bags Of mail.
At the west end Of the wreck and on the
south side Of the track lay the two mon
s,er engines in a ruin SO complete and
appalling as to convey some faint idea Of
the terrific force with which they came
together. Nothing was left Of the mag
nificent structures but an indiscriminate
maBa OF Droken IRON.
The COLLISION.
Samuel Dean, who resides about half
way between the Junction and the scene
Of the disaster, happened to be awake and
heard the passenger train rushing past at
speed Of forty miles an hour, and
quicker than he could tell 1t there came
an awful crash, followed Immediately by
the piercing, heart.rending screams Of the
injured victims. Jumping to his feet and
scarcely taking time to clo,he himself Mr..
Dean ran to the residence Of Mr.. K. II.
Turner, the agent for both the P. c. & st.
| L. and P. & @. Roads, and rousipg him up
they both started for the wrecked train.
They had not gone far when they met
Conductor Morrell, who was Fastening to
the station to telegraph for aid. Mr.,
Dean turned back with the Conductor
and Mr.. Turner hurried on to the
wreck. There he found several parties
who had been aroused by the crash and
had come TO render aid. IA It was very
dark and 4 heavy fog hanging over the
valley, It was impossible to comprehend
the extent Of the disaster. Mr.. Turner
returned to the Station and procured a
number Of torches and some drinking
cups, those who remained doing what
they could 10 the darkness. People from
the Immediate neighborhood locked TO
scene, and by the time Mr. Turner returned
there were goodly number OF willing
hands to aid In the work Of rescuing and
caring for the wounded.
Furnished with light, the work OF ex'
amining the ruins was commenced. Seven
persons were found lying along the track
dead, three OF them women. These were
gathered up and laid in decent order by
the track. The wounded were found
scattered 10 every direction, come having
been thrown clear down to the edge
Of the creek, some 6fty or sixty iees
Iron the track. But one person
was found fast in the wreck and he was
not seriously hurt, and when an attempt
was made 10 release him he urged the
parties to attend to those whose cries In
dicated that they were suffering the ago
mics Of death.
By the time the wrecking train arrived
all the wounded had been brought up on
to the track and placed in positions to be
"a comfortable as they could be under the
circumstances. With the wrecking train
came Drs. Shane, Pierce, Hammond and
Stanton, the last being ip the regular
employ Of the railroad company. The
physicians finding that but little could
be done on the spot had the wounded
taken upon Stretchers and put aboardt the
train. ...
THE DEAD NATL AGENTS.
Among the killed who were recognized
we're the three mail agents Of the Cincin'
natl car. They were W. K. johnson and
Frank D. Grahim, Of Cincinnati, and
Augustus Andrews, Of clarksburg, VIVA
The clerks in the ST.. Louis postal car
escaped with severe bruises, that car
strange las /. may seem, having with
slood the shock with comparatively little
injury. John Dugan, the engineer Of the
passenger train, who had stood herOically
a. his post, reversing the engine and
putting on the air brakes, was found
70 be severely injured. He was re-
garded as one Of the best engineers on the
road. He died Of his injuries after be-
Ing taken to steubenville, and leaves q
young wife to whom he had been mar
ried but two weeks. Mr.. Fulton, the
! fireman Of the passenger engine, had hiI
Jaw broken.
THE CONDUCTOR AND xscREER u
Of the freight train, when vithiug aity
yArda Of colliding, Jumped from the trAir