The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-09-01

THE BODY OF A WOMAN FOUND ALONG
THE DELAWARE RIVERA MAN
KILLED ON THE r. X. BRIDGE OVER
THE BRANDYWINE

THE DELAWARE RIVERA MAN
KILLED ON THE X. X. BRIDGE OVER
THE BRANDYwINE.
Coroner Butz, on Saturday afternoon,
received information to the effect that
the drowned body of woman had been
found on the shore of the Delaware
river, near Claymont, and in company
with undertaken Palmer he drove upto
investigate the affair.
1t appears that on Monday last, Peter
mclaughlin, his sisters, Mary and
Catharine, and his cousine, John Nc
Glaughlin and John Gallagher, all resi-
dents Of Chester. took trip to Cape
May, on the steamer, Thomas Clyde.
On their return, the night was exceed
ingly dark, and when they landed at
Chester Catharine McGlaughlin, in
walking upon the wharf, fell into the
water and was drowned. The steam
boat whatf at Chester comprises two
piers, Connected by bridge, which,
however, is not as wide as the piers, and
it is supposed that when the woman
walked upon the outer pier she walked
right ahead, not knowing the peculiar
construction Of the wharf, and plunged
into the water. Her friends were close
beside her, and heard splash in the
water, but did not know until after
wards the sad mishap she had met
with.
The body was not discovered until
Saturday morning, when Isaac Vernon,
Marcus Hook bOatman, while sailing
along the river shore neal Claymont,
discovered the dead body of woman
lying among the reeds, some distance
from the waters edge. He at once went
ashore and made his discovery known,
when Coroner Butt was telegraphed
for, aud as it was supposed the body
was that of the young woman who had
been drowned at Chester last Monday
night, her relatives were also notified
and requested to come down at once.
They responded and were present at the
inquest, when they recognized the body
as that of Catharine MEG aughlin, and
testified to the circumstances attending
her death. The body was considerably
decomposed from being in the water so
long, but was readily recognized by the
dress and features.
After hea ing the testimony, which
did not show there was any person OH
the bridge to warn passengers from the
boat of its dangerous character, the jury
rendered the following verdict: "rhat
the deceased came to her death by be-
ing accidentally drowned in the Della.
ware river, at Chester, through the care
lessness of the parties owning the wharf
or those in charge of it,"
Undertaken Palmer took charge oi
the body, and sent it to Chester on the
$40 train, Sunday morning.
STRUCK BY A SHIFTING ENGINE AMI
| KILLED.
When the Coroner and Undertake
Palmer returned to Wilmington, abou
ten O'Clock Saturday night, they foun
another case awaiting their attention
for which the Coroner empanelled a jur
and started the inquest Sunday morning
The victim was Charles Sanckey,
workman at Bowers, Dure u Co.'s ca
shops, who was struck by shifting en-
gine on the p, W. Il B. r. r. bridge
about 4.25 o'clock Saturday afternoon
and so badly injured that he died inside
of half an hour.
From the testimony adduced before
the jury, it appeared that Sanchey, il
company with fellow-wOrkmen nameG
VIM. Bowers, left their work at halfpas
four o'clock, and started for their homes
by way of the Railroad bridge over the
Brandywine. When ON the draw in the
centre of the bridge they were over-tak.
en- by shifting-engine No. @, George Lu
cas-, engineer, which was coming dowr
on the north-bound track. Bowers warn
ed by the whistle of the approach ,g en-
gine, jumped aside just in time to saw
his life, but Sanchey was struck and hurl
ed through the bridge to the abutment o
the lower end of the draw, where he fel
down upon pile Of rocks upon the be-
of the creek.
James w. johnson the fagman at th'
lower end OF the bridge, who saw the &C
cident, at once procured boat, and row
ing to the place, picked up the injured
man and brought him to the bridge
where he was placed upon bench be
side the bridge-tender's house. His skull
was badly fractured just above the righ
temple, a d his right arm broken, but hi
was still alive when brought from the
water, and lived nearly half an hour
Special officer Legg was notified, and ar
rived with an engine and freigh. ca
lust before the man expired. He place.
the body in the car and brought in Il
Robinson street, when it was conveyed
to the residence of the deceased, No
1872 Robinson street. Here it was view
ed by the Coroner and the jury on Sun
day morning, previous to the inquest.
At the inquest, Janes F. Rigney, fore
man of the shifting engine gang, George
Lucas, engineer, and Lawrence Kettle
wood, Joseph Kelley and Harry Darragh
brakesmen, all testified that the engine
had been over the bridge, making up {
train for Philadelphia, and was return
ing when the accident occurred. AL
this testimony was to the positive effec
that the shifter whistle was blown wher
the engine first entered the bridge, an(
just before the man was struck, and alst
gave a previous whistle at Eleventh
street crossing, to notify the flagman o
their approach. They also testified tha
they cried out to the men to get off o
the track, and that the engineer reversed
his engine just before the accident oc
Cured.
James W. johnson, the fiagman, tes
titled that he called to the men, in al
endeayor to attract their attention, ant
also waved his flag, but they did no
seem to pay any attention to him.
The jury after hearing this much testi
mony, took q recess until evening, il
order to obtain the testimony of VIM
Bowers, the companion of the man VIII,
was killed, and whom the Coroner baG
not been able to find. Bowers wa'
present at the evening session and testi
lied that as he and his companion were
coming over the bridge; they had no in
| 4; aT ha of ha rvs