Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-07-01
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT NEAR
WYTHEVlLLE.
Crushing Through Reed Creek
Bridge.
Expressman Langhorn Killed.
Conductor Fairfax Badly Hurt.
Marvellous Escape of Nearly all
OH Board.


Our community ware terribly excit-
ed OH Saturday morning last, by the
news that the Eastern bound mail
train had gone down through Reed
Creek Bridge, three miles west of
Wytheville with all on hoard. The
wires had been broken, aud correct
Intelligence was slow reaching us.-
1t now appears that the tlange to one
of the truck wheels to the new engine
No. broke some so or more yards
west Of the bridge, which at once per
mitted the wheel to mount the rail and
allowed the engine to leave the track
and go plunging over the t'es. The
engineer Pat Callan, one of the oldest
anu best on the road, reversed his en-
g'ne and attempted to Use the air
brake, which at 0uce refused 10 work.
Seeing the train bound to plunge in
the awful SO foot chasm Of Reed Creek,
he and the fireman, Walter Wing
field, Jumped from the engine with
but little injury 10 themselves. Con
ductUr Horton, though not in charge
Of the train, was seated Ia the second
class car, and called OK all to follow
him into the car In rear. He hnd on
ly stepped on the platform OF the la
dies ear when Englre, Baggage, Ex-
press and aecond-ulass cars all plunged
through the first span Of The bridge
down the awful height nearly hun
hred feet, Swapping the coupling al
must under his feet, aud leaving the
ladies car and sleepers standing on the
track unharmed. Express Messenger
Norvel Langhorn, of Lynchhurg, Is
supposed to have been asleep, and was
found dreadlully mashed with his
neck broken Conductor Fairfax was
badiy injured. and bled at nose aud
ears he was unable 10 speak for
some time but was removed to Boyd y
| Hot !, when be so far improved AZ 10
he able to he taken b0ple on yesterday
Juo. Kennedy railroad mGchiu'st at
Knoxville. was on visit to Lynch
burg with his i!tilc son, Wine. He
was slightly Injured, and the little boy
80 much mashed about the head, that
when his parents passed Bristol sun
day evening it was supposed that he
woul die. Several other persons
were more or less injured, but none OF
them dangerously so. Their escape Is
marvellous. The engine plunged for
ward In its descent until IL struck the
first pier, and hack summer5aulted,
! falling bnti0m upwards. The express
car tell on ;he engine, and was follow
ed by the baggnse car, which mashed
Il INTO fragments. The SECOND class
ear, il seems, lit on end, and ;hua cS'
caped total demolition How any
| person escaped the awful plunge alive
Is "a wonder that has q solution. All
NythevilIe turned out win the deter
mlnation to do everything possible fol
the Injured,
The bridge IL one of the highest, and
yet one Of the shortest Of the pri ci'
pal bridges on the a. NJ. q o. Road
The hauks are very sudden aud pre-.
cipi,ouS The faulty wheel chose n
strange place to do its breaking, 70!
no more Dangerous one could wei
have cen the result Of intelligent se'
lection. Chief Engineer Hoffman,
had inspected the bridge some 30 days
ago, aud pronounced it good for som,
four years yet. Later, Little Willie
Kennedy Is believed to he recovering