The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-10-18
SATURDAY, OCTOBER IS, 1879.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
killed by a Railroad Accident.


A serious and painful railroad accident oe.
Cured on the Michigan Central railroad. a
short distance east Of jackson, at l O'Clock
on Friday morning Of last week, in which
fifteen persons were killed and thirty.one
wounded. On the train were Mr.. s. NJ.
Sparklin, wife and two children, Edith Evan.
geline, aged six years, and Marian Lot,ie.
aged four. Mrs. Sparklin, formerly Miss Re.
becca q. Stansbury, daughter of Mr.. William
Stansbury, of this city, and her two children
were killed, aud Mr.. Sparklin was seriously
but not fatally injured, and is now at Jack.
son, the scene Of the disaster He had mo
bones broken, but received severe cuts and
bruises, aud was the only one in the car in
which he was seated, who was not killed.
The remains Of the three victims were for.
warded by Adams express to this place, and
arrived on Tuesday morning. They we're in.
TERED the same afternoon in Westminster
Cemetery, the funeral being the largest wit
messed here for many years.
he accident was the result Of a collision
Of the Inflated train-the Paeilic-with a
freight engine and eaboose which was en-.
gagged IN making mp train at jackson june.
ton. The Pacific train was forty.fye minutes
late, and the yard employees thought they
had ample time to make up the freight train
before the express train was due. The Pa.
ciic, however, had nearly made up the time,
hence the collision, The following are some
Of the particulars Of the disaster:
The train was composed OF seven Wagner slcepers
four passenger coaches and the mall and bargave
eaf in ,,, t , Of inc express engine was tee
THIS ear In turn, forced It's way into the mail Gar
and these crowded the hrst passenger coach 10 the
right on the omban klnent and crushed back through
the two following Thepassengprz Ia the irst coach
were comparatively unframed, the harvest Of death
belng reaped IN lhe second and third coaches; The
oithe Wagner coaches were injured.
III, There were many CHASTITY scenes in the midst OF
the wreck and confusion Strange TO say the pas
sengcrs In the sleeping coach knew nothing Of the
disaster until aroused by the conductor
William y Clapp' who, with his wife, occupied a
middle berth In the tint sleeper was lint appraised OF
the disaster by being violently thrown from his
berth upon the hoOr. II gathered myself" said Mr.
tlapp, Into standing posture soon as possible
but was unable for i've minutes or 20 u make an
exit from the car owing 10 the confusion npon
reaching The platform the scene revealed indeed
a dckenlng one. The cries Of agony from the
wounded and dying, the kissing steam from the
engines beneath The mas Of crushed tiInbers aud
the hickerng lights gave the u wierd and hur.
rble appearance. The lady inmates OF the sleepers
who had scrambled from their oOuches aud had
the horrible spectacle and its enomity suddenly re.
Yealed 10 their vision, hltenAted their sObs with
prayers 10 be removed from the CHASTITY sight A
little later, when the men became sufficiently self.
possessed TO begin extricating the victims the scene
was one appalling 10 the strongest aud In many In
stances sickening. The rst OF The victims TO whom
my attention was directed was laxeD haired little
girl Of perhaps five year, The right side OF her face
had been cut away as II severed BY some sharp In
strument while the child's llmbswere tightly wedg.
cd In the debris, short distance removed from this
dckcnng sight was noticed mass Of some tx human
beings damned and disiigured almost beyond recog.
milton. with arms and limbs protrudlng In the last
quiyers of death sun little further along were
Abe bodies Of the fireman and the engineer Of the
express train. undera mountain OF splintered wood
and SS@rpsd iron For the sake OF mother save
the childi' came the husky voice Of a young wo.
man as she drew the attention Of group Of specta
tors TO q little boy wedged In among the wreck a
few ynrds of. who cried plteously to be liberated
while it, maDgled head and shoulders swAycd in is
struggle for life OF course such scenes as these un
fitted the aouiest heart for the work needed As
morning wore On, however the passengers, the rail
road hands and thOse attracted to the scene entered
upon the work OF extrieating the unfortunate ones
The ordeal was one ! hope never TO pass through
again u seems nom tile testimony befnre the
coroners jury that Colwell the yardmaster Sawyer
the switchman, and Jones the engineer Of the switch
engine are all alike responsible, and that all were
guJ both OF bad Judgment and the violation Of the
rules OF the company.