Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-13
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
From Our Special Correspondent at the
Scene of the Disaster.
pY,rrON Octohar |

train No. |, east bound, and passenger
train No. 10, west bound, 10y which
three persons were instantly killed and
several wounded, some OF whom, it is
thought. fatally. The following are the
particulars of the calamity:
Train No. |, engine No. 23S, James
Askew, driver, being behind time, an
order had been given 1t 10 meet and
pass the west bound tram, No. 10, en-
CINE No. 29S.
The "order" had been written by the
"train runner" at Fairmont, and tele-
graphed to Cameron where 1t was IN
tended copy be handed the driver and
conductor of train No. l, and copies
held at Fairmont to he handed to
the driver and conductor OF train No.
10. After writing this "order' the day
"train runner" left the office at Fair
mont, which was taken charge OF by the
night train runner" as used, and who
upon ascertaining that train No. 10
could be advanced one station 10 meet
and pass No. !, wrote another order vir-
tually countPrmanding the first, and
ordering that No. 10 make another sta
ton (this) TO meet No. l. This order
was telegraphed to train No. at
Noundsyille where il arrived in a few
minutes after the order was received,
The orders were delivered to the
driver and conductor, each being given
a copy, as is the rule OF the road. THIS
order, it will be remembered, was the
second order.
Meantime the first order was waiting
for the train when it should reach Cam
eron, where, upon its arrival, II was
promptly handed the parties in charge
of the train, namely, the driver and con-
ductor. Thus the train men had the
first issued order last, and this fact
| caused the collision. The first issued
order read for the two trains to meet at
Boardtree tunnel, and the last issued
read that they should meet ut Bolton,
but bv some strange fatality the en-
gineer and conductor of train No. l
| overlooked the fact that the order which
they received last was the older
of the two orders and consequently
void. When No. 10 passed this station
| il had but five minutes to make Board
| Tree Tunnel and a stiff up grade all the
way, on the order on which the engi-
neer was running. lie passed at the
rate of forty.five miles per hour
through tins place and Immediately east
| of the station IN what is known as
"Beel's Curve" the two trains collided.
| The statement of Il gentlemen who
viewed the whole affair fully, is as fol-
lows: He had some business out OF his
house, and, while out, heard the roar OF
the westbound train i'm descending the
Grade from Board Tree, and the whistle
of the easthound in descending the
yelling grade. He noticed that in a few
seconds the eastbound blew the whistle
for the station and went through like a
streak of light, when he thought that
| surely the west bound did not have
| time To get on the side track above,
and grabbing up lantern he ran mp
| the road, feeling sure that something
| dreadful would occur. He had ran but
n short distance when he heard a ter
rible collision, which was repeated dis
tinctlv thrice, the second being the
loudcst of the three. He followed ON,
and in 4 few seconds was at the scene
OF one OF the most appalling catastrophes
that has occurred on this road.
1t appears that, with the fact OF the
accident happening on 4 curve, the
driver of the east bound train, James
Askew, did not know of the fact Of
an engine being waiting him 50 closely,
and il is doubtiul,if he knew what was
the matter or what killed him. He was
found about thirty feet back OF where
his engine stood and after being found
cave n few slight indications OF life,
gaspiny slightly, and opening and roll
| Ing his ewes, and looking at the person
who found him. His head was lifted
slightly and in that position he brcathcd
| his last. He was about thirty-SiX years
Of ace. married and has family in
Wheeling, was an old engineer and had
run passenger trains for ten or twelve
wears. His body had been hurled by
! the force Oithc collision upward and
outward through the cab OF the engine.
this being proven by the fact that his
| box, upon which he sat, was found close
to his body.
His fireman, John Smith, was wcdgcd
diagonaly against the boiler head olthc
engine. where his cries iOr help brought
some OF the hali-bcwildcred people TO
him, whom he bid to help him, moan
ing piteously with pain the while. All
efforts to reach him proved OF no avail,
when after the expiration OF about TWEEN.
tv minutes, his moaning ceased, and
the attention of his helpers had to be
given To the living sufferers, Tor they
knew that he was beyond their aid. lie
was dead in the wreck.
His body was not reached until nearly
morning, when the debris was removed
and his dead body taken tenderIy out
and laid side by side with that OF his
dead comrade, his engineer
Their bodies were put in car and
taken TO the city Just before daylight be-
gan to chase the shadows from off the
scene OF death and destruction.
Smith was evidently crushed between
the tender and boiler head, although he
was not injured 10y fire or heat, lot OF
coal and debris having gotten between
him and the boiler head. His cntrails
were torn openly something sharp, and
were fully exposed. His breast
and shoulders were very badly
crushed and his suffering was OF short
duration. one would think, while
looking on his dead face in the early
morning light, that he had died quite
easily, so placid anu Tree from agony
marks were his features.
Two white boys and one colored boy
were stealing a ride on the platform
of the postal car of the east bound train.
This car was telescoped with a refrigera-
tor car. loaded with butter, in front OF
il, and one OF the boys, named Clarke
or Flanagan, from Clarksburg, was in
stantlv killed. His BRAINS were spat-
tered about on the timbers and floor OF
the cars, and great red streak across
the floor OF the postal car
showed plainly how he had been
caught at the middle OF his body, forced
through the solid wall OF the car, and
torn to pieces on the floor, as his body
was forced along under the deck Of the
refrigerator car upon that OF the postal
car. The warm sun of Sunday had
clothed and darkened the pool OF blood,
which, mixed with butter, cotton, grease
and coal, made a resort for flies, which
buzzel and basked in the warm sun
around it. The other boy on the plat
form of the car was put through nearly
the same process, and was found lyingon
tho body OF his COMPANION, but