The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-08-26
DAsMED To DEAfH.
HOW DENNIS sHERIDAN INeTA1ILH
AND WITHOUT A Asl6ON0NE8 UAM8I1o

HOW DENNIS SHERIDAN INsTA1TLY
AND WITHOUT a sMOa10Nxssu
WAS RAILROADED INTO ETBuuIIF.s1
The tragic fate which overlook Dennie
Sheridan on the p. w. y b. Rafsea1
track near Dupont's station ysstesdey n
ternoon, as briefly told in the 3AxnE1S
shortly afterward, was 20 pufoen eno
terrible ss to render the circumstances
unusually sad. " 81 N-f 'sss.l lf.tsia s'i
The train which killed the upflrtnasfs
man was the north bound "limited" he9
Washington, whose scbeduls ums ~
leaving Wilmington 10 1887 p. =. i =
know as 'strain No. Thrty" and drawn
by engiue No. II. John Brier dwas ~
engineer. The train left the dep0t heyA
at 1912, five minutes late, and = ~
time of the accident waS running =
nearly 90 miles an h 'ur. 70 eno9
Sheridan was working on ths tzAck
about one hundred yards above E.iop-
moor station and close to Dupont's croar
sing. He was one Of gang Of men
superintended by Peter Clarke, and
known as the floating" gang. Ar. Uints
left Sheridan with four or hive other men
and went up the track with the rest q
the gang about 100 yards. Sheridan was
bent down between the two tracks ievel-
ing stones with shove, and we % ~
tent upon his task that he ei:her did ~
notice the train - II came near, Or fan
cied himself clear Of the north-bound
track. The engineer whistied for tAo
crossing just below, but Sheridan Weht
on with his work, unconscious ef his
danger. Charles Murray called 70 6heri-
dan two times to clear the track, but h
did not hear until the locomotive ~
within sixty feet Of him. NIB nn i
Then he raised up and seemed to ~
infused. lns cad Of stepping out q
dangers way on the south bound irSek,
he got over on the o her ono, right In tASo
path OF the coming D, gIne. 'ASho woo
coming like the crack o. do ,m', said oos
OF the workmen, speaking ofthe aecident
afterwards, "And he couldn't have cloars
ed the track then, even by aquick jump.
he train hit him In an Instant, tonood
him f ON the track t. Q ty feet lp the
air and cast him on the sOuth-boanA
track. The shovel with which he WhS
working as broken by the blow and the
handle hit Chas. Murray. WhsA h11
compani ms went 10 him be was deat-
HIS skull was mashed in, both Of BIZ
arms were broken, his shoulders wero
dlslocated, both legs were broken, and h
was mained and bruised 20 badly thaa
there did not appear to be an unbroken
bone in h body. -.
Word was sent to the p, W. 4
B. depot and Coroner Butz. The Coro-
ner and detective Legg br0ugh the body
to the uead house, and at 4 o'clock The
inquest was commenced. Peter CLARKE,
Chas. Murray, Morris Foley, Michael
Keogh, Dennis Mshoney, John Briss
and Joseph Witherby were all examtn-
ed. John Brier was the engineer d
No. II and Joseph Witherby his fireman.
The testimony at the inquest accorded
with the above facts except that all tss'
titled that She, idan was quite hard a
hearing, and to all appearances did nct
hear the train approaching or the warn
ing cries of the men. iS + 'Pr
A verdict was rendered 'sthat Dennis
Sheridan came to his death by being -
cidentally struck by engine No. II q
the p, w. & B. r. R., and that con
pany and employees be exonerated fion
all blame." tli 30 bssH-sa ass8
The unfortunate man was native a
Ireland and over sixty years Of age. Hl
has been in Wilmington for many Year.
and had been honest, frugal and indus
trious. He has amassed together con
siderable property in the Tenth Ward
He has no family of his own except bill
wife, but has been supporting two chill
dren of q relative. rgrM a.