The daily gazette., 1879-11-03

""" OSSoPiiS III SuCIl Volumes aS
10 grea' ly hinder his efforts. He then
returned to engine No and started
Tor the depot, IN order to procure assis-
tance, while Kettlewood and Grant, as
sisted by Howard Simpers, watchman at
The junction, who started for the place
as soon as he heard the collision, made
renewed efforts 10 release the injured
men from their enforced and aeonizing
detention among the debris of the brok-
ell cab.
Conductor Gallagher meanwhile
steamed swiftly into the depot, with the
news OF the accident. lie brought Ed
ward Reed along with him, Reed having
severely bruised his right arm and leg, in
jumping from the shifter, and sustained
slight cnt on his right forehead. De-
tective Legg, on learning of the accident,
at once despatched wrecking tram TO
the scene of the collision, aud sent
hack for Drs. Bullock and Draper. The
wrecking train soon reached its destina-
tion, and in few minutes the wounded
men were placed in r and brought to
the depot. Engineer Gallagher was
found lying partly out of the window,
with both legs jammed tightly against
the boiler. His right foot was cut en-
tirely of, and his left leg terribly crushed
from the ankle to the knee. Sasse was
still sitting on the coal bunker with both
legs wedged among the broken timbers,
and both feet almost entirely cut of. He
also had fearful cut in his right groin.
Meredith was lying on the floor of the
cab, also wedged among the broken tim
bers, with his left foot cut of and his
right hip terribly crushed. They all suf-
fered intensely, and uttered heart-rend-
ing cries Of pain until they were removed
from their excrutlating positions.
After being safely laid in the car the
wounded men were brought to the depot
and placed IN the engineers room of the
old round house. Here they were at
tended by Drs. Bullock and Draper, who
amputated both of Sasse's feet, and gave
the men every other needed attention.
1t was evident, however, that they could
not live, their injuries being serious and
fearfully aggravated by the terrible shock
they had received. Gallagher died first
about quarter past one o'clock, and Sasse
died about a quarter of an hour later.
The doctors stayed with Meredith until
O'Clock, when, seeing that his death
was merely matter Oft few hours time
they LETT. Meredith died about six o.
clock.
The minor details of this distressing
accident will be found fully set forth In
the annexed report of the testimony
taken at the Coroner's inquest held over
the bodies of'the three dead men:
THE INQUEST.
During the early part of the forenoon
Coroner Butt busted himself in summon
ing jury and at 8 o'clock had secured
full panel consisting of the following
persons:
8. w. Schultz, Thomas j. Bennett,
Howard Walton, A. j. Vandever, Geo.
Mccall, j. s. Traphagan, K. G. Fraim
r. +. Bell, Thos. Davidson, r. j. Hof
tecker, Frank Howard, W. Malcolm, S.
ID. Townsend, John McCafferty, w. D.
Hyland.
At 9:30 the jury assembled In room
in the round house, where the dead men
lay, and there viewed the remains and
were sworn in. George Mccall was
chosen foreman of the jury and II. u.
Fraim, Esq, was made secretary.
The jury then proceeded to the direc-
tors room and the inqnest was commenc-
| ed at 10 o'clock.
Thomas DeCamp, sworn Il am an
engineer in the employ of the 2. w. u
B. r. r. Co. We took the Wilmington
extra freight to Delaware Junction,
about 10:30 o'clock as usual. we went
up to to see the foreman of our shifting
gang about the work, and while there
saw John Gallagher, the engineer Of
number six. His engine was taking in
water and he was engaged in oiling.
started down the road toward the Della.
ware Western track with one car, and
after had gone some distance / saw
number six engine coming down very
fast. l do not know who was on her and
did not see the accident.
WHAT GALLAGHER TOLD sHIPLEY.
William Gallagher, sworn II am
employed by the p, w. & b. r. r. Co.
as shifting foreman at Delaware juno
ton. About 1915 O'Clock Saturday
night went out ON engine number nine
to Delaware Junction to engage in shift
ing cars. left 10 or 20 cars near Brown
town for Shipley, some of them on the
main track. was foreman of the gang
engaged in shifting p, w. u b. X. X.
cars and WIN. g. Shipley was foreman
Of the Delaware Railroad men. ask
ed Shipley how he was fixed and he said
he had the Canton and Baltimore cars
from among those for Thurlow and had
shifted the Wilmington cars. We had a
conversation about shifting the other
cars, and told him had left q lot for
him back between there and Brown
town, and that they were not all on the
siding. / then got back on my engine
and started with Lamokin stone car
for the Delaware Western crossing, 60
ing down the north bound track. Mean
while number six crossed over on the
south bound track, and, after we had
gone six or eight lengths from the juno
ton, she started to come down at a rapid
rate of speed. Those on number six were
John Gallagher, the engineer, VIM.
Shipley the foreman, Edward Reed, the
fireman, and Harry Merdith and Edward
Sasse, breakmen. thought Gallagher
was running too fast, and threw up my
lamp two times as a signal for him to
stop, but he did not appear to notice
either signal, for he did not slacken his
speed. The next instant they passed at
a rapid rate, add, it seemed to me, faster
than before; l thought he had opened
the valve instead of closing it. He could
not have misunderstood my Signals, and
must have seen them. AS the engine
passed / shouted to Gallagher to look out
for the cars that were standing on the
main track, the same track he was run
ming on, and just after he got past l no.
ticed him reverse the engine, but it did