Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-11-03
Hurried into Eternity
WAS 1T CAUSED BY CARELESS.
NESS IA CORONER'S JURY'1
INVESTIGATION YER.
DICT FINDS THE CAUSE
A SLIGHT MISUNDERSTANDING.

The Mapgled and Dying Victims
Whe They Were-The Scene In
the Dead ROOm-The Place OF tha
Disaster--A veritable "Dca H.
Junction '-FOrmer Accidents In
the yicinity-The Funerals Of ths
victims.
II has been nearly two years sinc'
We were called upon to chronicle tht
facts brought forth by the awful Clay
mont disaster. The effect all over this
city, when the cause and result rela.
ting thereto became generally known,
il vet fresh in the memory OF all. Hard,
ly have the details of this sad catastro.
phe begun to pale before We are
again called upon, this time to chron'
icle incidents which envslop and grow
out of the tragic deaths Of three young
men we'll known in our own community
The victims in the affair at Claymon1
were residents of other cities but the
victims of the present catastrophe are
those reared in our midst and endeared
to others by the most sacred ties ofkin'
ship.
THE FATAL CRASH.
On Saturday night about half-past
eleven o'clock the residents in the
vicinity of the railroad at Browntown
were awakened by fearful crash. There
was a msmentary lull and then the
unnatural stiffness was broken by loud
shouts intermingled with means and
hal smothered cries for help. 1t SEEM
cd but few moments following this
before the houses, mostly colored, were
emptied and half clad figures seen fly.
ing across the tracks in the direction
from whence the agonized sounds pro-
ceeded.
The moon shining very brightly reveal
ed everything in confusion. The
scene was one not to be forgotten -
There on the south bound track in front
of the first flag station was standing
the demolished portions Of an engine,
while from the debris issued grOans and
exclamations burdened with pent up
agony.
The cab Of the locomotive having
been demolished, the top in falling
had slipIsi over, firmly Weiging
in, amid broken timber and bent
and dislocated machinery, the writhins
bodies of the unfortunate victims. Out
of one window hung half way the body
of the engineer, yet alive, convulsively
grasping at space in vain endeavors to
release himself from the seemingly in
extricabls mass. Several men
moved hurriedly in and out and
among the great vapors of steam that
issued with a half deafening sound
from the broken pipes and ruptured
boiler. my God My God help me
out" was the oft repeated exclamation.
Nothing could be done. Those few who
had gathered from the houses we're
alyzed and the only hope OF help
lay in the return of another engine,
that was even then speeding in the
direction of the city.
"How did it happen" Who are the
iniured?" were the oft repeated interro-
As far as could be cleaned the cir
cumstapces are these: Two shifters
were engaged in separating the cars of
the freipht train which comes in this
city about ten O'Clock from Philadel-
phia. The shifters were those known
in the department as No. . and NO. 3.
With shifter No. 6 were employed Will
liam c. shiplsy, conductor; John Gala
CHER, engineer; Edward L. Shields, ,hre,
man; Edward Sasse, Edward Reed and
Henry Meredith, brakemen. On shlfter
No. 8 were: William Gallagher, con-
ductsr; Thomas DeCamr, engineer;
David Grantland. fireman; Alfred ).
Grant, Lawrence Kettlewood and Henry
Darragh were brakemen.
At iO.1O No. 9 shifter brought out
the train from the depot, upon its ar
rival in this city, where shifter NO .,
Oh the Browntown sideways
from six O'Clock in the evening, was
working: and the two engines began
to shit. No. 8 engine in working left a
of the cars lying on the main
I, aok from the siding, about three-hun-
dred Yards below the junction. No. 6l
engine, whose duty it was totake these,
in the direction of this siding
At a rapid rate. Not seeing the cars
on the south bound track, evidently
Ethem all on the siding,
did not check its speed. 1t was not
until about thirty yards did the engi,
neer or any of the occupants named
above notice the danger that was I'M
minent.
The engine was then instantly reversed
but Il was too late. The locomotive
was running backward and before the
anoinser or the two brskemen could
follow the example Of the two fremen
Who had escaped from che cab the
crash came. The force Of the collision
: = ss % so Great that the shifter rebounded
. distance Of some thirty feet. Engine
No. . va. going in with them but on
a " IA