Daily Republican., 1881-02-16
RAILROAD ACGIDENE.
A Rnss Hrefs mt srebH teIesceped
and almess aesas0lishco OB shs
Dehawase Rafe @nd "a state Road
StNttaO-A tramp 10 and san rtHl.
ly woan0ed beneath tne ruiuE.

j
~ w0an@ed beneath she ruiME.
The Delaware Railroad has Int
single track and yet notwithstandin
the immense amount of buslLess done b
the road IL Is but seldom that ever
serious accident occurs on the road
But exceptions are the rule in all case
and the exception to the Delawsr
Railroad took plsoslast evening, vheI
the Fast New York freight line whiOl
leaves Middlstown a. 5.45 p. m., wa
run into, tslsssopsd and almost dsmol
isbed BY way freigh. line that over
takes II In deep snt near State RoA'
Station.
The following srs the particular
OF the case
Tho New York fast freight pssse,
the way freight at Kirkwood station
and when reandiug the curve through
a deep cut at State Road station :
coupling Of the train unfortunately
broke, when six coal cars, loca
freight car and riding car were lef
standing in deep cut about q qusrtei
Of mile from the curve above the sec
tion toward New Castle. After tn,
engine with shs fors-part of the train
had run ahsad about half q mile tn,
engineer discovered that a part of III,
train had been left bshind when he re
versed his engine and backed down t
recouple the ears. About the time tn,
coupling was TO be made III,
rising smoke Of the engine OF the way
freight which had been left standing
on the siding at Kirkwood, was seer
s:ross the curve. The engineer on the
fast train at once whistled down brakes
and the usual danger signals we're
put ont by Mr.. Book the conductor,
they were too late 70 arrest the onoom
ing train which owing to She course
and the cut could not see the signals in
time to avert the threatened danger
The way freight was running at the
usual high rate Of speed and the engi-
neer as coon as be saw the danger
whistlsd "dovn brakes" reversed his
engine, told his fireman Arthur Hesrb
to 'Jump for his life," and Mr.. Fisher
the engineer also jumped second after.
In an instant almost the crash occur
red, the engine forcing its way through
the ears as II they were bat trail tindsr
work until losing Its momentum 1t tilt
I'd over and rushed into . bank half
buriDg itself from view. II was COM
plstely denudsd Of its handsome CAB
And lay there O nass Of gnarled twisted
ny iron bars and rods with the steam
escaping from holes In the boiler.
Phe tender Of the engine lay across
the track, and II was overlald with the
debris Of freight cars: the floor OF a
grain car formed Z bridge from the ten
dsr to the engine buried in the bank.
A LOT Of debris lying in front Of the Ell
CINE caught DIRE, and the flames from
this added a dismal effect to the wisrd
scene A pile Of demolished woodwork
was sveTlaid by three cars, which had
been thrown there as II by some unseen
giant power, in one OF which half-a,
dozen live pigs had been asleep, but
Whose slumbSrs were now very much
The oars which were stravk
IAN sbout 80 yards, and the Ore con.
aiming the local freight and thS riding
,ar were completely telsscopsd.
In the midst OF all this work Of de-
olation the traia men we're oongrAtu-
ating themselves that no persons had
seen seriously injured, though Mr.,
fisher and Mr.. Hsarn were sonsidora-
,ly hart and bruised by jumping from
he engine. In going around the
Vreok however Conductor Clark who
Was in charge Of the way freight heard
,roans coming frSm pile Of timber
hort distance frsm the buried sagirs.
Drawing closer he saw q strange man
ying pinned to the earth with his
over extrenilies crushed beneath an
,pturnsd goRdsla ear. The men lost
10 time In trying to sxtricats the
TsRge man from hts psrilous posi-.
i0L.
So heavy was the mass that three
aeks wsrs unable TO move it, or give
he least apparent ease TO the man be-
,eath 1t. After iaboriug al hour and
nd half the man, who gave his name
IS Michael Kane, Of Bed Bank, N. j.,
vas taken out by exoavating beneath
he ssr His lower limbs were crushed
o jelly. A bone Of one Of his legs
through the skin about three
nchee, and the ankle bona OF Ia other
w was alss fsrssd 10 view. The
erth- bound passenger train, which
oft Middls.ewn Al SOC O'Clock, having
rived upon the scene Of the disaster,
be passengers aided ths train men in
iggiDg out the unfortunate man. He
Vas taken to the baggage car apparent.
y in dying condition.
Unable to get by, the engine Q! che
passenger train bAsisd itself In draw
ug to the side line, below the State
Dad, those cara which had not besn in
ured. In the mean time the engine
y bu0 tEhlH WAlOu nhu UcCu run Lute
Lad been seat TO Wilmington for the
cars. While this relief was
oming the passenger engine, by hook
ak cable to the broken ears piled
eon the track, drew them from the
vreck and continued TO do 80 until the
rival Of the passenger train north
'hioh left Wilmington at $40. Tbs
assengsrs and mail were then trans
erred and taken 10 their destination.
he south -boand train took the unfort-
nate tramp down to Middletown,
here he was made rs comfortable as
ossible, The wreeking train reached
ne spst about $50 O'CLOCK, and went
D work TO remove the obstruction.
Mr.. Rittenhouse, agent AZ the State
Dad station, and others in the neigh
orhood who saw the smoke of the
aims, and heard the crash, were all
the opinion that the accident could
OF bs avoided, as the trains were run
ing very slose together, and the fast
ain oeuld not send man around the
1rve, a half mile distant, in time TO
gnal the approaching train.
T. r.