Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-02-25
!mZhe Aiaoitatar.
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 25. 1881.
Local
Railroad Accidents.


Railroad Accidents.
On Friday last the Western bound Ex-
press train on the G. & o. road collided
with an East bound freight two miles
west of Galatians. The engineer of the
express seeing the freight approaching put
on his air brakes and brought his train to
a stand still, and leaped off. The en-
gineer OF the freight train, Mr.. w. R.
Cunliff., put on his brakes which are not
air brakes and sanded the track but could
not stop his train which ran at high speed
into the express. Cunliff was literally
torn to pieces, the body when gotten out
having the heart hanging outside Of it,
The fireman, Harry Peck, was found under
the express car of the train very badly
crushed. Mr.. Cunlff was from Hanover
county, but his family reside in Hinton.
The collision occurred through misun-
dersl anding of train orders. Both engines,
the express Car and several freight cars
were wrecked, aud the track was not
cleared until the following evening.
The first accident that has ever oc-
CURED on the Valley Railroad in which
any one was killed took place on sunday
morning last. AS the up freight passed
Harrissnburg ABOUT II O'Clock, Mr.. j. W
Aler, the depot agent there got aboard
with friend to ride up to Staunton and
return to Harrisonburg In the afternoon.
Mr. Aler rode on the engine as did his
friend, but after going few miles his
friend got off and went back to the con-
ductor's caboose leaving on the engine
John McAbee, engineer, Nim.Barnhardt.
fireman, and Mr.. Aler. just two miles
this side of Fort Defancs and opposite
the residence of Mrs. Isaac Parkins, Their
is a deep cut in which du ing S,turda
night, had fallen about twenty to-
rock and earth. On her way to the ''Ol
Stone Church, near by, an old lady saN
the landslide but hi king it was Sund~
md no trains runnins sd Il nothing abnu
1t. A few hundred yards NORTH Of the CT
here is bend in the road. The trai'
came around this bead about noon, eoin
at a good speed. Upon seeing the slide IT,.
engineer reversed his engine, blew dow
brakes and sandad the track, but seeing y
wreck inevitable leaped with the 6rema,
| from the engine. Mr.. Alar who was sittip.
| IN the 6rtman's box had just gotten up t.
leap off when the engine struck. Mr.. A
leftleg was crushed off just above the ank Ii
| and a splinter the size Of a mans 'finge'
pierced entirely through the thigh of thu
same leg. He was taken up and carried
to the caboose. A lad named Hatton Fa-
den, who had gotten on the train at Ha,
risonburg without the knowled se of thu
| conductor, and who was sitting on x
car was found in the dirt and gravel in tn
cut where the collision had thrown him
but though badly bruised and cut was no
severely hurt. He was also taken to tn.
| caboose. In the meantime the congrega.
ton of the Old Stone Church had broker
| up aud a large crowd gathered at tn,
scene of the accident anxious to do any
| thing for the sufferers DR. Bell of Mt
| Sidney, and DR.. T. F. Bliss, of Staunton
WUO WC1C III UllO aOOO Ou q ptOitS
sional call, were soon there and did wha'
could be done to alleviate Mr.. Aler's suf-
ferings, but not having their instru-
ments with them they could not amputatt
the limb. Superintendent s. M. Wood
ward sent special train to the spot with
Drs. j. st. 2. Gibson and T. w. Shelton
and upon it's arrival the operation was per.
formed by DR.. Gibson, the leg being taken
off below the knee, all the physicians as
sisting. After it was over DIR. Bliss &C.
companied Mr.. Aler to Harrisonburg, but
no reaction took place and the sufferer
died on Tuesday morning at II O'Clock
Mr.. Aler was a son of Mr.. John Wesley
Aler, retired merchant of Baltimore,
unmarried and about thirty-6ye years OF
age. He was very popular with the compa-
ny and in Harrisonburg and when spec
ial train came up from there for him a
number of his friends came on it. He
bore bis suffering with great heroism.
His sister. Mrs E. Welty and her hus-
band, of Baltimore. were with him at his
death.
The engine and tender of the train were
completely wrecked and two empty cars
were broken up. The track was cleared
by working all night, in time for the pas
seng er train to go North, Monday.
On Thursday afternoon, as Capt.
Smiths train on the shenandoah Valley
R. r., was approaching Horse Shoe Bend
near Elkton Conrad Store) in Rocking.
ham, the passenger Car was thrown Oft the
track and Z. D. Fisher. the brakeman,
had a leg fractured and was otherwise
badly injured The accident was caused
by the sinking Of the embankment. The
spot was repaired and the train ran through
last Friday as usual.