The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-25

A00tUcf WTechs
TuE rAsr MAIL on tbs AIR-LISs THROWN
DOWN an xnpAxKxExT-s SEVERAL INJURED
nrr NONE xILLgD--THE coMBINArIoN'cAE
CONSUMED.
tfbar,ot,e N. CT Observer, sunday.1
The fast mail due here yesterday morning
from Atlanta was wrecked three miles east
OF (;sfney's ut o O'Clock. The accident Is
snpposed 10 have resulted from spread In
The track. The train consisted OF . postal.
a combination, and Pullman sleeping
car. All, three Of these, leaving their
trucks. went down an embankment twen'
~ feet high, but remained upright. Three
passengers, Conductor John Humphr'es,
and two train hands were hurt,
but not seriously, Conductor Hnmphr'es
receiving The scvercst injuries. The com.
bination.car. belonging 10 the Richmond
and Dsnyi,ie road, caught fire and was con-
sumed. but The other cars were unin1urea.
The engine was drawn from the track py
the cars. but did not 90 down The emoaDk'
men'. Engineer Newman escaped unhurt'
The express, also que here yesterday morn.
ing. had turned out on q siding at Gaffney's
and was pssscd by the fast mail. This tram
arrived here al $50 last night, preceded one
hour by The train due here yesterday Alter
noon, At 8 O'Clock yesterday evening the
engine OF the wrecked train was on the
track and all trains moving regularly.
TIE above Is the official account from the
railroad company, but the reporter OF the
Observer called last night on Mr.. w. Z.
Morgan, OF this city, who was on board the
wrecked train. and received an account
more In detail. Mr.. Morgan was found
pretty badly shaken up, but with no cuts
anon his skin. He said There were nine
Messengers on board three in the sleeper
and the remainder in the combiDation'car,
In which I rode. | was sitting near the
stove. only one seat intervening. In that
seat a train-hand sat. j was looking ont at
,be window and podding at Engineer New
nan, who was leaning from the cab. sud
denly he sprang back and threw on brakes.
saw the front OF the posial-car lesve
the track, and / drew my head 10. The
cars left the track and begun to tumble. 1
remember only this, that determined to
get as far away from the stove as possible,
and when we reached the bottom ] 1oS
away from IL, at The end OF the car. How L
got there 1 don't know. IL was we'll did,
for the stove had set the car on fire, and 1t
was flaming almost Immediately. We all
escaped through the windows except gen.
tleman named Warren, from Richmond. He
was quite severely hurt, but we succeeded
i'm getting him out through the door. His
head was cut very badly.and one OF his hands
bruised. The doctors at Gatlney's, when |
left, were still in doubt as 10 whether bis
skull was fractured, but don't think he Is
seriously hurt"
"The car, then, must have turned over as
you fell?"
- should think II did-about four times,
] believe, down a forty.foot embankment."
How was ii lying when you reached
bo.tomy"
"Upon It's side. The postal.car was a
considerable distance ahead Of Us, standing
upright, but not on its trucks, aud the
sleeper did not quite reach the bottom of the
embanknent."
"Who were hurt besides Mr.. Warren ?"
"The two traIn-meD, a baggsge-man. and
q brakeman, more seriously than any Of
the rest except Warren. The one who sat
near the stove in front OF me was quite
painfully burned. A gentleman Damed
Lumpkin, from Woodward's, had his pants
so badly burned that he had 10 get new
ones. His coat was also full OF holes, and
a live coal burnt clean through to his shoe.
Two passengers FROM Cowpens, 5. c..
named Elliott and Roberts, were also very
slightly Injured, as was a Mr.. Wardlaw,
from Chester, and gentleman named Hart,
from New UrleansN who was standing on
the rear OF the platform Of the sleeper. The
conductor, Mr.. John Humphries, had bis
foot quite badly hurt; and indeed every
enc on board, fourteen in all, besides The
engineer aud fireman, were slightly hurt"
THE engine didn't go down. did it!"
"N0. The tender was pulled of the track
and was standing at an acute angle on the
embankment. and the engine was thrown
across the track, but neither went down
with the cars. And here LET me ask ou 10
give every pr aisc TO Engineer Newman and
his fireman. We had passed the regular eX
press at Gaifney's, and il was jDst behind
US. The minute the accident happened
the engineer sent his fireman back. The
express was stopped within Two rails
length OF the torn-uD track. Engineer FOs-
ter, OF the express, said that il It had been
night he would have been right on top OF
us 10 certainty. Captain Humphries's frat
thought was also OF the following train, and
be ran back at once, although himself badly
hurt. But for this prompt action. we would
certainly baye had the express IL on our
heads"
This accident occurred at O'Clock yes-
.erday morning. both mail and express bav'
ing been delayed near Gainesville by some
freight.cirs of the track.
Dir. Morgan attributed the ruD-of TO the
fact Of an adjustable axle. which in some
way must have become loosened and allowed
a play TO the wheel. He drew this conclu-
sion from The mark Of the wheel on one >ide
only OF the cross-ties. L. is generally
thought, however, that a spread in the track
was the callse.