Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-06
DELAWARE RAILROAD COLLISION.


"A hunaWay Locomotive COIltdes
. With SOuthabOund Passenger
Train-Cnr, Wrecked and Fasscn-
gers Wounded.
special Correspondence OF State journal.
SMYRNA, Sept. About O'Clock last
evening engine No. 2S, which WAS stand
ing on side track atttohed to car
loaded with phosphates, was bnarj.d by
tramp, who it is supposed started the
engine and jumped off.
dispatch WIS at once wired
to Townsend to notify the conductor
OF the passenger tram already
due but behind time. The message was
too late, as the train had left Townsend.
locomotive was at once started from
Clayton in pursuit of the runaway engine
with Superintendent Mills, Road Master
Murphey and Train Dispatcher Mackey
on board, but they were to late to over
take 1t in time to prevent its collision with
the south bound passenger train leav ing
Wilmington at 25 p. m, which occurred
just below Green Spring station.
Engineer McConaghy of the passenger
train thus describes the accident: 81
had just passed Green Spring aud was
running very fast, when / discovered a
dark object on the track ahead, imme-
diatsly reversed my engine and put on
the air brake, striking the car load of
phosphate pushed by therunawsy engine
at the same time, which my engine tele-
scoped strewing the phosphate along the
track nearly the whole length OF the
train, and smashing the car completely"
Engine No. 81 attached to the passen-
ger train was badly broken and damaged
rs was engine No. 2S. The box car was
completely wrecked aud the platforms of
some Of the passenger trains were more
or less damaged.
William Collins, the fireman of the
passenger locomotive, was badly soalded
about the head, body and hands, beside
sustaining severe bruises, the actual ex-
tent of which are not yet known, but it
is thought they are quite serious.
Mrs. Morris of Dover was thrown over
oar-seats and supposed to be badly
injured.
A lady named Harris of Harrisburg,
was thrown from her seat against the
water cooler by the force of the shock and
severely injured.
Ex Messenger Wooters and Mrs.
William c. Mitchell were also badly
bruised by the jar. Grover Smith, route
agent on the Philadelphia and Chrisield
route, was engaged in asserting mail
matter when the collision occurred. The
force of the shock threw him on the car
floor head first over a stack of mail bags,
and severely shook him up. Many others
aboard the passenger train were badly
shaken, but none injured other than
those mentioned.
A dispatch for medical aid was
promptly sent here, and DR.. Hirons aud
Clifton were conveyed to the scene OF the
of the disaster by special engine.
The injuries of the wounded were at
tended too, and those able to make the
trip with the passengers unipjured and
the mails, we're transferred to the Smyrna
branch train and taken to their destina-
tions. The soalded fireman WAS left in
the care of friends near the scene of the
accident.
The escape of Engineer McConsghy
with his life was almost miracle. He
remained at his post of duty and even
after the collision did not leave his loco
motive until all its fires had bsen ex-
tipguished and the danger over.
A wreoking train was sent to the scene
soon after the collision and the work OF
clearing away the debris began at once,
and before daylight completed. The
amount of loss sustained by the railroad
company is not known.