Smyrna times., 1884-10-08
Railroad Collision at Clayton.

The railroad accident at CLAYTON. OF
Thursday morning last, is more re
markable for its freedom from iniurv
than otherwise, where SO much NOR,
might have been expected. The frs
lntlmation in this town was call bl
telephone for all the physicians, that :
serious collision had occurred OI
course it produced profound impress
sion, and for half an hour or more. un-
Ill more definite information was OBJ
tanned, there was considerable excite.
ment. y great many FASTENED to the
spot, some in carriages and n number
ON foot. None Of the injured person,
were from this town.
The Delaware and Chesapeake train
was late, and when it reached CLAYTON
and before it gained the main track
the Delaware express came thundering
up. Both trains were trying to make
the main track at rapid speed. The
Delaware and Chesapeake train was
| made up of the engine. mail car. and
iour passenger cars, and all except the
last one were well filled with persons
on their way to the Dover Fair. The
Delaware and Chesapeake train was a
little in the lead, and the engine of the
Delaware train struck the PASSENGER
cars Of the Delaware and Chesaneake
train with terrible force. THROWING
them from the track, and turning them
over on their sides The passenger
car next to the mail car became un-
coupled and the engine and mail car
were left on the track The front
wheels Of the engine Of the Delaware
tram left the track, but none of the
cars were injured. When the cars
went over one of them fell against
large signal pole, which broke the fall.
and probably prevented a terrible loss
of life. The pole was mashed to the
ground and splintered.
The following is list of the wound
ed: Mrs. Henrietta Hall, near War
wick, Md, fracture of the left shoulder
joint; Clara Simmons, NTiddletown.
flesh wound on cleft side of the face;
Maria Edmore, Slaughters'. a scalp
wound on left side of head, also slight
injury to right shoulder; Annie Griffin.
daughter of John r. Griffin, of Tucka-
hoe Neck, dislocatiOn of left shoulder
joint; Mrs. VIM. X. Hackett, CordOva.
flesh wound of left limb and face: I,e-
on Fitziarrel, COrdova, probably frac-
ture of skull; Harry Fitzjarrell, Cordo-
va, incision wound of scalp, not seri-
Gus; Miss Green, Marydell, face cut
by glass. The only injury about which
the doctors were concerned for its pos
slble results, was that of Leon FitZiar-
rell. The injured persons were sent
home in q special car by Superintend-
ent Mills. The track was not cleared
until noon, when the delayed trains
were allowed to move to their destina-
tion.
Who was the most to blame. is a
question, we think not vet determined
If, indeed, the accident is not one of |
those denOminated nobody to blame - |
that means. The Delaware |
and Chesapeake train was some fifteen !
behind time, but the signal |
was up for it to come in, and of course |
1t made for the depot The hagman |
was on the track signaling the ex-
press train, which was running at n
high speed, and when the engineer re-
versed the engine and applied the air
brakes, the wheels slipped on the track
wet from the drizzling rain.
Peter McConaughy, the engineer of
The express train, who has been i'm n
number of accidents, escaped, as usual.
lnhurt, as did also George Bavnard.
5he conductor, and E. Shortall. the en-
9ineer Of the wrecked train. Conduc-
or Bacon of the express. said he had
been conductor on the Delaware
'oad since its first construction. and
his was the first time he had ever
)een in an accident.
The Philadelphia Press attaches the
blame to Conductor Baynard, and the
Wilmington Republican to Engineer
'hortell, but the almost universal opin
on among those conversant with the
flair, railroad men and others, is that
10Th these gentlemen, who are old and
ricd railrOaders, are entirely blame
ess, as they were strictly obeying their
ignals.