The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-10-18
a SHOCKING ACCIDENT,
Three Persons Meet Death on the
Rail-An Engine Crashes iEtn
a Dearborn killing Al! the Oc-
cupants as Well as the Horse.

One of the most distressing accidents
of the class that ever happened here oc
Cured at Red Mill crossing of the p w
Il b. railroad near this town on Wednes
day morning last, when the engine draw
ing the north bound w. & \. y. Express
No. IS struck the dearborn of Capt. vii
liam A. Pryor, of Elk Neck. killing him
aud little girl, aged six years, Katie,
daughter of Philip Duliug, a track hand
on the road. and Robert, seven.year old
son of Mr.. John Jones, who were riding
with him also the horse, and breaking
the dearborn into a Thousand fragments.
Mr. Pryor, who has for II number of
years brought marketing to this town
one OF more times a week, was on his
way to town with Il load OF produce
when the accident occurred.
At the Elk Neck crossing he overlook
Mrs. Duling, Mrs. Jones and her aged
mother, and the two children, on their
way to town on foot. He would have
taken them all in had it not been for the
load Of produce he had aboard. which
would have in all probability added to
the list OF killed but Notwithstanding
the loaded condition of his vehicle, he
kindly took up the two children to give
them ride to Elkton. The ladies con-
cluded to walk up the railroad track to
the next crossing, Red Mill, while he
drove around, the distance by the latter
route being much greater than by the
track. Mr.. Pryor drove on around. stop
ping at the mill to leave grist, and al
rived at the crossing just as the 9:333 A.
NJ. express north, a little late, came thun-
dering up to the crossing running at the
rate OF sixty miles an hour. 1t is doubt
full whether Mr.. Pryor saw the train at
all, but from the evidence OF those who
witnessed the accident, if the whistle
was blown at the whistling post he did
not hear it. The most probable case is
that the first iutimation Mr.. Pryor had
of an approaching train was when the
danger signal was blown. and then did
not look up to see where it was, think
ing it further away than it was, tried to
cross ahead of it, whipping up his horse
Had he looked and found how near the
train was, perhaps he could have stop
ped in time, or, at least with the loss of
nothing more than his horse, as the train
was approaching upon the up-bound
track, the far one from the side he was
on. But these are merely suppoSi,ions
of what might have been. The horse
had nearly crossed the north bound track,
and the front wheels of the wagon We're
about the centre, when the crash came.
1t was terrific. The occupants of the
dearborn, the horse and the thousands
of fragments of the wagon, for it was
literally cut to atoms were hurled into
the air like balls from cannon.
Mr.. Pryor fell between the tracks over
a hundred yards above the crossing,
landing upon his head on the granite
ballast. Almost every bone III his body
was broken, his skull crushed and fear
full wounds We're made on his person.
The little girl, Katie, was thrown about
twenty-five or thirty yards, striking
upon her head on the granite coping of
the COW guard, her body falling into the
guard afterwards. The boy Robert
Jones, was thrown about fifteen yards
further than the girl, falling also head
foremost upon the north side of the
south bound track. All were killed in
stantly. The horse was hurled at least
forty yards. landing in the middle of
the public road leading to Elkton. The
dearborn was completely torn to shreds,
wheels, aXles, and all, and its contents
Of baskets of produce cut to pieces and
destroyed. \ more thorough wreck
throughout could not have been made.
The most touching feature of the case,
was that the mothers of the children
were so near the scene. and were among
the first to reach the dead bodies o. their
children. This was distressing scene
indeed. Persons with carriages, who had
come up offered their services, aud the
bodies of the children were taken to their
parents homes. The body of Mr.. Pryor
WIS taken on a hand car to the station
here, and after being viewed by a jury
of inquisition and examined by DR.. J. II.
lamar was turned over to Mes3rs. Marsh
banks 4 Son undertakers of this town,
for preparation for burial.
The Red Mil crossing is dangerous
enc, as are all grade crossings, and the
railroad company should not lose an hour
in providing all OF them with gates, and
day and night watchmen. They will save
money by it in the long run and what is
mole important, human life.
TIE Jury OF iNQUIsITIoN.
\ jury of iDIuisition was empanneled
by Coroner Litzenberg, after
good deal OF delay ard question
ing as to whether or not it should be
empannellcd at all, consisting Of 7. l..
Graham, /. Buchanan, VIM. Dunbar
Geo McQuilkin, w. o. Gilmour, Z.
Brown, Albanus Saxton, Jacob Rambo,
Jas. f. Dean, Walter s. Johnson. John
NJ. Terrell, and T. +. Bradbury. The
first witness called was w. II. Pryor,
who testified that he was working in
field near the railroad heard the engine
blow and saw pieces of board flying from
it. Did not see the train until it blew,
but heard it coming. 1t did not blow at
the whiStling post.
]. c. Crothers, who WAS just behind
the Prior team, testified that no whistle
was blown at or near the whiStlin9 post.
The jury then adjourned to meet at the
county commissioners Office at 100
o'clock.
Malvin Jones-sworn Saw tue train
as it came out of the cut and over the
cillvert. The whistle was not blown at
whistling post; when near the crossing,
three short Signals were sounded. This
was about the lower cattle guard, about
fifty yards away from the crossing. The
train came to a stop near Gilpin's brick
yard. Did not see the wagon before it
| was struck.
n. Larzalere-sworn Don't know
anything bout it. Did not get there
until after the accident,
VIM. Shiyery-sworn Was a mile or