Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-07
KILLED ON THE RAILROAD.
Ladies aud Children Run Down In a aCarriaRe.
New York Times


Ladies and Children Run Down In n Carriage.
New York Times.l
The Dover accommodation train Of
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern railroad, which left New York at =
o'clock yesterday morning, struck a
carriage at Summit, n. j., containing
the wives and children and sister of
Edward j. and Irving II. Brown. the
brokers of No. 3 Broad street, this
city, and a nurse.
There were six persons in the car
riage, three Of whom were killed and
the others seriously injured. The dead
are Mrs. Edward j. Brown, Miss Mary
Louise Brown, the sister, and Howard
$. Brown, an infant son Of Irving III.
Brown. His wife and little three-year-
old daughter received severe wounds
upon the head, and the former was also
injured internally. The nurse, Annie
Griffin. received injuries which will
prove fatal.
Irving II. Brown and his family have
since June occupied a fashionable cot
tage on New England avenue, in Sum
nit, and the remainder of the Browns
have boarded at the Parker House.
Yesterday morning Mrs. Irving II.
Brown took her children out for drive
and invited her sisters to so with them.
The route selected was the Franklin
Mills road. which connects summit
with Chatham, and is crossed midway
between the two villages by the rail-
road.
The crossing is dangerous one for
several reasons, particularly because of
north-bound trains. They flash around
a sharp curve just before reaching the
road, and have a steep down-grade for a
mile beyond. There is neither q gate
nor ilagman at the crossing to protect
the public. Further than this a string
Of empty frcight-cars stood yesterday
on switch between the main track
and the approaching carriage, COM
pletely shutting out the view for Sey-
eral hundred feet on either side. The
aperture left between the ears for the
roadway was only eighty feet actual
measurement.
The carriage was struck full in the
side between the front and rear wheels,
detaching it from the horse. which fled
preciptately. The carriage was wreck
ed totally. The train was stopped about
500 yards from the accident. The in-
iured little gil was lying insensible on
the very edge Of the cow-catcher, with
a bloody cash in the back Of her head.
| Behind her. in an almost upright posi-
tion, under the headlight, were the
bodies Of Mrs. Edward Brown and Miss
Mary. They had evidently been wound
ed only in the head.
/ Mrs. Brown had deep cash over the
left eve. and Miss Browns face was
fiichtfully bruised. and her Jaw was
broken. The little boys boly VA
found nearly twenty feet from the
track. and vas badly mangled. Death
had in all three cases been lnstantale-
Gus. Mrs. Irving II. Brown and the
nurse were found side by side 4 short
distance from the track, and the former
was conscious. There was an ugly
wound in her temple. and she COM
planned Of internal injuries. The nurse
was at first supposed to be dead. In
addition to 4 concussion Of the brain
she sustained 4 broken leg.
The bodies and those injured were
placed abo,rd the train and taken e.
Chatham, where medical assistance was
secured. Mrs. Brown and her little
daughter were taken home, and the
nurse was sent to st. Michacl's Hos
pital. in Newark. The bodies of the
dead were taken to the Presbyterian
chapel, in Summit, and will be brought
to New York to-day. The Brown bro
Tiers were in the city at the time Of
the accident, and were telegraphed for.
They arrived early in the afternoon on
a special train.
Daniel Cohey, who was running the
murderous engine, gave the following
account of the accident:
We were running at the rate of
twenty miles an hour, the regulation
speed, and were on time. did not
see the carriage. and | could not on
account OF the empty cars on the
switch until it was two lengths Of my
engine away from me. We do not
whistle for the crossing, but We ring the
bell all along, and it was ringing
then. | caught sight Of the horse
coming at full speed, and lady driving
had the whip in her hand and was
using it. We were on heavy down.
grade, and there was no Stacking Of
speed on sixty-ieet's notice. | put on
the air-brakes, but we struck the car
riage right in the middle. ! stopped
the train inside Of minute after, and
the first saw when | got out was the
little one bleeding on the cOr.catcher. -
Charles Edwards, brakeman on the
train, who helped to pick up the dead
and injured, stated that Mrs. Irving II.
Brown said, when carried into the STA
tion, that she heard the train coming,
but not being able to see it she had no
doubt she would be able to get across
before it in safety. 4 singular
fact, which the brakeman com
mented on, is that all the bodies
should have received injuries so nearly
alike, and all in the head. The Browns
telegraphed to their family physician in
this city to come to them, and he re-
spOnded later in the afternoon. lie
expressed strong hopes that they
woald recover.
The people Of Summit lay all the
blame Of the accident upon the railroad
company for failing to maintain gates
or a fagman at It's crossing.
4 HERMIT AND AISER.