Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-06-04
FATAL Collision.
Engineer RusIton Instantly Killed
and Several Others Hurt.

and several Others hurt
Special Correspondence of Gazette and Journal.
MmDLETowN, June 2.-Engine No. 81,
drawing the Boston berry train of the N.
Y, p. q N. railroad, and engine No. 80,
with Peninsula freight train, collided
with fatal results in the cut south of
Stannes' crossing. Three freight cars
were totally wrecked and six damaged.
Both engines are completely demolished.
The killed and wounded are rs follows:
William Rushton, engineer on No. 93,
instantly killed.
Duggan, fireman, jumped from his
engine and escaped with sprained wrist.
Brakeman Hitch received a severe
wound ON the head probably fatal
William Karrell, fagman, bruised about
the body.
Engineer Kirk of the Boston train, saw
the danger in time to give the signal and
all hands jumped from the train without
accident except himself, his hip being
hurt.
The collision occurred about o'clock
this morning, and doctors were at once
summoned.
Just who should be responsible for the
damage to property and life cannot be
said. It is limited, however, that the
blame is laid in the Office at Clayton. 1t
is also stated that there were no orders
here for Engineer Rushton, consequently
he went on through.
A large force is now clearing away the
| debris, and the track is likely to be clear
| by 3 o'clncl Tho damage 10 freight will
amount to many thousand dollars. The
wounded are being cared for.
Rushton was between 20 and 80 years
old, married and lived at No. 100 East
Seventh street, Wilmington. He had
been employed on the Delaware railroad
about II years.
The remains of Engineer William S.
Rushton, who was killed in the collision on
| the Delaware railroad Tuosrday morning.
| were brought up from Middletown Tuesday
| night, arriving here about 6.45 O'Clock.
| They were Immediately taken to tho Office
Of Detective Jones, where jury, composed
of John Pyle, l.. W. Palmer, N. Joseph
/ John Bowers, John Boulder, Alfred G..
Vernon and w. s. McNair, impaneled by
Deputy Coroner Smith, organized and, after
| looking ut the deceased, adjourned until
i yesterday at 3 o'clock, p. M. The corpse was
then taken to No. 80 kirkwood street, the
home of the deceased.
| Young Rushton was "a years old, and,
| although he had been in the employ of the
| railroad company for about II years, he
had been given an engine only Il little over
| IL month ago. He hld been married about
three years, and his wife and n child, eight
weeks old, survive him. His father,
/ Edward Rushton, is foreman of the z.
i W. Il Ii. railroad machine shop.
The N. Y, p. Il N. train carried berries,
i and the Delaware freight flour and
molasses. Mr.. Mills having given the crowd
i permission to carry away the strawberries
/ which otherwise would only have buen
entirely wasted, they took amusing
advantage of the offer. Large quaint
Il Of flour and molasses We're carried awe
i despite the protests of the trainmen. Som
| OF the berries We're peddlnd around the
/ county as low as two cents quart,
Several lawyers who started for Dover Il
| s.35 o'clock Tuesday morning, to attend
the Court of Errors and Appeals, did MOI
arrive there until 2 p. IN.
/ Regarding the disaster, railroad men are
very reticent, and it is very difficult to learn
| who is responsible. 1t is said, however,
| that a thorough investigation will be made.
MDDLErOwN, June 3 Engineer Rushton's
/ remains were removed from here to Will
| mington mt o'clock last evening, the body
having been in charge of Undertaken
| Wilson since early in the morning, Mr..
Wilson attempted TO wash and prepare it
for burial, but found it SO mangled and
scalded that the idea was abandoned, and
the corpse placed in IN ice box.
To describe the scene after the collision
with cars piled upon the engines, is i'm
possible, yet II can be said that there has
never been 80 complete II smhsh-up on the
| Delaware railroad. Driving arms on engine
No. g3 were bent double and the steam chest
ON the right torn off and thrown bnck oven
the drivers. The only thing about 93 that
escaped injury was the bell il is still in po'
sition and unframed. No. 81, north-bound
although entirely stripped OF her gearing
never left the track and, when the debris
was cleared away, she was removed to
tiinn's crossing without much trouble
Had Rushton left his engine, us
did Engineer Kirk Of 81, he would probably
have saved himself but he told his fireman
to Jump and said ~ am going to stick Il
her" lie did and lost his life in his en-
deavor to save his employers property. Tho
dead man seemed to be a favorite with al
the trainmen and they were greatly grtevet
| when they viewed his dead body.
Three ears containing Strawberries wer,
broken. The red berries drew the crowt
close together and soon thousands of quart!
were eaten and carried of.
On the south-bound train a car londet
with flour-1S 900 pounds at least-was tori
to splnters and thrown in every direction
} The flour was total loss. Some of it,how
ever, was taken away for hog feed by thos
present.
The engine that fell on the side of til,
, bank will be removed Sunday next.
1t is said that the accident will cost thu
railroad company about @l5O,0OO.
business was suspended for several hour
yesterday on account of every one going t
} | see the wreck.
+ Mrs. Durham, who fell down stairs at he
! residences corner Of Broad and Crawior
, streets on Sunday last, is recovering.