Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-11-04

Tn the news columns OF the SPECTATOR, tn
reader will ind reports of the sad occurrences
resulting from the heavy rains of last Thurs
day, the most distressing OF which was the los
of four nves,-two on the Shenandoah Vale
Railroad on the Southern side OF James Rive
near the Natural Bridge, and two Others on tn
Lexington branch of the Richmond and ALLIE
ghany Railroad, as the western bound train
about P. NJ, entered on the South River tres
tie five miles below Lexington. The death o
Mr.. ]. T. Williams, Engineer of the train nam
ed, brings deep sorrow to friends in this city
and to members of his family in Albemarle ant
Allegheny. He was a native of Albemarle
near Keswick, and was twenty seven Yeas 0
age He entered the service of the Richmond
Allegheny Railroad shortly after twas open
ed. and ran the passenger trains on the branch
line. He and his freman,-Ricbard Tyree,-
another esteemed young man who leaves g
widowed mother in Lynch burg, were together
in their important duties, and together in an
instant met their sad fate in the dark rushing
waters of that mountain stream, which, in a
few hours. had leaped far above any ordinary
flood height.
There were number of passengers, eight OF
whom were in the coach next to the tender
and two of them ladies.-Mrs w. Q. Stuart and
Miss Mary Davidson-both of Lexington. Mr..
r. r. Andrews, of this city, was one of the pas
sengers. He says the Engineer had lowered
his air-brakes some distance before reaching
the trestle, and was only going at about, eight
miles per hour One and a half miles below, he
asked for information about the trestIe, and
was told that it was safe. Cautiously he ap-
preached, but the length of the engine had
hardly passed on the trestle when it gave way
and rollingin the fall on its side, touched the
bottom about thirty feet below the line of road.
and from an elevation OF twenty or more feet
The tender was above it, and the rested on
the bank with the lower end about six feet in
water, from which all the passengers escaped
in safety.
Two brothers OF Mr.. Williams-J. E. and W.
H.-of Lowmoor in Allegheny, reached the
scene of the disaster. and received every kind
attention from the people of the vicinity. The
waters having somewhat subsidized, Sunday
morning a number of persons of the neighbor-
hood aided the brothers in search of the deceas
ed. His body was found on stratton's Island.
one and half miles below. His appearance
was natural. A confusion on the forehead was
the only visible sign of injury save
the nature of his death. The body OF Mr.. Tyree
at the time OF writing has not been found.
The remains were conveyed to Lexington and
there prepared for interment. The two BROTH
ers upon their sorrowful journey, reached this
city Monday morning with the corpse. Friends
met them at the Valley r. r. depot, and &C.
companied them to the depot of the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railway where a close connection was
made with the East bound train. The burial
will take place at Keswlck, in Albemarle to-
day.
About three years SINCE the deceased was
married to a daughter OF the late Alfred Chap
man. She was the Granddaughter of the late
VIM. Kinney. of this city. Her mother resides
in this city. The deceased leaves a widow
and one child. He was young man OF fine
promise and highly esteemed by the railroad
managers and the community alike. The
scenes along the river banks. and at the place
of the disaster. Saturday, where many persons
all the day long were anxious to know what
they could do to aid the distressed brothers in
search for their loved one, expressed how deep
ly touched were the hearts of the people of that
community. and how sincerely they felt for
those SO sudder ~ and sadly bereaved.