Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-21

4
OF Alexandra, engineer Of the passcn-
ger train, who had one Of his legs bad
| IL injured, had a finger cut OIL, and IS
generally badly bruised; Richard U.
Stone. Of Baltimore, cxpress-inessengcr.
seriously injured about the body; Gay
lord, mail-weigher Jones, stewart,
McNeal, and Franey. postal-clerks. and
a brakeman on the freight train, whose
name could not be learned.
None Of the passengers were seriously
injured. though several were badly
shaken up and received slight bruises.
among the latter being Rev. DR.. Bliss,
Of Philadelphia, who was cut aoodt the
| face.
THE CAUSE or THE ACCIDENT
is not yet clear. II occurred Just
north of the yaduct which carries the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal across the
baltimore and Potomac railroad track.
The line has double track up TO within
200 Yards on either side Of the viaduct,
but only a single track runs under the
arch of the viaduct. Trains leave the
double track on either side by auto
matte switches. which work two sets OF
signal-blocks-one on each side oil the
viaduct. The rule upon which trains
are run at this point is that the train
which first strikes a signal-blOck has
the right of way. When one train
strikes the switch red light is shown
to any train approaching from the OPP
posite directions. AS the trains came
together on the single track just about
half wav between the blocks it is sup
posed that they must have struck the
termini of the switch at about the same
moment.
Engineer Bruce. Of the passenger
train, says that when he struck the
switch the signal was that the line was
open. He says that as his train passed
on the single track he saw the head
light Of the freight. and that train APP
reared TO him TO be at a stand-stil.
There is dip in the track just at the
point where the accident occurred. and
railroad-men who have been at the scene
express the opinion that owing to the
light snow on the track the engineer OF
the freight was unable to check the
speed Of hi6 tram in time to prevent the
collision. The passenger train was the
through mail from Danville. and con-
sisted Of an engine, express-car. mail
car, baggage-cars. smoking-car, one
day-pasSenger coach, and two sleepcrs.
1t was in charge of Pilot c. s. Bennett,
of Alexandria. and the passengers were
in charge Of Conductor j. 7. wilkins.
also of Alexandra. There were about
seventy passengers on board.
AN HOUR AND HALF LATE.
The passenger train was due in
Washington at 1925 =. VI. 1t left
Lynchburg an hour and half late, hut
made up the time on the way, leaving
Alexandria, four miles south of the
scene OF the accident. twenty-five
minutes late. 1t was making time
when the collision occurred. and was
running about forty miles an hour.
The freight-train consisted of about
twenty cars, two Of them laden with
oil, and the others with general mcr-
chandse. Within a few minutes from
the time the collision occurred the wreck
took fire from the engine, and all the
freight cars and broken cars Of the pas
senger train were burned up. The pas
ii 1a 70, nh
the passenger coaches back out Of dan
ger. The contents OF the cXpress-car
were totally destroyed. and the two
safes which it carried were so badly in
jured 10y the fire that it IS supposed
their contents arc destroyed. II is not
known what the Express Company's
loss will be, but it is supposed 20 be
heavy. The Express Company is now
making inquiries to ascertain what the
car held.
GENERAL sMASH-TP.
When the collision occurred the en-
gines reared up and fell ever. one oneach
side of the track. completely smashed
up. None of the freight-carS were de-
rallied. The postal-car was telescoped
on the tender of the engine, and the ex-
press-car, which was next to 1t, was
smashed INTO Splinters under the bag
gage-car. which came behind 1t and
which ran up over it. The smoker was
badly wrecked. but neither Of the other
three coaches was at all damaged.
Bruce, the driver of the passenger en-
CINE. was thrown clear of the wreck
down the embankment. and was picked
up in an inscnsiblc onditionby the train
hands several feet away from the track.
He says hc don't know how he got ont
Of the cab. barley. the fireman Of the
passenger train, seems 10 have been
killed Instantly. Only portion Of his
body was recovered. and that was taken
from under the boiler Of his engine.
There were two messengers in the cX-
preSS-car. One of them-R. IL. Del
lett--waS thrown clear of the embank-
ment and OH TO the recovered river,
twenty feet distant. He picked himself
up, not seriously hurt. and, coming
back to the wreck. dragged the other
mcssengeI-R. q. Stcne-out of the
ruins Of the eXpress-car. The postal
clerks were jammed up in the wreck of
their car, and Gaylord, the mail-wcigh-
or, had TO be cut out, he having been
caught in the wreckage. Lemuel
Robey, the baggage master, cs-
capped uninjured, although iifty-old
trunks in his car were broken
to pieces. The conductor OF the freight,
Augur, was found lying in the wreck
Of the passenger train. 1t is thought
that he was on top of one Of the for
ward cars Of his train, and was thrown
by the force Of the conclusion. lie
died few minutes after he was picked
up. Freer, the driver Of the freight
engine, seems to have stayed at his
post until the engines crashed together.
His remains. scarcely recognizable. were
drawn out from under his engine. The
body Of his fireman, MalOney, is sup
posed TO have been burnt up in the
wreck Of the engine. Stewart, brake
man on the freight. was picked up from
beside the wreck of the passenger train
still living, hut died in few minutes.