Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-21
Two TRAINS TELESCOPE.
. A Terrible and gssas Accident ~ Fsar." ''e
Hon station.

| Inc " NsHifftVH "et t''eo VIZ ~
lowing particulars of the accident which
took place on the Washington and Alex
anaria railroad Thursday night and
which was briefly mentioned in our tele-
graphic columns yesterday morning:
Train No. 81, On the Virginia Mid
land railway. the fast north-bound ex-
press. had left Alexandria on time and
was proceeding at a speed Of about
thirty miles AN hour toward Washing
ton. At Pour-Mile Run station the
double tracks run into each other, 80
that trains pass on single track be-
meath the culvert OF the Alexandra
canal.
About 300 yards from the eulvert IS
| signal-lamp. which. when train
reaches il, works automatically and
causes the signal-lamp north Of the
arch to show red. or danger. The sys-
tenn is doublc-ac;ine, so that a train
going south should make the signal
lamp on the other side also show red.
When the engine Of the passenger
train reached the southern lamp IT was
displaying white. The engineer. there
| fore. continued OH his way. His loco
motive had hardly emerged from the
culyert-tunnel when it collided with the
south-bound freight train. No. 2O5. OF
the Baltimore and Potomac railroad.
| The tunnel is situated in hollow. and
the freight train was coming down the
| grade at full speed. the tracks being so
| slippery with ice and snow that it
| is doubtful whether the engineer could
| have even controlled his train. The
two trains came together with terrific
crash.
The two locomotives rose almost up
| ward in the air in the form Of an in
verted V. Cars piled up on each other
| in Undesirable wreck. and twas hard
| ly moment before the trains were in a
blaze. The freight cars were filled
with paper, oil, hay, and other inflam-
mable material. beside general mer-
chandsc, and in the utter impossibility
of extinguishing the fire the flames
spread rapidly. 1t was not long before
the reflection filled the sky with such
distinctness that it could he seen in
| Washington.
In the mean time the officials Of the
trains who were not killed or injured
moved back out of danger the cars which
had not yet caught. and then passen-
gers and train-hands formed themselves
into an impromptu band Of relief and
attacked the burning and wrecked cars.
The heat was intense, and strong
wind made the flames roar like fur
mace.
The Midland train had consisted OF a
baggage. an express. and mail-car.
a smoking-car. a passenger-coach. and
two Pullman Slcepers, IN the order
named. The first four cars were found
TO he entirely wrecked and the entire
postal service crew of the mail-car were
cut ont of their car in a more or less
injured condition. The first dead man
reached. and he was found underneath
q car which had to be cut away. was
Conductor Augur. Of the freight tram.
Soon afterwards another dead body,
that of Thomas Downing. fireman Of
the passenger was found by some cx-
press agents and taken to one side of
the track.
The wounded and the dead body of
Augur were taken into the house Of
Thomas Taylor, Immediately adjoining
the tunnel. and when Post reporters
reached the spot the house had the APP
pearance Of hospital. The cars were
then burning briskly, and the dazed
train-men were watching the destruction
and impossible 10 do anything TO save
the fast-consumlDg property.
1t did not take many minutes TO OBJ
tain the exact details. These may be
stated as follows;
Killed: Andrew Augur, conductor
of the freight train, about thirty-eight
years old. married; lived in Alcxan-
dria; Thomas Downing, fireman pas
seDger train; George Freer, engineer
freight train; Fireman Maloney. Of the
freight train; Brakeman Steward.
Injured John Bruce, engineer of
passenger train. seriously injured; I.
W. Jones, chief clerk of the postalcar,
injured about the head and body; W.
A. McNeal. mail agent, injured about
the head; &. r. Stewart, postal clerk {;
j. 7. Frame (colored), postal clerk /;
Thomas Gaylor, mail-weigher, injured
severely.
The freight tram consisted Of thirty
one freight-cars and four new passen-
ger-coaches, Just built for the Midland
Railway Company, and being taken TO
Alexandria. Twenty-seven Of the
freight-cars were entirely destroyed.
with their contents. OF the passenger
train. the baggage-car, express-car,
postal-car. and smcking-car were also
entirely destroyed. with their respective
contents. The safe of the cXpreSs-car
had been opened Just before the acct
dent. III order that some packages might
I be placed in il. and the flames made
such rapid Roadway that the express
/ agents could not close it. Its contents
were therefore burned. Both engines.
being in the very centre Of the burning
pile are completely destroyed
Express Messenger X. A. Dellctt
stated that he was arranging freight
when the crash came and the car was
splintered from the top. and the first
recollection he had was finding himself
in the water Just outside the tunnel.
He scrambled TO his feet and heard his
partner, X. o. Stone, in the cxpress-car
calling for help. He went to his assist
ance and soon extricated him. and both
were glad TO discover that they escaped
with few scratches on the face and
hands. There must have been oil in
the forward cars Of the freight, ne
thought. becauSe a stream of fire ran
into the forward cars Of the Midland
train and set them on fire. Neither of
the xpress-messepgers waited TO ascer-
tain the extent of the damage, but took
the first train back TO Washington.
Health Officer Townshend was sent
for and came to the National Hotel TO
attend the injured men, but found his
services were not necessary.
Mr.. ]. Baum. one of the passengers