New-York tribune., 1885-02-21
TRAINS CRASH TOGETHER.
FIVE MEN KILLED AND EIGHT INJURED.
THE CARS TAKE FIRE AND BURN-vALUABLE MAm
MATTER DEAIROYED


THE CARS TAKE FIRE AND BURN-vALUABLE MArn
MATTER DESTROYED.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-The latest report from
the scene of the collision at Four Nile Run makes
1t certain that four men were killed. and ono other
who is missing is thought to be buried under the
wreck. The killed are all train hands, and ares
Thomas barley, of Alexandria, fireman on the Vir.
gina Midland passenger train; Andrew Augur, OF
Washington, conductor of the Alexandria and
Fredericksburg freight train; George Freer, OF
Washington, engineer of the freight; and -
Stewart of Washington, brakeman on the freight.
The missing man is Thomas Mulaney, of Washing.
ton fireman of the freight train. The seriously in-
iured are John Bruce, Of Alexandria engineer OF
the passenger train. who had one of his legs badly
hurt, finger cut Off, and is generally bruised
Richard o. Stoue, of Baltimore. express messenger.
who is seriously injured about the body Gaylord,
mail weigher; Jones, Stewart, McNeal and Franey,
postal clerks and also brakeman the freight
train. None of the passengers was seriously in
jured though several were badly shaken up and
received slight bruises, among them the Rev. DR..
Bliss, of Philadelphia, who was cut about the face.
The cause of the accident is not yet clear. 1t
Cured just north of the viaduct which the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal across the Baltimore
and Potomac Railroad track. Tie line has .
double track up to within 200 yards on either side
of the viaduct, but only single track under
the arch OF the viaduct Trains leave the double
track on either side by automatic switches which
work two sets of signal blocks. As the trains came
together on the single track jnst about half way
between the block 1t is supposed that they must
have struck the terminus Of the switch at about
the same moment.
The passenger tram was the through mail from
Danyille and there about seventy passengers
hoo I'd ima Whe he ll.iou
occurred and was running about forty miles
hour. The freight train consisted of about twenty
cars. two of them laden with oil and the others
with general merchandise. When the collision oc.
CURED the engines reared up and fell over. one on
each side Of the track completely smashed up.
None of the freight cars deraed. The postal
car was telescoped the tender of the engine and
the express car which next 70 it smashed
into sphnters uuder the baggage 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 engine was
thrown clear of the wreck down the cmbankment
and was picked up in an insensible condition by
the train hands several feet away from the track.
barley seems to have been killed instantly. only .
portion of his body was recovered aud that was
taken from under the boiler of his engine
There were two messengers in the express
car Ona of them X. A. Dellett. was thrown clear
ffthe embankment and 10 the ice-coyered river,
twenty feet distant lie picked himself up not Sc
rously hurt, and coming back to theca he dragged
the other messenger, X. o. Stone, ont of the ruins
OF The car. The postal clerks were ammed up in tho
wreck of their car, and Gaylord the mail
weigher, had to be cut out, he hav-
ing been caught in the wreckage.
Lemuel Robcy, the baggage master, escaped unin-
o1t tna nil nla in
| broken to pieces. Conductor Augur was found
lying in the wreck Of the passenger traiu. He died
freight engine, seemstO have stand his post until
the engines crashed together His remains, scarce
| einc The body of his fireman. Maloney is supposed
to have been burnt up In the wreck of the engine,
| Stewart, brakeman on the freight, was picked
~ from beside the wreck of the passenger tram
still living but died in few minutes Another
brakeman the freight had his toes cut of.
Within i've minutes from the tine me the collision
all the freight and the broken of the pas
sengcr train were burned up. The contents Of the
express ear we're totally destroyed. and the tive
safes which il carried were so badly injured by
fire that il is supposed their contents destroyed
Postal officials say that the collision caused the
largest loss of mail matter of whicn there any
record in the Department The fire which resulted
from the collision destroyed thirteen through reg
lstered mail pouches coming from New-Qrieans,
Mobile and other points in the South and destined
for Washington, New-York and Eastern cities.
These pouches are known 10 have contained money
ascertained The fire also destroyed 100 sacks "
ordinary mail matter. a heavy miscellaneous mail
and $50 registered letters taken up for delivery
along the line and not inclosed IN pouches. The
ordinary mail lost is supposed 10 have come from
Louisiana. Texas. Mississippi, Alabama parts OF
Georgia and South Carolina, aud points IN Virginia
Postmaster Pearson said yesterday that among the
mails for New-York lost those which
left New-Orleons, Mobile and Montgomery,
Ala on the morning OF February III AtantaGa, on tho
morning of February Is DanylleVa. on the eveningof
the 18th and morning of the 18TH Chattanooga Knox
Vile and offices East Tennessee Western North Caro-
lima Northern Georgia and Alabama, on the 18TH. ana
Southern Alabama on the 18th The pouches containing
registered matter from Houston and southern Texas
MONTGOMERY and Middle and southern Alabama Lynce-
burg and southern and Western Virginia, and Chattan-
ooga and Middle and Southern Tennessee. formed pare
OF the burned mail Mr. Pearson will probably receive
lists add borne by the registered letters in
few days.
THROWN DOWN AN EMBANKMENT.
= JpA