Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-20
TWO TRAINS MEET ON A CURVE.
Northern Bound Nail and Southern
Bound Freight-The Engineers, Con-
ductOr and Firemen Killed,

Northerh bound Mail and Southern
Bound Freight-The Engineers, Con-
ductOr and Firemen Killed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-News of a ser.
iOus collision OH the Virginia Midland
Railway has just reached this city. 1t is
reported that the northbound mail due
here at 1925 p. M, ran into a freight
train about four miles from Alexandria
and that several persons were killed.
The cars of the passenger train caught
FIRE after the collision and are still burn
ing. A wrecking train has lust been dis
patched TO the scene of the accident.
WHERE IT OCCURRED.
The wrecking train has not yet returned
from the scene OF the accident on the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail-
road, between this city and Alexandria.
and the details which can be OBJ,
tanned are meagre. The col
lision occurred in or near the
short tunnel at Four Mile Run, the COL
liding trains being the Southern mail over
the Virginia Midland Railroad, which
should have reached Washington at IL
p. M, and freight train going South.
Both trains were badly wrecked and
shattered.
THE RUINS ON FIRE.
The cars took fire, the flames being fed
by the petroleum from two oil cars in the
freight train. Tnlrty-three cars were
burned, including the baggage and mail
cars. Andrew Augur, conductor Of the
freight train, was killed and several of
the train men are missing. Seven or
eight persons were injured, some seri-
Ously. The wounded were take to the
house of farmer in the vicinity.
THE FORCE OF THE COLLISION.
The collision occurred at point on the
line of the Baltimore and Potomac Rail-
road about four miles south of where the
Ches apeake and Ohio canal crosses the
track by a viaduct. The road at this
point forms a curve, with pretty steep
embankment on the inner side and
hill on the other side. The pas
senger train, which was coming north,
was passing under an arch of the
Yiaduct and met the freight train Just at
the northern entrance of the arch. The
curve is such at this point that neither
engineer could have seen the light of the
others train until the engines were within
ten yards of each other. The engines came
together with such shock that heavy
pieces of iron from both were thrown
twenty or thirty feet up the side of the
mill. Both rolled over on the inner side
OF the curve, and the mail car of the pas
senger train was
TELESCOPED ON THE TENDER
of the engine in front of it. None of the
other cars left the track. Both engineers
and firemen, and the conductor of the
passenger train were killed, and the mail
agent and several passengers slightly
injured. The engineer of the passenger
train had both legs and one arm cut off,
and died before he was taken from the
wreck. The conductor of the passenger
train was crushed between two of the
cars, aud the engineer of the freight and
the fireman of the passenger train were
evidently
KILLED WHEN THE ENGINES CAME TO-
GETHER.
Portions of their bodies We're dragged
out of the burned wreck of the engines
some hours after the collision. The fire.
man of the freight jumped a moment be-
fore the collision and escaped uninjured
The killed are George Freer, engineer of
the freight; Tom Darley, fireman of the
pa senger; Andrew Augur, conductor of
the passenger, and Bruce, the engineer
of the passenger.
The name of the mail agent who was
injured could not be learned. After the
collision the wreck took fire, and the mail
car. four freight cars, and the cabOOse OF
the freight train were burned. None of
the passengers were seriously injured
All were taken back to Alexandria after
the collision.