Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-14

Sisted OF terrible burns received from tbe
steam Of the burst engine boiler, and o
broken arm. The flesh from one of his
arms which was scalded peeled of in
large pieces, and his right leg seemed
almost par-boiled by the hot steam. His
sutferings were intense but conscious
ness did not>desert the dying man until o
very short time before he expired. The
dead man was an employee of the W. d
N. railroad, and had been an attache of
the company for 10 years, ever since its
opening. He was a native of Berks
county Pennsylvania but has lived at 1908
West Third street for some time. He was
about 80 or SO years af age and leaves q
wife and three young children.
The remains of Harry w. Ahrens were
removed from the morgue Monday evening
to his mothers house At No. TIT Tatnall
street. The funeral took place Tuesday
morning, services were held in st
Patrick's Church. The body was buried
in the Old Cathedral cemetery ct Della
ware avenue and Madison street.
George w. Brinton's body was re-
moved to his fathers house, near Silver
brook, Tuesday morning. The funeral
services were held at IL o'clock and the
body was inferred in Mt. Salem ceme-
terry. The deceased with his family were
attendants at that church.
The body of Alvan l.. Jones, the ill
fated conductor of the shifting crew, who
lived at 709 East Eighth street, this city,
was retained at the morgue until this
morning, when it was sent to Philadelphia
for burial from his fathers residence on
Seventeenth street below Dickinson, in
that city. The interment took place in
Laural Hill cemetery.
STATEMENT FROM THE W. 4 N. OFFICIALS.
How the Wilmington & Northern train
came to be on the south-bound track is
thus explained by L. A. Bower; general
freight and passenger agent of the road
The tram, in accordance with the daily
custom and the contract with the p, w.
Il B. Railroad Company, was backing to
the station on the north-bound track.
Near Tatnall street, the track WIS found
to be- INSTRUCTED by some freight cars that
had been derailed during the night, and
the train went back to the west yard
crossing for further orders. There the
p, w. & b. railroad people in charge
gave orders for the train to proceed to
| the station on the south bound track, and
| assigned engine No. 3 TO pilot it in.
| No. . then attached itself to the rear of
/ the passenger train, and drew it in to
| Justison street, where the collision with
the other two engines occurred.
AN ENaNEER's STATEMENT.
Elwood Coyle, engineer of locomotive
| No. 16, who was in the collision and
had his head driven through the glass of
| his cab, briefly tells of the accident. He
had started with his engine ON the south
bound track, with young Cory aboard.
He was told of the cars being off the
| rails near the Harlan & Hollingsworth
works, and as he approached that place
he cut off steam and tried to apply the
brakes, but. found the wheels were
sliding over the slippery tracks
and could not be controlled.
After proceeding distance some one
called lookout and threw up their hands.
This is tile last the engineer saw of the
affair as his head was driven through a
window and he was extricated from the
wreck by some persons who promptly lent
their assistance. He states that he kept
the sharpest lookout but the driving
snow rendered it impossible for him to
see any distance ahead of his pilot, and
though watching sharply he did not see
the approaching train at all.
ooRoNER's INQUEST.
The coroner's jury met Monday al
Undertaken Palmer's office at O'Clock. II
consisted of the following gentlemen
John Pyle, Anthony Reybold, Peter j
Ford, W. s. McNair, Daniel Mulherin, b
Frank Townsend, Joseph L. Carpenter
Jr., John Mealey and William L. Porter
1 IatA oh and nv G
McNair secretary.
Levi @. Bird, ESD, appeared at Sena
tor Gray's instance, to represent the p.
w. 81 B. Railroad Company on this oc
casion. Mr.. Bird stated that he desired
to remain as counsel for the railroad com
pany only by unanimous consent OF thu
| Jury. There was mo objection and Mr.
Bird remained, but the coroner objected
to having him conduct the examination
The first witness was Henry III. Carter
superintendent of the p, w. " b. rail
road. He said that he had instituted al
investigation but had not yet been able t
fix the blame. He was absent himself
and in that case the authority devolvel
upon the train master. He had not BEEF
, able to fix the responsibility unless it wa
, simply due to the condition of tn
, weather. He spoke of the high efficienc
4 of-.the railroad operatives.
81 Frank Carlisle, the train-master, wa
then called. He said that blockade ha
' occurred on the northbound track and b
had issued general instructions to tn
| yard-masters and also to the station
master that all trains must use the south
i bound track between the depot and tn
1 west yard. He said it was the bushes
q of the yard-master to arrange all the d,
}. tails of putting these general orders
+ operation.
q Jacob s. Pettyjohn was sworn. He
!. assistant train-master for the p, w.
r B. railroad. He explained his duties
q was in the office about o'clock in Il
r. morning. The train dispatcher at Il
west yard telegraphed in that the W. &
Is train was there and wanted to come in
a the depot. 1 said, "Let them come in
i told Carter then to tell the statio
n master to hold the south bound track f
4 the w. & N. Train Dispatcher Kirk W
n then on duty, but it was just about tin
Ar TO change watches and J. w. Ayden can
d on to relieve Kirk.
A Edward NJ. Carter was sworn and tes
4, fed as follows: am assistant yardmast
a of the p, W. & b. railroad and on ST
4 urday morning was in charge of t
,e yard from Delaware junction to Begt
,e siding. was called ont that night abo
N 1890 o'clock Mr.. Carlisle sent for I
"a to come to the depot Immediately on {
count of train of 10 cars that had
g. come stuck in the snow. His orders
nj me were to go out to that train, to p
he the train on a side track, and clear t
an track if had to do it one car at tin
4 ordered an additional engineer in frC
III the west yard, making two on
ed south end of the train, to ass
mr. in putting this train awt
oh | I found it was impossible to move
~ train northward. / therefore gave ord
est for the two engines, which were on
10 south end of the train, to take the tn
ar and put it in the west yard to clear u
nd track. In doing this they derailed ft
nd cars, blocking the north bound track &C
pletely. The two engines then proceed
to the west yard with six cars, which W
all right. The time of derailment '
ing about 2.15 a. m. After putting these
lily cars away ordered the engines in to
by place where the cars were off the tracl
the switch leading into Harlan's siding
tor the foot of Tatnall street. Iput the mel
vas work to put the cars on the track.
the them there in charge of the cars. q
ing proceeded into Wilmington and got
ear additional engine to go to the head emf
on the train, the north end. This made
me engines in all to attend to clearing
wreck, all on the north end of the tn
Of Finding the engines could not clear
Tat track j ordered them to Third street to
ing away nine cars which were ahead of
was four cars which were derailed. 1t {
was about two hours to do that. II was I
4 1 = IT..