Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-10-14
a CRASH Ar DARBY.
Two Freight p'rains Rnn Together
ON thae n w. Il ID. HRilroAd-A
Hfun Killed.

mnn Killed.
A collision occurred between two
freight trains on the p, w. & b. railroad
at Darby station, about six miles below
Philadelphia, Thnrsday, which resulted
in one engine and four cars being de-
molished, and man named George e.
Heed being killed. Both trains were on
the Unbound track. One WIS local
freight and the other was the Norfolk
through freight.
The local freight arrived at darby
station about 1l.30 o'clock, and had two
car loads of coal for J. Lloyd, coal
dealer, whose yard iB on the line Of the
tracks about 100 yards above the station.
The coal cars were detached from the
train and the engine went ahead with
them to Lloyd'a coal yard, leaving the
rest of the cars on the main track inst
below the station. A hagrnan was sent
back TO look out for the through freight
and signal it TO stop. About $50 yards
south of the station there is sharp curve
in the tracks. The hagman, it is claimed,
remained on the north side Of the curve,
no that he could not have given
| the signal TO the fast freight
until it was within very short
distance OF the rear car of tho local
freight. At Sharon, the first station south
of Darby, George Peiroe, the engineer Of
| the Norfolk freight, was instructed to
look out for tho way freight, as il was
somewhere between Sharon and Paschal,
the latter being the next station north Of
Darby, and only two miles distant from
Sharon. The fast freight left Sharon and
went laundering along the track towards
Darby at the rate of about 25 miles an
hour. just as the engine rounded the
curve south Of Darby station Peirce dis
covered the freight cars on the track o
little over 100 yards away, and saw the
aagman signaling him to stop. His train
was on a down grade and he saw at a
glance that it would be impossible to
avoid collision. He applied the air.
brakes, reversed the engine, and then
he and his fireman jumped from the
engine. The train was running at such o
rate Of speed that when it struck the local
freight 1t pushed the cars along the track
for abont 90 yards before any Of them
left the rails. just as the cars came up
to the station the smash-up occurred.
One box car tumbled over ON the west
side of the tracks, breaking the platform,
while another fell on the east side, play
ing havoc with the small waiting-room on
that side of the track. The engine Of the
fast freight, the caboose and two coal
oars Of the local piled up in heap, COM
pletely blocking both tracks.
Reed, the man who was killed, was
stealing a ride on the local freight. He
was ordered OF the train at Chester, and
nothing more was seen of him until his
body Was found underneath the wreck,
terribly mangled and almost unrecogniz-
able, In one of his pockets was card of
the Journeyman Stonemason's Association
OF Philadelphia, of which Reed was a
member. He had with him q nason's
trowel which was found by his side. His
body was taken charge of by Undertaken
James of Darby. No one else was injured.
Wrecking trains were sent to tho scene
of tho accident, but il was not until 5
O'Clock that the north-bound track was
cleared for travel, and it was after 2
O'Clock when the first train passed over
the south bound track.
Considerable of the debris was hauled
to hollow just below Darby, where il
was burned.
Theaccidsnt caused great excitement at
Darby. As soon as the news reached the
village that there had been collision on
the railroad, the employees in oil the mills
left their work and rushed to the scene Of
the wreck. The factory whistles blew
Justify for them to return to their work
but they needed not the summons until
nearly 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
Just who is to blame for the accident
ia not yet known, and Superintendent
Kenney has instituted an investigation
II is said to be the custom of the road tc
allow two freight trains in one block, bu
each engineer has orders to look out fol
the other train. In this case IL seems ai
if the iagman of the local freight was de
relict in not signaling the fast train at {
sufficient distance from the way train X
give il time to stop.
All trains leaving this city and Phila-
delphia between IL O'Clock, q. M, and {
o'clock, p. m., were detained on either
side of Darby until the south bound tracl
was cleared. Then the trains were started
and, by skilful management over tht
single track past the wreck, the block wal
relieved in very short time.
Among the passengers on the trair
leaving this city at IL. .55 q. m. were Rober
Garrett, president and j. H. PangborI
and O. X. Lord, passenger agents of the
b. & o. railroad. They drove over to the
B. & P. road and telegraphed for loco
motive, which took them to Philadelphia
A number of Wilmingtonians went up on
the LEA p. m. train for the purpose oi
witnessing the Philadelphia-Detr base
ball game, but the game was over before
the train reached the city.
The wrecked engine of the fast freight
No. 80, was brought to the Wilmington
shops, that night, for repairs. The tender
was thrown from the trucks, the cab and
smoke-staek demolished, the connecting
rods of the engine broken, and the boilel
badly battered and indented.