Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-11
KILLED NSTANTANEOUSLY.
George Whitney, Young Brakeman on
the Ohio Southern Road, the
Victim of a
Fatal Railroad Accident at Bridge No. 20,
Near Bainbridge-HisH Head Crushed by
Collision With the Bridge-Remains
Brought Here-His Young Wife
Frustrated With Grief.

Passenger train No. l on the Ohio
Southern road, due here at 4:3O yesterday
afternoon, brought back the remains of
George Whitney, young brakeman, who
had started out in the morning with Con-
dnctor Quirk's crew on a local freight.
Very seldom, even among railroad en-
ployes, does death come in such terrible
form and with such lightning swiftness as
was the case with this poor young man.
He was showing a green hand over the
road, and they approached bridge No. 20,
few miles this side of Bainbridge, about
$40 yesterday afternoon. This bridge is
OIL down grade, and, as the train ap-
proaches it from the north with considerable
speed, Whitney was explaining to his COM
panion that he must look out for it and
dodge little sooner than usual. The green
hand obeyed the injunction and lodged,
but his tutor was too late, for just at that
instant the freight car on which they were
standing flew under the bridge and his
head struck one of the rafters with terrible
force He probably never knew what hurt
him. Thus. without an instant's warning,
was he jerked into the presence of his
Maker. The body fell and rolled, limp
and lifeless mass of quiyering flesh, off the
top of the car, at the side of the track.
The train was stopped as soon as possible
and the crew tenderly gathered up the
corpse of their late fellow-laborer and bore
-. = III. al, Il
brawny men though i'Iey were. and ac-
eustomed TO staring death in the face
without a quiver, the thought that
their young comrade, honest, cheerful
George Whitney, so young, so happy, so
full of life and hope and love, had been
thus instantly reduced to the lump of life
less clay they bore, caused more than one
tear to trickle softly down the rough cheeks
of the crew. A white linen cloth was
spread over his bleeding head, the whole
left side of which had been crushed in by
the contact with the beam of the bridge,
and the mud was brushed from his clothing.
When the sad task was finished the crew
dispersed to resume their posts, each sad
der and more thoughtful man.
The remains were transferred to No.
at Bainbridge and brought to
this city, where the patrol wagon was
called at the depot and carried
them TO Colemans undertaking establish
ment, followed by large concourse of peo-
pie curious TO know the particulars of the
catastrophe. Here they were washed and
dressed in order that they might be seen by
his young wife.
He and his wife boarded at Daniel Wis
singers on West Jefferson street. When
Wissenger yesterday afternoon, she was
driven almost frantic with grief. and com-
pletely prostrated by the nervous shock. In
the evening when she had recovered sufti-
cient strength through medical assistance
she was taken to the undertakers--but the
tempest of grief that well nigh shattered
her frail form can not here be described.
She was finally led away almost demented.
George Whitney was about tSenty-three
years old, rather small in stature. with an
open, friendly countenance, frank blue
eyes, and glossy light brown hair, with a
small brown mustache. Hecame here from
Columbus January 5, 1886, to enter the EN-
ploy of the l. B. & W. company, and
brought with him his beautiful young wife,
formerly Miss Phelps, of North Lewisburg,
whom ne married about eIgnt months ago.
He was native of Chillicothe, where his
people still reside. He was an industrious
and ambitious young man, possessed of
sufficient enterprise and intelligence to
make his way in the world very comfort
ably. He had an easy, pleasant way with
him that won for him the friendship of
every one he met. Never was young couple
more loving and happy than he and the poor
girl so cruelty widowed.