The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-04-05
HlLLSBORO.
Derailment of a Missouri Pacific
Freight Train-Englneer
Instantly Killed.
Smith Reelected Mayor of Rous-
ton Over Scherffius and
Johnson by 1000.
Special To egram to the Statesman.

HILLsBoRo, April 2.-Last night at 1910
o'clock the second section of 513 freight
train on the Missouri Pacific railway,
going south, WAS derailed one half mile
south of here, at point where the public
road crosses the railroad track. The en-
CINE, and four cars loaded with coal, were
derailed. The engineer, O. G. Holmes,
was instantly killed, and the fireman and
one brakeman bruised, but not seriously.
When the pilot, or cowcstcher, of the en-
CINE reached the crossing it caught in
the plank of the crossing, and the
engine ran some 100 yards tearing up
the track in fearful manner, when
it and four coal cars were derailed in a
cut. The fireman. although earnestly
entreated by the engineer to jump from
the engine, remained on his engine and
was but slightly hurt, but the engineer
jumped, and, at about the same time, one
end of co2l car scowed aro1nd and
caught the engineer between a car and
the embankment of the Gu, literally bury
ing him in the cut, requiring one hour
and a hale to dig him out. A. Over
ton, ESQ.,, justice of the peace, held
an inquest over the body. M. D. Knox,
M. D., the local surgeon of the Missouri
TdllWuy5 WAS Cdll6uj Mlltj dibOI LII Ian
ing careful examination of the body, tes-
titled as follows: 81 discover 10 fracture
of bone; the back is considerably bruised
from contact with the end of a car; the
cause of death, in my opinion, was COM
IT ssioD; think he must have been in
stantly killed; did not make any exam
ination of the viscera." At the time of
his death, he had on his person $40 bill,
81 in silver, a nickel, some orders and a
fine gold watch, which was still
running when the body was
dug out, all of which was turned over to
Mr.. D. M. Morgan, station agent, and his
receipt taken for the sane. Mr.. Holmes
body was deposited in plain, neat coffin,
but, on receipt of a telegram from the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, it
was transferred TO a fine, metallic casket
to await the arrival of his wife, who
resides at Alvarado, on the 11:26 O'Clock
southbouud passenger train. The body
will be taken to Taylor to be embalmed,
and from there to Montgomery, Ala, for
interment, that being the former home of
Mr.. Holmes. Mr.. Holmes life was in
sured in the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers for $4,000.
The passengers were transferred this
morning at O'Clock, and the wreck all
cleared away by II O'Clock noon.
Mr.. o. @. Holmes was very faithful
and skillful engineer, and man much
loved by all on the road.
The south bound passenger arrived
here at l o'clock p. m, with Mrs. Holmes
on board. She was wild with grief, so
much so that Doctor Kennedy was called,
who administered morphia TO her,
and when the train left she was
much more quiet The road bed
at the wreck was in fearful condition.
Most of the cross ties were rotten and
broken. One rail was broken in two an
other rail was found lying on top of coal
car. The track at the crossing had sunk
down so low as to cause the pilot Of the
engine to catch in the plank of the cross
ing, thus causing the derailment. The
track men say the accident was caused by
the pilot becoming unfastened and getting
too close 10 the road bed.