Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-12
THROUGH A TRESTLE.
A Disaster This MoRneng on the VIZ.
gimia MidlanAs

= IhAN IhoA THE CITY 00E3 DOWN 10 kClN
sHnouGn A rRssrL.-sEvHS KILLED AxD yosrr
BADLY nJuRxD-PARfIcuLARs % TEE ACCIDENT.
The tram on the Virginia indian Railroad
which left here at IL O'Clock last night for the
South met with frightful accident about $3.50
orange Court House, Va The train went through
the trestle known locally as Fat Nancy's
trestle, the engine and nve Of the cars
attached to the train going down through
the trestle and being badly wrecked.
There were three Pullman sleepers on the end.
Tne TWO rear ones remained on the track and were
unin1ured; the forward one went partly down,
and rested partly upon the heap Of wreckage be
low II and partly upon the track. Reports were
received In this city this morning OF the accident
stating the loss Of life high as fourteen. More
oennite news received l. ter TO the effect that
seven people were killed and forty injured.
THE RULED.
The killed, so far Is was known at the head
quarters OF the Richmond and Danville system In
this city at noon to-day, were w. II. Wilmington,
mail clerk, whose home is at Greensboro, n. c.;
clvl engineer on the road; a newseoy, and one
passenger, whose names were not then known.
An ACCOUNT FROM AN OFFICIAL SOURCE
Gen. Randolph, the general manager OF the
Richmond and Danville system, gave a STAR re-
porter an account Of the accident from the brief
particulars be had received substantially as fol-
lows: There were seven cars on the train-a postal
car, baggage and express car, two passenger
supposed, was derailed and struck and broke
through the trestle, dragging the locomotive back
aItern. Inc baggage and two passenger coaches
three Pullman cars upon the track, the forward
one resting upon the wreckage below The two
passenger coaches fell upon the cars and iooomo-
The trestle was one OF the last on the road to be
nlied, and gang OF men were employed on It &C
this time repairing 1t and filling It. 1t crosses Q
small branch, and according to Gen. RandolDha
recollection Is about 80 feet high.
AT The Baltimore AMI Potomac depot a STAR re-
porter was informed by railroad men that the
trestle was 90 feet high.
THE MAIL CAR
The mail car tina. went down first appears to
have been badly wrecked. 1t left here last night
with crew OF six men, and the Official report
received at the Post-ofice Department this morn.
and his nve comrades all injured. As the sleepers
Old not leave the track 1t is supposed that none Of
the passengers In them were seriously injured
TIE RAILROAD MIN.
The train was the one known as No 81 which
leaves here at IL O'Clock for Danville It was
drawn by engine e94, John watkins, engineer, and
John Kelly, fireman, and, as stated above, was
composed OF seven cars Neil Taylor, the con-
day as In a dying condition Kelly, the fireman,
and James Goodwin, the baggage-master, were also
badly Injured John Watkins, the engineer, ac-
1ured. He saved himself, 1t IL stated, BY jumping
from the cab OF his engine.
wRECKIsG TRAIN
was sent from Alexandria at $50 O'Clock this
morning. Travel on the road was not Interrupted
by the wreck. as trains went North and south over
the Chesapeake and Ohio line by way OF Gordons-
yille Railroad of1icials were active this morning
arranging for the removal and care Of the dead
and WOUNDED.
POSTAL CLERKS ACCOUNT
Mr.. Millard Wood, mail clerk, who arrived in
WQshfnOfnn ntvrxf
OF Gordonsvie, told STAR reporter that his train
watered at Orange Court House. when he learned
that, as near as could be ascertained, there were
Tour Killed, including conductor Neil Taylor, who
were six postal clerks In the mail car,
ne said. One OF them, Wilmington, was killed
outright, and Jno. 2. West, OF Washington, resid-
Ing at 4O7 I'd street northwest seriously injured
| and the other four more or less hurt. The bag
gage agent could not be found and he was included
among the killed. MIR. Wood said that he consid-
cred The trestle to be ninety feet long and forty
nve feet high, and that the entire train was on It
when the engine went down.
was able 10 walk about when he passed Orange
Court House. He is regarded as one OF the best
a ana most careful engineers on the road. he oils
MS engine oitener than any other engineer and
pays strict attention to the rules governing
speed whlstling, &C. He was not going over S
tns seS rre an hoar when he started across
as Mother Watkins, the name being
given him because OF the extreme caution with
III.
added that this train Is always well loaded be-
Cause oi the through connection 1t makes between
Boston and New Orleans, Augusta and Atlanta.
On an average 1t carries between $50 and 200
passengers. One OF the sleepers he said, was
destined Ior White sulphur Springs to be dropped
at Chariottesville. This car, however, was the
last oI the train and remained on the track.
THREE MORE BODIES FOUND
General Manager Randolph received further de-
tails OF the accident this afternoon. In addition
to the four persons enumerated above as dead, in
clearing away the debris three more persons were
were men and one was a woman but at the latest
accounts they had not been recognized. This
makes the list or killed seven in all.
HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
1t appears from the Information received this af-
ternOOn that was not the postal but one OF the
passenger coaches In the middle of the train that
ran Of the track causing the accident. II broke
down the trestle, dragging back the mail and bag
the point where the trestle broke and pulling them
down to ruin with IL.
BRINGING THE DEAD TO ALEXANDRIA
The train expected at Alexandra from the
wreck arrived there late this Afternoon and
brought two Of the bodies OF the dead. There were
four injured persons who came to this city and
went on to Baltimore.
CARING FOR THE WOUNDED.
Some Of the wounded were taken to Char
lottesville and some brought this way.
A train from the wreck bringing some
OF the injured persons was expected
at Alexandria this afternoon, and the general
passenger agent went from this city to meet 1t and
arrange for caring for the injured. Gen. Randolph
said that there was nothing to Indicate the
cause Of the derailment. 1t appeared to be one OF
those accidents, he satd that might have occurred
despite the best OF care. Just before the train
crossed the trestle q heavy freight train had
passed over In safety. The passenger train, he
said, followed, going slowly &C a speed not ex-
ceeding ten miles an hour.
Mr.. Cornelius Cox, the assistant engineer who
was killed In the accident las former city sur
II. Mcknight. The conductor, Neal Taylor, said
to be fatally hurt, was also resident Of Alexan-
dria
DISPATCH FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE
says the tresIle was As fee. high, and was known
to be weak, and the railroad company was en-
gagged In filling It In. The dispatch continues:
The engine went down pilot end foremost, thus
communicating no IRE 10 the wreck. As soon a
the accident occurred the engineer, who was but
slightly Injured, walked back to orange and tele-
graphed for assistance.
abr. w. c. n. Randolph and other physicians
left here on q special train for the wreck. The
dead and some OF the wounded were taken TO
orange, while the more seriously hurt were
brought to Charlottesville.
The Killed and Wounded.
GAS far as can be now ascertained, I'VE
were nilled: c. Cox, Of Alexandra, Of the
engineering department Of the Piedmont Air
Line was instantly killed; H. T. Wilmington, of
Greensboro N. c., postal clerk lived ten minutes;
H. c. Brightwell, postal clerk, Of Prospect Prince
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