Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-13
Hurled to Destruction.
An Express Train Crashes Through a Trestle.
PASSENGERS CRUSHED TO DEATH.

SMidland Railroad by Which Ten
 People Were Killed and a Large Num-
 bsx Injured. Some of Them Fatally.
 aRescuers Working in the Dark to Save
 Their Fellow Passengers
 WASHINGTON, July 13-Express train No. 6a, on the Virginia Midland railroad, went through the loose trestle two miles from Orange Court House yesterday. Several persons were killed and a large number, probably forty, badly injured.
 The train pulled out at the Sixth street sta ton, this city, on time. It consisted of en- zine No. 694, manned by John Watkins, en- gineer, and John Kelly, fireman; one mail car, one baggage, two coaches and three Pullman sleepers Conductor Neil Taylor was in charge. The run to Big Nancy" trestle, about two miles the other side of Orange Court House, was made in three hours
 For some time the Midland road has been engaged in repairing its bridges and trestles, and men had been at work on the "Big Nancy" for days But the weak point in the trsstle had evidently been overlooked, for the engine had hardly crossed it before there was shiver and trembling of the structure and the upper part collapsed. The engine, mail and baggage car and day coaches went over the side, two of the Pullman's alone remain ing on the track A terrific crash followed, and it was a wonder any one escaped alive.
 The scene that followed was of indescrib- able horror. The shrieks and moans of the injured, the shouts of the wildly excited pas sengers and the hissing of the steam were terrible to hear The cars in the middle of the train went down first, the engine and one sleeper falling on top. The baggage car was completely wrecked and smashed into kindling wood, and not a soul could have escaped. The passenger cars were crushed out of all shape.
 little stream runs under the trestle, and the recent rains had swollen 1t far beyond its usual proportions
 As soon as self possession returned to the startled survivors of the horrible disaster they went at once to work to rescue the in- jured and recover the bodies of the dead. The train was piled in such an inextricable mass of debris that it was difficult to dis cover the outlines of human forms. MT. c. A. Nicholson, of 34 South Howard street, Baltimore, was one of the survivors of the disaster, and he arrived in Washing ton by the first train from the scene of the wreck. United Press reporter saw him at the Sixth street station and heard him detail his experiences
 "It was horrible thing" he said, "and it is a miracle how any one who went down in that terrible fall escaped. It was in the dead of night, and we had gotten nearly across the bridge when it suddenly gave way. The engine had reached the other side, but was pulled back by the falling baggage car, and fell on top of it The mail car was knocked out of recognition and the smoker l was totally demolished. "I was in the sleeper that went down. don't know how l escaped. When I was awakened I.looked out and found the car 1 hoisted high in the air, resting on the remains of the cars below. The couplings connecting us with the other sleepers had given way, and they remained on the track We went to work as soon possible, though it was l pitch dark, and dld our best to rescue the injured The only dead ones whose names l learned were Dr. Corrents, or Torrents, of South Carolina, and Mail Clerk Wilmington. D l Maj. Randolph. the manager of the road, places the number of killed at seven and the injured at forty. The cause of the accident
 was the derailment of 8 coach, which knocked down portion of the trestle, carrying with | 1t the engine and carA
 The following is a list of killed and | wounded:
 J. N. TORRENTS, of South Carolina
 Mir. HUNTER. of Scotland. II Sr SOA, oA AaeAandTIa, OI the engineering
 department of the Piedmont Air line. | H. T. WHITTINGToN, of Greensboro, N C. Il postal clerk.
 H. c. BRIGHTwELL, postal clerk, of Pros
 pect, Prince Edward county, Va \ Two unknown men
 ! INJURED. ! W. N. PARRorr, of Albemarle county
 postal clerk, badly injured. | J. Q. WEST and J. L. WALTHALL, o
 Washington, D. C., postal clerks, very badly
 injured, and both will probably die LOUIS JENKINS, of Lynchburg. posta
 clerk, slightly injured. |. MT. BuTTERFIELD, express agent, seriousl,
 injured.
 T 2. JENNINGS, of Lynchburg, & passenger injured internally.
 Conductor c. P. TAYLOR and Enginee WATKINS were badly injured \ JAMES GOODMAN, the baggagemaster, wa
 probably fatally injured.
 FIREMAN KELLY was also badly hurt. Word was sent to Orange Court House
 and the citizens and physicians of the tow, promptly responded. The region Is thicxly settled and the farm . ers hurried to the scene. Alexandria was notified, and a wreckin,
 train was immediately sent out JI General Manager Randolph this mornin, , | received further details of the accident Il
 addition to the list of killed three more per cons were found dead in clearing away tn . debris. They were passengers Two of ther
 were men and one was a woman, but the , have not yet been recognised.