The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-07-19
Terrible Railroad A cc1dent.

on Thursday morning last, announcing
the Virginia Midland r. r., between
Orange q. II. and Charlottesville. NJ
definite information could be obtained
until the evening train. G. & O.. arrived
Maj Ii. NJ. Bell, who was one of the pas
sengers, and occupied the rear sleeper
which remained on the track, had tele
graphed to his family that he was safe
Mr.. w. J. Perry, of the Augusta National
Bank, was also one of the paSSen gers, oc.
cupying this sleeper. Both were asleep
when the jar of the cars aroused them,
and soon afterwards they heard of the
fearful result of the shock they had ex-
perienced. Mai Bell describes it as a
horrifying scene-the broken timpers, the
wreck of the cars, the groans and shrieks
of the woun led, the CHASTITY presence of
the dead. all exposed by the light of half
dozen fires hastily kindled up by the EN-
ployees and passengers. He reached home
on the Thursday evening train from Phil
adelphia, and was eagerly sought by a
number of our citizens to learn the partic-
ulars of the accident. 1t accords substan-
TALLY with the following account taken
! from the Richmond Dispatch, commune
Gated by its Charlottesville correspondent
under date of July 70:
One of the worst wrecks that have occurred
on The Virginia Midland road for many years
| took place near orange Courthouse this morn
/ ing. The south bound passenger train (No 52)
which leaves Alexandria at 1920 p. m. broke
u, IN I-,lf
| about two miles south of Orange Courthouse at
2:l5 q. m. This trestle is over small stream
and is about $50 feet long and tol ty- seven feet
nigh IN the middle The news OF The wreck
reached this city very early this morning, and
n. Randolph. the regular physician of the road ;
| Mr.. E. e. Dlnwiddte, chief dispatcher and
others went down very early on a special
| train
The train consisted of an engine and seven
caaches, rs follows Mail, baggage, smoker
| ladies' car and three sleepers. i he engine
" ent down first and fell clear. The mail car
went down Hat and the smoker crushed down
upon it, the basgage-car was thrown over on
the south side of the track on its side the
lit'tieS car Tell on the north side bottom up
wards, the fl st sleeper fell with one end on the
| Dagsage-car anu the other resting on the
trestle. Two sleepers did not leave the track
at all and no one was injured in them. The
cars were broken all to pieces ana piled one
! upon the other. The rails were bent in every
conceivable shape, The hilsides this evening
were streWii Tor hundreds OF yards around with
I'll kinds of timbers, iron, baggage boxes
| paper, etc. Hundreds of people from Orange
and the neisuborhood visited the place during
the day.
The dead were taken out on the south side of
the track and placed on litters and afterwards
carried TO orange Courthouse and placed in
the baggase-room at the Virginia Midi de
POI. Tue wounded were most Of them taken
out from the north side and afterwards sent
some to Charlottesville and others to Aexan-
dria Dr. Flow was ably assisted soon after his
arrival by Drs. W. Z. y. Randolph of Char
lottesville. and III Cearles Moncure. of Orange
county. Mr.. j. W. Ames, 81 carpenter, living
near somerset, range county showed the
coolest head npes mt a
the most valuable assistance by making
stretchers to bearaway the wounded aud dead.
rms treshle has not been considered safe for
some tlne-so much SO that the trains not
allowed TO run over ii with greater speed
than SIX mics an hour The train was running
at lhe regular speed when the accldent oo-
CURED lhe company were repairing and fill.
ing IN the trestie. Mr. j. S. Moore, with a
force of ten hands, had been working al Ihis
place up to 10 O'Clock last night. 1he south
end OF the trestIe, which II ad just been put In,
did not give away
All of the wounded and dead were removed
by 10 O'Clock a. m, and the work of removing
the baggage and the debris was begun More
than hundred hands have been busy all day
removing the wrecked to the adjacent
hillside. The wreck will not be cleared before
late tomorrow nignt, and IL is Thought that no
regular trains can be run over this road until
Sunday night OF Monday morning. Anyone TO
see inns wreck now would wonder that any
BODY at all escaped without Injury, but never
theless some of the passengers escaped most
mlraculously Several were interviewed in
,egard to the number or passengers the
train. but none seemed to know the exact num-
her. II is Reported that there were about
seventy.
TpE DEAD.
Eight eead bodies were taken from the wreck
Their names and addresses are so far as can be
learned, s follows;
Miss Alice Brown. passenger, Philadelphia,
Penn.
Q, G. Cox, civil engineer on the road. Alex
andra, Va.
Edward smith, newsboy, Washington, D. G.
Chseries Fiancls, passenger, Baltimore, Md
X. n. Terrence. passenger Blacks, S. G.
H. Nnu npl
ii. t. Wilmington, mail clerk, Greensboro
An Itaiian-name and address unknown,
THE WOUNDEi,
There were about thirty ii We passengers in
Jured some so seriously thai they are not ex-
pected to live and others only slightly. The
following is a partial list:
II g. Brightwell, railway mail clerk, Pros
| pect Depot. Va. fatally injured since died.
" shart Hnuter passenger, of Scotland ).
| slightly injured
u. M. Jennings. passenger, Lynchburg Va ::
:, Conductor Neil Taylor, Alexandria, Va.
| injured. ~
=. f. Jones, passenger, Chatham, Va; badly
Mr.; Lanslaw, passenger. Canada; arm in
DR.. Grealish, passenger, Augusta. Ga. shopI.
der d1slo' attd and confusion of the head
.,, John y: west passenger, Washin ton, d. c.;
W: N. PARROT, mail clerk Albemarle countv.
thIgh fraetured and severely Injured.
-, J2 }tl +: wall, passenger, West Virginia ;
| Mrs. Alexander. Pennsylvania SLIGHTLY in
| iured Mrs. Alexander distingu shed herself
by her exeFt1ons in rescuing the wounded
pas sengers
! b. F sprinkler of North Carolina, passenger.
right hand and shoulder bruised.
I; Harry County, passenger, Philadelphia: lie gs
and arms bruised. ~ g
John Watkins, engineer, Alexandria, Va. ::
| face and legs bruised. $3.50 ,
John Kelley, fireman; slightly injured in
J ternaIly. ~
James Goodwin, baggage master, Alexandria.
Va; hip; back, and legs badly injured
| Jack O'Ntal, iagman; serious Y injured
| ". y. Aple, Atlanta, Ga; only Signify hurt.
Il. T. Sherer, HagerstoWn, Md; injured about
| the lace
E L. Barber. Philadelphia; injured about the
! face and side.
w. H. Hunter, Lomont, N. c.; internally in
| jured. "
| Mrs Mary Stockard: slightly injured
Ii. j. Storkard slightly injured
j. ID. Potterfeld, xpress messenger. slightly
| injured '
several others were more or less Injured. but
no particulars could be gained as to what ex-
tent.
The bodies of Edward Smith and c. G. Cox
| were carried to Alexandria, Va, this morning
| and that OF Miss Alice Brown to Phladel phia
| this afternoon.
| General Longstreet was on the train, but es-
| capped injuiy.
| L.G Cortes. of New Orleans. La, who was
Killed. had only one leg, having lost the other
at the battle OF Getty sburg, Pa. He had been
| to The reunion OF northern and southern SOL
| diers at Getty sburg, and was on his way home
Coroner Joseph HousWith summoned a i.,ry
of seven men and held an inquest of the dead
at orange Courthouse. The coroners Jury de-
c.ared that the disaster was due TO advanced
state OF decay Ofthe treStla timberS lna debris
will not be removed and the bridge replaced
unaer several days. Trains will go by way of
GordQnsyiiie 10 Charlottesville for the present
Harrison will SWeen throuoh Tho oountrn