Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-09
MIDNIGHT COLLISION.
THREE KILLED AND SIX IsJuRED-
coLLIpED WITH GREAT FORCE.
Express and Freight Trains Wrecked on
the Metropolitan Branch OF tho
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
rVeshIpgton Post, slh.l

An oxpress-train from this city, and q
freiobt-train from Martinsburg, w. Va,
colIided with fatal result on the Metro
politan branch of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad between ii and IL CLOCK
last Saturday night. The accident oc-
curred one mile west OF Dickersons sta
ton. nearly thirty-seven miles from this
city' The express train, although sche-
dnled to leave Washington for Cincin'
natl and ST. Louis at 9:45 z. NJ, had
been delayed ca route from baltimore
and did not leave here until nearly an
hour behind time. The run to Dicker-
sons was therefore made with con-
siderable rapidity, and Just before the col
lision occurred was running down grade
80 swiftly that some of the passengers
remarked upon the speed, which they
estimated to be between forty and nifty
miles an hour. The train was IN charge
OF Joseph Jeffries, engineer j.. W: Z.
Hand, fireman, and Thomas Landon.
conductor. while Samuel Jackson was
the baggage master. II consisted OF In
CINE 10. S05, a mail-car, two express
cars, q baggage-car. smoking.car,
regular passenger-car, end two sleepers,
in tue order named. j. Il. Welsh was
engineer OF freight train, J. q. Nlrts
the fireman, and Scott Starr the con-
ductOr.
The trains came together without
moments warning. The scene OF the
accident is q deep cut IN curve, and
the fash OF the two headlights was the
only signal the engineers and tiremen
had Of the impending danger. QuicNas
thought, however, and In perfectly
cool voice, as Fireman Virts said after
wards, the engineer of the freight called
to bis fireman to jump. and in the same
instant flung himself headlong to the
ground. Before his companion lad
time to realize the situation the collision
came. 1t was an awful crash. The
mail-car, the bsggage-car, and the e1-
press cars Of the Cincinnati train aud
three freight-cars were ground into frag-
ments ana we're piled up together in o
pyramid thirty feet high, OF which the
two locomotives formed the base. Out
OF the passenger-cars there poured a
score or more of frightened half-asleep
people. The night was pitch dark and
the silence which followed the crash was
thrilHngly profound. Not cry came
from the pile of dcbris, which doomed
up darker than the night itself, into the
air. The great mass outlined IN the
gloom was rs silent rs q grave. and the
moving lanterns of the two conductors
made the scene all the more ghostly and
weird.
1t did not take long for the passen-
gers to realize that their services were
badly needed, and they began to remove
the broken lumber. They had been at
work several minutes before the sound
of a human voice, coming family from
beneath the timbers, encouraged them
10 renewed efforts. And with what
willing. energetic hands the passengers
labored Many of them had their coats
OF. forgetful Of the chill night air, and
all seemed spurred to superhuman
strength. Still, it took time, and it was
fully an hour and half before the full
extent of the disaster was known. Then
the list of killed and wounded was made
up as follows: