Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-18
AsTERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
The Cars Falls Many Feet through a Trestle

NINE DEAD AND MANY WOUNDED.
A terrible accident occurred last Thurs
day morning Oh the Virginia Midland
road.
The following special telegram to the
Dispatch from Charlottesville gives the
fullest account we nave SEEM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, July 12.-One
of the worst wrecks that have occurred on
the Virginia Midland road for many years
took place near Orange Courthouse this
morning. The south bound passenger train
mo. 52), which leaves Alexandria at 11:20
P. NJ, broke through what is known as
Browning trestle, about two miles south OF
Orange Courthouse, at 2:15 A. NJ This
trestle is over small stream, and is about
$50 feet long and forty-seven feet high in
the middle. The news of the wreck reach
ed this city very early this morning, and
created a great deal of excitement. DR.. W.
G. N. Randolph. the regular physician of
the road; Mr.. E. E. Dinwiddie, chief dis.
patcher, and others went down very early
on special train. No particulars of the
wreck could be gained here.
EXCITEMENT IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
As the hours went by the excitement
grew very intense, so much so that when a
special train from Orange arrived bearing
the wounded the depot and platforms were
literally packed, and it was as much as the
police could do to keep passage-way clear.
This train consisted of one passenger and
two baggage cars, and brought up thirteen
of the most seriously wounded, arriving at
II 10 A. M. Drs. L. E. Flanagan, G. P.
Werienbaker, and j Z. Gordon were at the
depot waiting to render all necessary aid.
Mr.. A. D. Payne had hacks and wagons in
waiting to bear the wounded from the
train.
PLACED ON LITTERs.
The wounded were placed on litters and
taken from the train and carried some to
the City Hospital and others to Wright's
Hotel. There the local physicians reuder-
ed them all the assistance in their power.
1t was almost impossible to reach the wreck
from this place. Your correspondent could
only get as far as Gordonsville by train, aud
then had to go by buggy across the country
some ten miles to the wreck.
SCENE OF THE WRECK.
There scene awaited him which no pen
or tongue can describe. The train carried
down with it when it fell about 1870 feet of
the trsstle. The trestle broke 10 the mid
die and the engine had gotten three-fourths
over before it was down.
The train consisted of an engine and seven
coaches, as follows: Mail, baggage, smok-
er. ladies' car, and three sleepers. The en-
CINE went down first and fell clear. The
mail car went down fiat and the smoker
crushed down upon it, the baggage car was
thrown over on the south side of the track
| on it's side, the ladies' car fell on the north
| side bottom upwards, the first sleeper fell
with ono end on the baggage-car and the
other resting on the trestle. Two sleepers
did not leave the track at all and 10 one
was injured in them, The cars were broken
all to pieces and piled one upon the other.
The rails were bent in every conceivable
shape. The hillsides this evening were
strewn for hundreds Of yards around with
all kinds of timbers, iron, baggage, boxes,
paper, etc. Hundreds Of people from
Orange and the neighborhood visited the
place during the day.
HEARTRENDING SCENE.
| Those who survived the wreck describe it
as a most heartrendipg scene, and one
never to DO forgotten. The moaning of
some poor fellow buried beneath the debris
or the weeping of some injured woman
could be heard in every direction. Messrs.
L. r. BrookIng and G. A. Spottswood who
live near by, were the first to arrive on the
scene and rendered valuable assistance in
getting out the dead and wounded. They
were soon followed by many others from
the surrounding country, aud by daylight
hundreds had reached the place. Brake
man M. Fl. Matter, who was on the last
sleeper When the wreck occurred, was the
first to go to town and spread the sorrow
full and dreadful news DR.. q. W. Row,
of Orange, was among the first arrivals aud
went to work to
RESCUE THE DEAD AND DYING.
The dead were taken out on the south
side of the track and placed on lttters, and
afterwards carried to Orange Courthouse
and placed in the baggage-r Dom at the Vir.
giuia Midland depot. The wounded were
most of them taken out from the north side
and afterwards sent some to Charlottesville
and others to Alexandria. Dr.. Row was
ably assisted soon atter his arrival by Drs.
W. G. N, Randolph, of Charlottesville, and
Dr. Charles Moncure, of Orange county.
Mr.. J. w. Ames, carpenter, living near
Somerset, Orange county. showed the cool
est head of any man present and rendered
the most valuable assistance by making
stretchers to bear away the wounded and
dead.
AN UNSAFE STRUCTURE.
This trestle has not been considered safe
| for some time--so much SO that the trains
are not allowed to run over il with greater
speed than six miles an hour. The CON-
pany were repairing and filing in the tres
tie. Mir ]. S. Moore, with force Of ten
hands, had been working at this place up to
10 o'clock last night The south end Of the
trestle, which had just been put IL. did not
give way.
AL of the wounded and dead were re-
moved by 10 O'Clock A. H., and the work
of removing the baggage and the debris was
begun. More than u HUNDRED hands have
been busy ali day removing the wrecked
cars to the adjacent hillside. The wreck
will not be cleared before late tomorrow
night. aud it is thought that 20 regular
trains can be run over this road until Gun
day night Or Monday morning Auy one to
see this wreck now would worder that any
body at all escaped without injury, bat
nevertheless some of thu passengers escap-
ed most miraculousiy. Several were int =
viewed IN regard to the number Of passsn
gers on the train, but meme seemed to know
the exact number. 1t is reported that there
were about seventy.
| THE DEAD.
| Eight dead bodies were taken from the
wreck. Their names and addresses are, so
far as Can be learned as follows:
Miss Alice Brown, passenger, Phiiadel-
phia, Peun.
| c. G. Cox, civil engineer on the road,
Alexandria, Va.
Ed. Saith, newsboy, Washington, D. G.
Chas. Frarcis, passenger, Baltimore, Md
! (Supposed
r. n. Terrence, passenger,i BLACKS, S. G.
L. G. Coites, New Orleans, La.
Fl. T. Warrington, mail clerk, Green's
boro', n. G.
An Italian-pame and address unknown.
Fl. G. Brightwel mail agent, one OF
those injured in the wreck, died from his
injuries in Charlottesville on Friday min
utes bsfoIe his wife and brother arrived
-makiDg tie 9th death up to that time.
THE WOUNDED.
There were about thirty-fve passengers
! injured, some so seriously that they are not
expected to live and others only slightly.
The following is a partial list:
First. Those sent to Charlottesville.
II. c. Brightwell, railway mail clerk,
Prospect Depot, Va: fatally injured
Wishart Hunter, passenger, of Scotland;