The Penn's Grove record., 1889-07-06
WRECKED By A WASHQUI.
A TRAIN ON THE NORFOLK AND WEST,
ERN THROWN INTO A1DITCH.

I "A StN
ERN THROWN INTO A-DlTCH.
| OVER 25 PERSONS THOUGHT TO HAVE
BEEN KILLED-NEARLY ONE
HUNDRED INJURED.
LYNCHBURa, Va, July IA fear
full accident, by which many lives were
lost and a large number OF people In
Jured, occurred on the Norfolk n
Western Railroad at $50 O'Clock
this morning, n mile above Flax
toms Switch and 81 miles above the
city. Rain had been falling almost
continuously, and ut tunes very heavily,
| for "a hours, swelling the mountain
streams greatly beyond their normal
state. Several trains had passed over
the road during the night, and 1t wa
thought that the line was safe for
traffic, notwithstanding b rains, u
that no danger need he apI.rehended.
at the place Of the accident, how
| ever, the water has undermined the
roadbed and caused a washout about 80
feet long and 50 Ieet wide. The water
ut this point was eight or ten feet deep.
Into THIS watery gulch the engine
made a frlghtful leap while running AT
the rate of 30 miles an hour, carrying
with it the tender and eight cars. As
the engine struck bottom the rushing
Of the water In the locomotive ex-
ploded the boiler. THIS fact greatly
augmented the catastrophe. Debris
was thrown in every direction by the
force OF the explosion, injuring some of
those on tie train by the flying frag-
mpnts and scattering tire-brands, which
ignited the woodwork of the coaches.
The flames spread and destroyed a
large amount of mail and express mat.
Ter, besides spreading panic among the
already terror stricken passengers. 1t
is supposed that some Of the passen-
gers were unable to extricate Them
selves from the wreck and were COLI
sumed in the flames, but 1t is difficult
to get accurate information, as the
employees of the Norfolk and Western
Railroad refuse to give any information
10 the public. II is impossible to state
the number Of persons killed. but the
most reliable estimate places it ut be-
tween 20 and 30. The number of
wounded will be far in excess of the
number killed. Thirty of the wounded
have Teen taken to Roanoke, IL to
Bulfordsville and 50 to Liberty.
A special despatch which was re-
ceIved about IL O'Clock from the scene
Of the wreck, by the way of Liberty,
says: Six dead bodies have been recev-
cred. The bodies Of 2. Donovan, en-
gineer, and Postal Clerk Rose, were
recognized. The others are not known.
Superintendent Cassell, although badly
hurt, is on the ground and doing every
thing possible for the wounded. The
railroad company has taken a large
corps of physicians to the scene OF the
wreck from Roanoke, Liberty and
other points. 1t Is thought y large
Lumber OF bodies were burned in tn
coniaR ration.
Major j. e. Cassell, Superintendent
OF the Lynchburg Division Of the Nor
iOlk and Western, was on the train
and was seriously injured, al were also
Baggagemaster Ford and Captain Row "
land Johnston. who was in charge of
the train. 1t was thought that Captain
Johnston was fatally wounded, but a
later report says that the condition Of
him and Baggagemasler Ford is some.
what Improved. l.. b. Summers, q
postal clerk, of Abingdon, Va, was
badly bruised, but, fortunately, ct
capped the fate Of his running n.ate,
Rose.
THE KILLED.
The names of the killed, as far as
positively ascertained, are:
Patrick Donovan, Lynchburg, Va.
Charles Bruce, Roanoke, Va, fire.
man.
L. u. Summers. Abingdon, Va, mall
agent.
A. $. Francis. Marion, Va, mail
agent.
Nathan Cohen, merchant, Roanoke, |
Va, en- route to Germany to visit his
parents.
W. c. Stead, Cleveland, Tenn, en-
route to England.
J. W. Beal. Cleveland. Tenn, en-
route to Paris.
A. M. James, Roanoke, Va, travel |
ing eDgineman of the road.
J. w. Linsay, Roanoke. Va, train
dispatcher.
John Kirkpatrick. Lynchburg, Va.
Dennis Melon, Roanoke, janltOr Of
the general offices of the Norfolk aud
Western Railroad, who was Ell route
to New York to he married.
A. L. Little. of Stanton, Va.
1t is believed that Is or 20 others
/ crushed. as there were nearly 70 per-
sons on the train, aud between Is and
20 are unaccounted for. The dead
were horribly cremated.
THE INJURED.
The injured are:
Bishop Alpheus w. Wilson, of Balti-
more, wrist cut and body slightly
bruised. He is at the Hotel Roanoke
here. and will be able to leave for Bal. !
timore in a few days. The Bishop lost
his gold watch, all his clothing and
$500.
NJ. F. Temple, Pottsville, Pa, head
and limbs burned.
+. 7. Dexter, Beverly, Mass, severe
ly bruised on the head and body.
J. b. Young, Radford, Va, ann
mashed. !
Mrs. Judge Thompson, Staunton,
Va, bruised and deranged with grief
the de ath of her little neice.
Roland johnson, Roanoke, Va, con-
ductor, frightfully cut on ths head
and face.
E. G. Dutarry, superintendent,
bruised 81 severely. 1
W. c. Glass, Roanoke, baggage. arm
~ II u.-, |