Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-07-11
STILL ANOTHER.


Passcnger Train Piunges Into . Washou
The Wreck Takes Fire-Fully . Score Q
People Killed and Many Injured.
LYNcHBURo, Va, July "A fearful
accident by which many lives were los
and large number of people injured oc
CURED ON the Norfolk & Western railroad
at 2:30 yesterday morning . mile abov
Thaxton's switch and 81 miles above tn
city.
Rain had boon falling almost contin
uousiy and at times very heavy TO
twenty-four hours, swelling the mountain
streams greatly beyond their norma
states, but as several trains had passed
over the road during the night It wa
thought that the line was safe for traffic
notwithstanding the rains. and that n,
danger need be apprshended.
just above Thaxton's. however. thu
water had undermined the roadbed ant
caused a washout about eighty feet long
and fifty feet wide The water at thi.
point was from eight to ten feet deep and
into this watery gulf the engine made q
frightfuf leap while running at the rate Of
thirty miles an hour. carrying with it the
tender and eight cars.
As the engine struck bottom the rushing
of the water into the locomotive exploded
the boiler. This greatly augmented the
catastrophe. Debris was thrown in every
injuring some of those on the train by the
which ignited the woodwork of the
coaches.
The flames spread and destroyed large
amount of mail and express matter be-
sides spreading panic among the already
terror stricken passengers. 1t is supposed
that some of the passengers were unable
to extricate themselves from the wreck
and were lost in the flames.
1t was only few minutes b, fore the
wreck was all ablaZe aud to the aorror of
bruised and broken limbs and mangled
bodies was added the certainty of fear
full death by fire. Many had gone
to their death quickly, but the shrieks
and groans of the wounded pinned
down by the heavy timbers and by
rods of twisted iron as the flames
crept slowly toward them and began
their awful wo rk made the scene one of
intense horror. Those who were able to
crawl from the wreck, lent their aid by
the light of the flaming timber to their
less fortunate companions. But little
could be done for them. There were no
tools at hand with which to cut the
timbers that held them down and they lay
there helpless and were roasted in full
sight of those who had been fortunate
enough to escape.
Thus far the charred remains of seven
or eight human beings have been taken
from the wreck. They are badly mutt
lated and it is impossible in any way to
Identify them. Their names will not be
known unless a census of the occupants of
the cars can be obtained.
The names Of the killed. as far as posi-
lively ascertained, are: Patrick Donovan,
Va: Charles Bruse. Roanoke,
70
Va, mail agent; A. 8. Francis,
Va. mail agent; Nathan
Cohen, merchant Roanoke, Va, en-
route to Germany to visit his parents; w.
G. Stead, Cleveland. en- route to England;
]. B. Beal. Cleveland, Tenn, en- route to
Paris; A. M. James. Roanoke Va, trav-
cling engine-man of the road; j. w. Lin
sey. Roanoke, Va. train dispatcher; John
Lynchburg, Va; Dennis
Mellon. Roanoke, Va, janitor of the gem
eral Offices of the Norfolk & Western
Railroad Company, en- route to New Y ork
to be married; little niece of Mrs. Judge
of Staunton. Va.
Among the injured are: Bishop Alpheus
Wilson, of Baltimore. wrist cut and body
slightly bruised: j. F. Temple, Pottsville,
Pa, head aud limbs burned; F. T. Dexter,
Beverly, Mass, severely bruised on the
head ana body; j. B. Young, Radford.
Va, arm mashed; Mrs. Judge Thompson,
Va, bruised and deranged with
grief over the death of her little niece;
Roland johnson, Roanoke, Va. conductor,
frightfully cut on the head and face; E. C.
Dubarry, superintendent, severely; w. II.
HARDWOOD, Pullman conductor, shoulder
hurt; I'D. Tanner. Lynchburg. Va, badly
bruised; Joseph Goldberg. New York, log
and shoulder bruised and hand hurt; Miss
Inez jackson, Texas. bruised; R. B. Good
fellow, Roanoke, hand and foot injured;
j. c. Cassell Roanoke, superintendent.
arm hurt: H w. Martin. Chattanooga,
Tenn, cut and bruised.
1t is impossible to state the number OF
people killed, but the most reliable esti-
mate places it at between twenty and
thirty. The number injured is far in ex.
cess Of that Thirty injured have been
taken to Roanoke, thirteen to Bufordsvilla
and fifty to Liberty. The adopted daugh-
ter of Mrs. Judge Thompson, of Augusta
County, was killed and Mrs. Thompson
herself is known to be very badly hurt
Pat Donovan. the engineer; with his fire.
man, a man named Bruce, was scalded and
burned to death by escaping steam. Train
Dispatcher Lipsey was also burned to
death.
Major B. c. Cassell, superintendent OF
the Lynchburg division of the Norfolk &
Western. was on the train and was seri-
ously injured, as were also Baggagemas-
ter Ford and Captain Rowland Johnston.
who was in charge OF the train. It was
thought that Captain Johnston was
fatally wounded, but q later report says
that his condition aud that of Baggage.
master Ford is somewhat improved.