The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-07-11
CAUSED BY A WASHOUT.
FrIghtful Accident to Crowded Passenger Train
In Virginia.

FrlShtIui accident TO Crowded Passenger Train
In Virginia.
LYNCHBURG, Va. July "A fearful acci
dent, by which many lives were lost and
large number of people injured, occurred on
the, Norfolk & Western railroad early this
mofuing, one mile west of Flaxton's switch
and thirty -one miles west of this city. Rain
had been falling almost continuously AMI
very heavily for JweutY-four hours, swelling
the mountain streams greatly beyond their
normal state. Several trains had passed
over the road during the night, and it was
thought that the line ives safe for traffic,
notwithstandin the rains, and that no dan
ger need be apprehended At the place OF
the accident, however, the water had under
mined the roadbed and caused a washOut
about eighty feet long and fifty feet wide.
The water at this point was eight to ten feet
deep Into this guch the engine went while
running ut The rate of thirty miles an hour,
carrying with it the tender and eight cars.
As the engine struck the bottom the rushing
of the water into the locomotive exploded
the boiler. This fact greatly augmented
the horror of the catastrophe Debris was
thrown in every direction by the force of the
explosion, injuring some of those on the
train by the flying fragments and scattering
tirebrands which ignited the wood work of
the coaches The flames spread and de-
stroyed large amount of mail and express
matter, besides driving CONSERVATION to the
already terror stricken passengers. 1t is
supposed that some of the passengers were
unable to extricate themselves from the
wreck and were consumed in the flames, but
it is difficult 10 get accurate information.
The most reliable estimate of the number of
persons killed places it at between twenty
five and thirty. The number Of wounded
will be far in excess of the number killed.
! Thirty of the wounded have oeen taken to
Roanoke, thirty to Bufordsville and fifty to
Liberty.
VICTIMS OF THE DISASTER.
The adopted daughter of Mrs. Judge
Thompson of Augusta county was killed and
Mrs Thompson herself il known to be very
| bad hurt Pat Donovan, the engineer,
with his fireman, named Bruce, was scalded
and burned to death by escaping steam.
| Train Dispatcher Lipsey was also burned TO
| death. Among the others who lost their
| lives were J. J. Rose, postal clerk. of Abing-
| don, Va, John Kirkpatrick of Lynchburg;
W. G. Stead, and the husband and two
| children of a lady passenger on the
| train, whose name cannot be learned.
| MIR. Stead was Englishman and
| was agent of an Idaho hunting and fishing
| expedition. He was on his way to England
| for supplies when he met his death. Mai. J.
| G. Cassell, superintendent of the Lynchburg
| division of the Norfolk & Western, was on
| the train and was seriously in jured, as were
| also Baggagemaster Ford and Conductor
| Johnston, who was in charge of the train. 1t
| was thought that Johnston was fatally
| wounded, but later report says that his
condition and that of Baggagemaster Ford
| is somewhat improved. L. B. Summers, q
postal clerk of Abingdon, Va, was badly
| bruised.
| NO INFORMATION.
| There is no telegrsphic communication
nearer the wreck than Liberty, and it is diff
| ticult to get information from there, as tho
| Norfolk & Western refuse to give any details
| of the disaster. A relief train was made up
| at Lvnchburg to 60 to the scene of the wreck,
and number of physicians went down to do
what they could to aid the wounded The
Norfolk i Western officials absolutely re-
fused to allow any newspapermen
aboard the train, and several who
got on despite orders to the
Contrary we're put of. The railroad men
also refused to give out any information in
regard to the wreck. A special dispatch,
| which has been received from the scene of
the wreck by way of Liberty, says: "Six
dead bodies have been recovered The
| bodies of P. Donovan, engineer, and Postal
Clerk Rose were recognized The others are
not known. Supt. Cassell, although badly
hurt, is on the ground and doing everything
possible for the wounded The railroad
company has taken a large corps of physi-
clans to the scene of the wreck from
Roam oke, Liberty and other points. 1t is
| thought O large number of bodies were
burned in the Conf1agra tion."