The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-12
CAUSED By A wAsHoUr..
FrIshtfsl Accident to Crowded rSssssssr Train
in ylrRlnla. ~

LYNCHBuRa, Va. July IA fearful acci-
dent. by which many livesw6re lost and o
large number Of people injured, occurred or
the Norfolk 4 Western railroad early this
morning, one mile west Of F7axton's switch
and thttty-one miles west Of this city. Rain
had been falling almost continuously and
very heavily for rwenty-four hours, swelling
the mountain streams greatly beyond thcil
normal state. Several trains had passed
over the road during the night. and it wa.
thought that the line was safe for traffic.
Notwithstanding the rains, and that no dan.
ger need be apprehended At the place OF
the accident. however, the water bad UNDER
mined the roadbed and caused washout
about eighty feet long and dety feet wide
The water Mt this point was eight to ten feet
Deep Into this gulch the engine went while
running ut The rate of thirty miles nm hour,
carrying with it the teudcr and eight cars
As the engine struck the bottom tho rushing
of the water into the locomotive exploded
tho boiler. This fact greatly augmented
the horror of the catastrophe Debris was
thrown in every direction by tho force of the
explosion, injuring some Of those on the
train by tho flying fragments aud scattering
hrebrands which ignited the wood work of
the coaches The flames spread and de-
stroycd large amount of mail and express
matter, besides driving CONSERVATION to the
already terror stricken passengers It is
supposed that come of the passengers were
unable to extricate themselves from the
wreck and were consumed in the flames, but
u Is difficult 10 get accurate information.
The most reliable estimate Of ths number of
pcrsons killed places it Mt between twenty
five and thirty. The number ct wounded
will be far in excess Of tho number killed.
Thirty of tho wounded have been taken to
Roanoke, thirty to Bufordsville and fifty to
Liberty.
VICTIMS OF THE DISASTER.
! The adopted daughter of Mra Judge
thompson of Augusta county was killed and
Mrs Thompson herself is known to be very
badly hurt Pat Donovan, tho engineer,
with his fireman, named Bruce, was scalded
and burned to death by escaping steam.
!fain Dispatcher Itpsey was also burned 10
death. Among tho others who lost their
lives were j. j. Rose. postal clerk. of Abing-
don, Va. John Kirkpatrick Of Lynchburg;
W.. Q. Stead, and the husband and two
children OF lady passenger OH tho
IRAN, M whose name cannot be learned.
Mr. Stead was an Englishman and
expedition. lie was OH hiR way to England
tor supplies when he met his death Mai ].
.. Cassell, superintendent of tho LynchGurg
division Of the Norfolk & Western, was on
the train and was seriously injured, us were
also Baegagemastcr Ford and Conductor
Johnston, who was In charge Of the lru,n 1t
was thought that Johnston was fatally
wounded, but later report says that his
CONDITION and that of Baggapoinuster FOr,i
Is soinewhat improved. L. B. Summers, IL
postal clerk OF Abingdon, Va, was badly
bruised.
| NO INFORMATION.
There Is no telcgrnplic communication
nearer the wreck than !. berty, und il IL dr-
iicult to get information from there, as ,ha
Norfolk Il Western refuse 10 give any details
OF the disaster. A relief train WAS made up
ut l.vhchburg to go to the scene of the wreck,
anu nunlhcr of physicians went down to do
what they could to aid the wounded The
norfolk d Western officials absolutely re-
fused to allow any newspapcrnen
aboard the train, and several who
got on despite orders to the
contrary were put of. The railrond men
also refused to give ou5 any information in
regard to the wreck. special dispatch,
which has been received from the scene Of
the wreck by way OF Liberty, says: six
DEAD bodies have been recovered. The
boGies OF L. Donovan, engineer, and Postal
| Clerk Rose We're recognized. The others arc
not known. Supt. Casscll, although badly
hurt is on the ground aud doing everything
possible for tho wounded. The ruttroad
company has taken large corps Of phyri-
Clails TO the scene OF the wreck from
koanokc, Liberty and other points 1t is
Thought lnrge number of bodies wore
burned III the COnilagration."