The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-07-12
STILL ANOTHER.
Shocking Railroad Accident In virEinia-A
Passenger Train Plunges Into a Washout
The Wreck Takes Fire-Fully a score Of
People Killed and Many Injured.

shocking Railroad Accident In virginia-A
| Passenger Train Plunges Into a washout
The Wreck Takes Fire-Fully Score Of
People Killed and Many Injured.
| LYSCHBURG, Va, July "A fearful
| accident by which many lives were lost
and large number of people injured oc.
| CURED on the Norfolk g. Western railroad
| at 2:3o Yesterday morning mile above
Thaxton's switch and 81 miles above the
city.
Rain had been falling almost contin-
! uousy and at times very heavy for
twenty four hours, swelling the mountain
streams greatly beyond their normal
states, but as several trains had passed
over the road during the night it was
thought that the line was safe for traffic,
notwithstanding the rains, and that no
danger need be apprehended.
Just above Thaxtor's. however, the
water had undermined the roadbed and
caused a washout about eighty feet long
and fifty feet wide. The water at this
point was from eight to ten feet deep and
into this watery gulf the engine made a
frightful 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
direction BY the force of the explosion,
injuring some of those on the train by the
flying fragments and scattering frebrands
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 a few minutes before the
wreck was ali ablaze and to the horror of
bruised and broken limbs and mangled
bodies was added the certainty of fear
ful death by fire. Many had gone
to their death quickly, but the shrieks
and groans of the wounded pinned
down by the heavy tinbers aud by
rods of twisted iron as the flames
crept slowly toward them and began
their awful work 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
cou d be done for them. There were no
tools at hand with which to cut the
rimbers that held them down and they Law
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 census of the occupants of
the cars can be obtained.
The names of the killed, as far a. posi-
lively ascertained. are: Patrick Donovan,
Lynchburg Va; Charles Bruse Roanoke,
Va, fireman; L. B. Summers, Abingdon.
Va, mail agent; A. S. Francis,
Marion, Va. mail agent; Nathan
Cohen. merchant Roanoke, Va. en-
route 10 Germany to visit hi, parents: W.
c. Stead, Cleveland. en- route to England:
j. E. Beal, Cleveland. Tenn. en- route to
Paris; A. VI. James, Roanoke Va. trav-
cling engine-man of the road: J. W. Lin
sey, Roanoke, Va. rain dispatcher: John
Kirkpatrick. Lynchburg, Va; Dennis
Mellon. Roanoke, Va janitor of the gem
eral offices of the Norfolk 6 Western
Railroad Company, en- route TO New York
TO be married; a little niece of Mrs. Judge
Thompson. of Staunton. Va.
Among the injured are: Bishop Alpheus
Wilson, of Baltimore wrist cut and body
slightly bruised: J. F. Temple. Pottsvile.
Pa. head aud limbs burned; F. 7. Dexter.
Beverly, Mass, severely bruised on the
head anu body; J. B. Young. Radford,
Va arm mashed; Mrs Judge Thompson.
Staunton, Va. bruised and deranged with
grief over the death of her little niece;
Roland Johnson. Roanoke. Va. conductor
frightfuliy cut on the head and face: E. C.
Dubarry, superintendent severely: W. H
HARDWOOD, Pullman conductor. shoulder
hurt; I'D. Tanner. Lvnchburg. Va. badly
bruised: Joseph Goldberg. New York. leg
and shoulder bruised and hand hurt: Miss
Insz 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, hut the most reliable esti-
mate places it at between twenty aud
thirty. The number injured is far in ex-
cess Of that, Thirty injured have teen
taken 10 Roanoke, thirteen 30 BufordsvilIe
and fifty TO Liberty. The adopted dsugn-
ter OF Mrs. Judge Thompson, OF Augusta
County. was killed and Mrs Thompson
herself Is known 70 be very lady hurt.
Pat Donovan. the engineer. with his fire.
man. a man named Bruce. was scalded and
burned to death bv escaping steam. Train
Dispatcher Lipsey was also burned to
death
Major B. c. Cesseu. superintendent of
the Lynchhurg division of the Norfolk 6
We-tern. was CT the train and was seri-
ouslv II jared. as We're also Bagga gemas-
ter Ford and Captain Rowland Johnston,
who was in charge OF the train. II was
thought that Captain Johnston was
fatally wounded, but 6 later report says
tina. his condition and that OF Baggage
master Ford Is somewhat improved.
No Bail For BegES.
CHIC AGO. July The attorney OF John I