Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-27
DIED At THEIR POSTS.
A FATAL wREcK YESTERDAY ON TIE
YORK-RIvER RAILROAD.
Engineer J. r. Binns and Fireman James
Merriman Found Dead In tho
Engine-Cah

f.a.,. OF duty were Mr. j. :. Binns, oi Rich
nana. ihe engineer. and Mr.. James Mcrri-
r... Of West Point, the fireman, OF local
ta.u SO. 30.
rfs ,rsia. which does both freight and
,......r rliiin, leaves West Point at Q
t.-. ..l 5. due here sn hour and forty
mimic. ar-. TIE regular mail, which
lrn.. f.. passengers from the baltimore
lotfa fi. city. arrives here an hour and
twouU auils EARLIER.
hwtsgoyr CAUSES U.
No. r pulled ont from West Point on
tchedu.. .tmr yesterday morning There were
three 10 four cx rre>s freight cars. comoina-
fiou caf. ant $3.50 coschcs-ono q trsi-ciass
and The other sccoud.ciass. All went wen
rnil thr lon. f.l between Sweet Hal and
Hom1ncoke was reached. This embank-
rent i- several huI1lcd feet long and about
tefltc icst tn height
Tlc recent heavy rains had caused wash.
orI In tlc ,muanAment which so weakened
tac track support ibot when the engine
rescued ihis point one side oi the track sunk
nnt,r ihe heavy pressure. aud the engine
UIrci over and rolled OF sided down the
rreal-c. followed hy all Of The freight
.,t.. Very fortunately ior the few passen-
.cf>. ihc coaches remained on the track In
perfect safety.
1HE Fopir- RECOVERED.
The bodies 90 Mcs.rs. Binns and Merriman
were found u TIE engine cab pinned against
fNt i-c-boN. They were Of course hieless,
srd were very badly burned. The bodies
were vlt on Tie train and taken back 70
West Point, from where The first Informs
-rn of The wreck was telegraphcd 10 the
r.lfoai offc.s.sIn this city.
OPTIONS wfAr Down.
Immediately Moon receipt Of the dispatch
fperiutcadeut W. r.. RYDER, Captain West.
r..icr of transportation Mr.. W. j. Mon.
ure, engineer OF The maintenance Of way,
a.l Nr. Thomas ". Gentry, ma.ter-mc-
Dln.c. with a large force Of hands and
vgerhirC Train, itit here log the scene OF the
a.ri3eDt.
Nr. Ryder ordered an Of the bridge forces
f. f.is point. and f0-dly fftV or more car
rrrfer, and $50 isboreTs will he At work on
a rrm ttest.e that will De built TO take the
Place of tac present ti. which Is washed out
ior 900 feet a. a depth varying from i've to
twenty-five feet.
20 TRANSFER.
superintendent Ryder telceraphed here
a-t night tirst De would be able 10 arrange
for the rau-ltrl li passengers to-day. Freight
traffic viii Poe delayed ior several days
Tio conductor of tle wrecked tram. !.
". Mostly, ,sc.ped injury, a. did every one
else except the two employee, who were
killed.
IrE LOCALITY.
The scene o. tLc sccidcnt Is thlrty-three
ana a ha1 mi'c, irom Richmond sud is about
q mile this side 10 where The iltd acciden.
g three weeks ago occurred. The country
thcfc4hout is iow a1d marShy. ani this 10
some measure accougts Tor the giving way OF
tle bank watch mad stood tne rains OF many
ytsr..
Ilcccmpany o,i. .h.isscd a telegraph office
% that point Yesterday and Will keep one
thcre permanently.
ROUGH EXPERIENCES.
The passengers on he il.ftted train. about
ten in nau' or. were subjected 10 very rough
cXEcti.ut--. AmoD- thcm were Madame
Marie bin1 de- Nation. ana Nlgn0r Cell and
Pro. .esnr Hans H.Y--tcr ~ her concert |
,stll.ng. 81 ho gave concert in West Point 4
on wednesday uight, whicl proved vcrv |
suect,,fui. Thee, with o number Of other |
passengers, reached tne city shortly alter 9 /
O'CLOCK o. 50 night They were transferred !
90 the scene oi The disaster.
Professor Hevcs'er, in speaking oi his !
frp to a Dispatch reporter last night, said |
II thiuk we were very fortunate that no !
-frior. injury hei,ll u. All % rs were |
thrown out o. our seats. and u appeared to /
n. inst went 80 least ten feet. was sitting |
a the rear corner ~ the sm0kiug-car, and /
I .e glass winch WIS under The Water-spicket |
was hurled with sucu force bv the shock |
.aat DC Knocked nv hat Of and 1
'1.n broke One ~ the car.windows.
We were very much frightened and heartily /
.0u-Iato ed ourselves that We we're not
adiv hut The engineer evidently stuck /
'a t.s outy 90 the last, Tor felt the train
. 49, uU as ihHu-l the engine bad been re-
rer>ed-aud almost Immediately came the
.e{eyc jar. Had not toe four freight-cars
f,an Iu front Of ne we would certainly have
cen carried over the embaukment and
probably been al Killed. The derailed cars
.u wing top dOwnwafds With the wheels
gro i-ctlng up in the sir, and the engine is
buried almost out Ci sight in the sand and
mud.
Us TIE EAfN TWO HOURS.
DH1w did sou get bsck TO West Pont:"
v asked oi abe distinguished violin;st
"Wby. the conductor nc replied, "as
6 s.,a Is Tie accident occurred ran back
trtr 70 West Point or Interpretation
i-arrf by and another engine WAS brought
r.. which booked on 10 the coaches and
rc.cI them back to the town. This. Of
HuI.4. tooh time, and as the coaches did not
..ta 10 be ON yery firm foundation we were
6,.. "a lo gei baCk into them. The bank did
cof t.eu 10 be- very sOhd. and We were fear
.~e 10 should become undermined at any
U0nsrt and hu H.. We were therefore
t.,. uandiBg Ia ne rain nearly Two hours,
a.. ..I glg soaking vet. We remained there
.ntItlc body OF the fireman. Whosr head
Id To- seeu. was dug out Of the wreck and
s.. taken Gown on this tram. II was =
r0. spectacle 20 look upon. 1 10 not
.rs ,.e BODY Of The engineer was found
.ft. ...cr Ia the day.
HOW THkY CANE.
Tow did YOU get TO Ricbmond?' was
SIS .
"Ue came on one trsin," rephed the Pre-
'-,ol, "as far a. the scene OF the accident,
lr. were there transferred by walking few
.1lr. wards through woods and water TO
l.ef .sut down from Richmond. The
.ciue In isiling Knocked down telegraph
.. aieaAiug The wires and destroying all
-gsruic communication. The railroad /
ap4uv, however, soon repaired their
a Fol. aud had an instrument ard an opera
.r i1ere Il work in the woods. When we
-~-sl iu the afternoon shanty bad been
4p, f1es were burning brightly, and
.r l'ty men we're At work.
lle railroad people were exceedingly al.
fr.fs 10 au Of the passengers ana Qua |
,'.ry.h.as possible 10 make Us comfortable I
A. ( ana wet and have been 20 for some
lf. I viii retire 20 NY room and get some
Frs clothes Ou."
lC Heygstcr's account OF the accident {
fe.s ln the main with that given above.
NR. BiNEs. |
Nr. John 5. Binns was q native OF Penn
rItauIa. but came south 10 his youth, aud
rlOysd 70 Richmond from North Carolina ,
isfe be married $ daughter Of Mr.. William
fior. lsle treasurer OF Henrico, OF which :
'iol there is one Guild iying-a daughter :
p-t seventeen or eighteen years OF age.
ie dcces.ed was sixty yesrs old, and had
M been in tie employment OF the orK- =,
.'ef Company. was highly respected by us
a-ers, aud on account oi his length ofsefVice 4
800 f4ihiulncss was en- the best position i
ng engineer could have on the line. Fort y
-onits past, however, be had bad olsinai >
'ebociugS, which were intensified by lhe
flGeut on the road a few weeks ago
'be1 be Eiss,d bis wife and bade her good. :,