Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-26
RAILEoAD wHsck ar cLArmoSr.
A wildcat Locomotive Crashes Into
n ENTHUSIASTICALLY a Score of Men
Nounded and mnngled.

81 CabOOse-NeNriy n Score of Men
wounded and mnnyled.
One OF the most serious railroad accl-
dents that has happened In this vicinity
for several years occurred on the r., W. 4
d. railroad just below Clsymont about
O'Clock yesterday morning, and II WAS more
y good luck than good management that 90
or 80 lives were not sacrificed. The acct.
dent occurred on the south bound track,
about three.qusrters OF mile below Clay
mont station, just at the beginning OF the
big curve which the tracks make In ap-
proaching Clsymont.
Tho workmen's train drawn by engine
No. SO had come down the road Just preSi-
Gus to tho accident with 10 cars OF stone
ballast and seven or eight cars loaded with
gravel. She had picked up men at various
points along the line and had Just started
again after having taken aboard another
gang oil 10 men under Michael Tubbs when
the crash occurred. The entire gang OF men,
who were mostly laborers, but included
few track men, had been ordered to re-
port on the train to work on the Brandy
wine section Just outside OF this city.
There were about 40 men in all and they
were IN the riding car attached to the rear
Of the train when wildcat engine No. 25,
James Legg, enginser, and Frank p. Haw-
ktns, fireman, dashed into the rear OF the
Joseph Hughes, laborer, No. 1909 South
Nineteenth street, Philadelphia, seriously
injured internally and bad cut on right
temple. He is married.
John o'Neill, laborer, No. 1907 oxfor /
street, Philadelphia, cut on forehead. Weak
from loss OF blood.
George Phillips. laborer, Philadelphia,
burned about the limbs.
William Gibbs, trackman, Linwood, Pa,
hurt internally.
James oavanaugh, laborer, No. asa Tat
nall street, Wilmington. Bruised and prob
ah.e Internal injuries.
Patrick Sweeney, No. 1882 Federal street.
Philadelphia. Out and bruised.
Daaiel McNiehol, laborer, No. 201s Alter
street. Bruised and cut.
Harry McKendless, laborer, No. 2o44
Pierce street. Out about head and body.
John King, laborer, Philadelphia. In
tSrt7s not known.
John Kane. laborer, Philadelphia. In
James Legg, No. 7ls Pine street, VII.
Ellington, engineer OF No. %, right leg
eptHnod In jumping.
Frank 2. HAWKINS, No. s95 Tatnall street,
fireman OF no. 20 engine, hand cut and
sprained.
No Immediate fears are entertained for
any Of the injured except Hughes who
had not recovered from the shock up to
noon and the full extent OF whose injuries
are not known, As several Of the men
wsfa injured internally 1t will take day or
two in some cases to develop the extent OF
their Injuries.
Tie men on the wrecked train blame the
accident on Legg, the engineer OF No. 25
engine. He had taken freight train to
Philadelphia yesterday and was on his
way to Washington to bring up an evening
uoEth-bound train when the collision oc.
CURED. |, was rainy, misty morning
which made It difficult 10 see objects any
grent distaIce through the mist-1edecked
window, sun, Legs knew that ths work
mems train was ahead Of him, and the men
soy that be did not properly observe the
cGrtl0uary signals which were displayed
az Linwood and Claymont. Tho run be-
tween those two points, several men as.
serted, YVES made at mile minute gait,
although when he passed Clsynont station
he did not seem to be going unusually fast.
Just below the station is the bloaE
signal station which displayed a green
dag showing that caution was
necessary. Legg did begin to SLACK up, but
NOT enough TO check his momentum very
perceptibly. and, as the tracks were slip.
pery, he approached the curve whore the
crash occurred at q llpsly rate of speed
When within probably rs to 100 yards Of the
caboose Legg Saw the rear OF the other
train, and, after reversing his engine, and
srslng that he could not avert the c9tas.
trophe, he jumped OF on this right side aud
his brennan On the left side. Legg wa
thrown down an embaukLnent into the sot
turf and was not much hurt, but Hawkin.
RliRhted on the stone ballast on the north
bound tack and rolled over several time
before coming to stand-still
The vorkmsn's train was Just beginning
TO move again after stopping for TuobI
gang Of laborers, and all OF the men wer
not inside the caboose when the approach
leg engine was discovered. Several mel
mad time to jump but the most Of then
were still IN the car when the engin
dashed Into 1t, crushing It 70 spllnters.
the heavy clboose had not been partiall
protected by the hsav!ly-laden cars jus
Hh5ad OF 1t, the engine would hay
dashed clean through II and the los
OF life would have been irightful. As
was, It seems Miraculous that nc one wa
killed outright. Said one Of the laboTcrs
The engineer was just plAyip'. see
him come round the curve and he went q
II the divil was after him. We'll, YOU ca
tell how he was u iin' when Il only too
btln three minutes 10 run from Linwood I
ClaSmons." The stove In the cEboose wa
SGT atlre by the crash aud the wrec
begeE to burn, and Eolocau Ii
wls narrowly sverted IN addition to IN
first catastrophe. One mel was baii
burned but the others were all rescu1
from the ruins before ths FIRE reachs
them. The CHOOSE was literally cIushe
into spltnterE and engine No . was ais
badly damaged, her pilot, su.0ke-tagk an
satire troGt being crushed iG. HuT twC
thtris Of the men escaped injury Il ina7
pliCa5is. The burning wreck Yaa Jrougt
short distance below the scene Of III
accident, where II was allowed to bu!
Dhtil entirely consumed. The iHrsryanta
Fpaca wls atrswn With tigcRe, USgistel itoi
broken lumber ard other Fragments irc
the wreck, 80 or three OF the other ec
ID. a4aA 10. L