Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-15
MADE HIS LAST TRIP.
JAMES {. HoWLETT, OF MANCHESTER,
KILLED ON THE DANVlLLE
RAILROAD.
Finding Ills Engine Leaving tho Track lie
Jumps, Only TO Meet Death--fu-
neral services Yesterday.

Finding Ills Engine Leaving III" 'f"'N 10
Jumps. Only to Meet Death-Fu-
neral services Yesterday.
Mr.. James Edward Hewlett. Of Manches-
ter. was instantly killed Sunday morning
/ in an accident on che Richmond and Dan
Vile railroad.
Att o'clock he was hearty and well and
cheerfully engaged in the discharge Of his
| duty; an hour or two later his remains
were gathered from the d6bris Of terrible
wreck. in shapeless and almost uDrecogni-
zable mass.
The Young man parted with the loved
and loving ones at home between ana
| o'clock Saturday night III buoyant spirits,
and a short while later started on tI1p 10
/ Danville. Less than twenty-four hours
/ afterward his body was brought home pre-
pared for burial. while his spirit had taHen
! fiight 10 its eternal home.
I The sad news of the accident, which oc-
cured at 1880 o'clock, was received at the
| railroad-shops a short while later, but 1t
was several hours before the family and
I friends were apprsed of The awful nap
pening. The intelligence fell like thun-
/ derbolt upon the family, whose hearts nave
/ been so sOrely tried by ailiiction, and great
/
| nifty. where the deceased was so well Gndso
! favorably known.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
| Mr.. Hewlett was fireman on the Rich
mond and Danvile railroad, and tor nearly
a year had fred with Ernest Atwell one or
/ the best engineers OH the road. Mr. At
Wells train-a regular fTeight-lett the
sbops between and 10 O'clock Saturday
/ night. and all went well until they got
mile beyond Jennings's Ordinary, or about
! fifty miles from Richmond, when the arcn-
pipe burst. The door 10 the tre-boX had
been open and Fireman Hewlett had lusJ
closed il with bis foot when the defective
pipe gave wav under the pressure OF steam
! on it. aad both steam and fire penetrated
! every cre,ice about the door. Messrs. At
well and Hewlett were both fortunate
enough 10 escape injury from either IRE or
steam by making haste to get out Oh the
way. =,
ton, a fireman on this line, received IN,
iuries in an accident OF this kind several
weeks ago. which resulted IN his death a
day OF two thereafter.
IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAIN.
Mr.. Atwelps train was now towed back
TO Jetersville and side-tracked, and orders
received from Richmond to " "dead-h
the engine back TO the shops with the next
north-bOund train.
The pipe burst about o'clock, and the
engineer and fireman set to work ana
spent several hours taking off the rods and
getting the engine IN condition 10 be
+ backed TO the shops Breakfast was eaten
nj this station, and about o'clock the
start was made for home. The engineer
and fireman both mounted their engine:
which was running without steam, and
which was about midway the train with
| some eight or more cars back OF II, ana
rode in the cab to see that nothing went
wrong.
NOT RIDING WELL.
When thew had been travelling about
twenty-five minutes Rt the rate OF twelve
or fifteen miles an hour Mr.. Atweli remark
ed to his fireman that he did not ike the
way the engine was rlding. Mf; hoWtei;' We;
replied that he did not like 1t either. Mel
ther of them contemplated anything Sc
rious. however. and one lit cigar and the
/ other q cigarette.
About this time the engine gave wrench
as if leaving the track. and Atweu Jumped
up in his window and signalled the fireman
10 stop. Looking around, Atwell saw that
Hewlett had disappeared. and supposed
he had Jumped in safety, and as soon as he
could make the fireman ahead see his sig
nal Mr.. Atwell also jumped, and landed IN
safety, with no other injury than a slight
bruise over one eye.
HOW He WAS KILLED.
When Mr. Atwell walked back short
WAYS his attention was attracted by q
( col0red brakeman to badly-mutllated
body. which he was shocked and horrtied
to find was that of his faithful and efficient
associate, 70 whom he was so sincerely at
tached.
1. ,rlt ar,1 will
never be known. but It Is fairly lnterrable
from all the circumstances that in jumping
Mr.. Hewlett missed his distance and fell
i'm front of a fat heavily loaded with pig
iron. which pinioned him 10 the ground
and probably dragged him short distance.
This car was thrown entirely of its trucks
and the heavy bars with wmch II was
loaded were strewn around promlscuously.
The body was not caught under any OF the
wrecked cars, and death. which was evl-
IDENTIFY instantaneous, must have Deon
caused by the car dragging over II.
THE WRECK.
The engine did not leave the track en-
tirev, but all OF the seven or eight cars
back Of it. filed with cotton and iron, were
more or less wrecked.
The engineer cut his engine loose,
hastened down to Amelia Courthouse,
! about four miles distant, and telegraphed
to the officials the nature of the wreck. A
large force was gotten together as speedily
a. possible, and at 1915 wrecklng tram
left for the scene of the accident and set 10
work to clear the track, which was by no
means a small job.
Two of the operatives who went up,
Messrs. Prettyman and Crooks, took charge
of the body and put II IN as nice CONDITION
as possible and placed it in casket which
was gotten at Amelia Courthouse.
THE REMAINS ARRIVE.
The passenger train due in Manchester at
3:25 p. NJ. was four hours and quarter late
owing TO the delay in clearing the track.
The body was brought down on this tram
and taken in charge bv Messrs. ). VI. Per-
due a Co. and carried TO the home OF the
deceased. at No. 222 east Tenth street
No higher evidence could be given OF the
popularity of the deceased than was at
tested by the large crowd OF sorrow
stricken friends who assembled at the de-
Dot before 3 O'Clock and remained for
hours until the arrival of the tram.
THE FUNERAL.
The funeral took place at o'clock yes
tordav afternoon from the cambridge
, Street Baptist church, and despite the IN
clemency of the weather there was very
large congregation present.
In the pulpit with the pastor, Rev. l.. H.
Tbornhill who conducted the services and
spoke tenderly of the bereavement which
the family suffered, sat Rev. +. NJ. Peter
son. OF the Central Methodist church, who
. made the opening prayer. His illusions
TO this and other misfortunes which the
family have suffered were touching, and
his invocation of heavenly grace IN this
their great hour Of need was very tender
and pathetic.
In his remarks. which were brief but
timely, Mr.. Thornhill spoke most comfort:
inglv to those plunged into the depths OF
Grief by this event, and he used the occa-
sion to plead with the young men 10 en-
brace the cvertures Of mercy while they
have an opportunity 10 do so.
"Go Bury Thy Sorrow" and Come, Ae
Disconsolate," were two of the hymns sung
by the choir.
The interment was in the family section
in Maury cemetery. where an older and a
Younger brother had been laid to rest
several wears before. The horal tributes
were very pretty, the most noticeable de
sign being the large and lovely pillow sent
by the brother-hremen.
These were the pall-bearers: Messrs ;
W. T. Cottrell. j. h. Jewett, j. r. Pretty
man, c. z. Walker. E. l.. Clopton, and @.
s. Snellings, all fremen on the Danyille
road. and K. Hunter Wilkinson and Peyton