The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-05-01
FEARFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT
One Killed and Seven Wounded.
Heavy Damage to the Depot Build
ingS.

Heavy Damage to the Depot Build
ings.
Monday morning last at three O'Clock,
a fearful railroad wreck occurred at the
Staunton depot. The Vestibule' train
due here from the West at O'Clock, a.
M. was late two hours. About three
o'clock it came whirling in at fearful
speed, the engine having the appearance
of a sheet of fire. AS it reached the pas
senger depot the rear sleeping car ca
reened, striking the platform covering,
tearing away the iron posts and demol-
ishing the whole platform structure. 1t
struck the eastern baggage house, new
brick building, crushing in its front and
partially demolishing the building. The
rear sleeper then jumped the track and
turned over on its side few feet from
the track, breaking the car into thous-
and pieces. There were number OF
persons in the sleeper unconscious OF
impending danger, among them the
Pearl of Pekin Company ON their way
from Cincinnati to Baltimore. The city
rushed to the scene, and number OF
citizens appeared at the wreck. Every
man went to work to remove the passen-
gers imprisoned in the wrecked car,
some suffering from severe injuries and
others from fright. Only one person
was killed, Miss Myrtle Knox, of Kansas
City, one of the opera troupe. She was
fearfully mangled. One leg was cut off
below the knee, her left arm broken,
and her right shoulder dislocated A
piece of wood was driven into the upper
thigh, cutting an artery. from which
she bled to death in a few minutes.
Those known to have been injured are
w. J. Kirkpatrick, New York, badly
hurt, but will recover it is thought; L.
NJ. Sloman, Cincinnati, slightly injured:
Webb, leg cut; Edward Stevens, head
cut; Miss Bertha Fisher, slightly hurt;
Lewis Harrison, slightly hurt; Miss lone
Durham, slightly hurt. All of the in
jured are of the Pearl Pekin troupe ex-
cept Mr.. kirkpatrick and Mr.. Sloman.
There were six coaches, two of which
were sleepers. No one was injured ex
cept those in the rear sleeper. The rest
of the train kept on for mile before
the engineer could get his engine under
control, on the heavy grade opposite the
Asylum grounds.
The accident was caused by broken
rod falling and throwing ballast among
the air brake connections, rendering the
brakes useless and causing the engi-
neer to loose control of the train.
The wounded were taken to the Vir-
ginia hotel, where they are being cared
for, and the body of Miss Knox to under
taker S. NJ. Wilkes, where it was EN-
balmed, and forwarded to Blue Springs,
Mo. Drs. A. NJ. and II. H. Henlle, of the
medical department of the c. & O. rail
way, were promptly on hand and rem
dered all necessary surgical attention,
assisted by other physicians of the city,
About two miles from the city, wien
the cars were plunging along and rock
ing to and fro, Mr.. G. P. Bowman, realiz-
ing that something was wrong, jumped
up from his seat and pulled the bell
rope. His action was the signal for
every one else to spring to his feet.
One man attempted to jump out
of the window, but was pulled back, as
the leap would have been certain death.
Several ladies tainted, and Mr.. p. T.
Allen, of this place, was so shocked that
he partially swooned.
A number of persons were on the plat
form at the depot, when a gentleman
observed the plunging train coming,
warned them out of danger. Had the
accident occurred in the day time when
the platform is generally crowded, there
might have been a fearful holocaust. AS
it was every one got out of the reach of
danger.
How any of the passengers in the de-
molished sleeper escaped death is a won
der. The whole interior of the car was
torn to pieces. Seats and beds and tim
bers of every kind were piled up in
frightful disorder. A large beam from
the depot shed was crushed through the
car, tearing everything before it, and
yet amidst all this wreck and ruin only
one person was fatally injured.
ROBBED in white satin, lips slightly
parted and eyes closed, the rounded
form and intellectual face of Myrtle
Knox lay in a neat metallic casket at
the undertaker's last Monday evening,
in the sleep that knows no mortal wax
ing. Hundreds of citizens of both sexes
and all classes, passed in and out to
view the sad scene. The coffin was
ladened with fragrant, lovely flowers.
deftly wrought into pyramid, cross and
pillow, the tribute of our people to the
young life that went out so tragically
and terribly in its springtime when all
nature is clothed in emerald and the
to this titful fever of existence. Myrtle
was just eighteen years of age; just
entering upon womanhood. with rare
attractions of person, and rare gifts of
mind, if the intelligent face indicated
anything, away from home and friends,
and just stepping upon the theatre of
the tempestuous and troublous career
she had chosen for herself. But a few
months since she left the parental roof
to enter upon the engagement she was
filling with the company with which she
was travelling, grasping at pleasures that
were ever eluding, and dreaming of
triumphs that found their consumma-
ton in fearful ending-rudely awaken
ed from sleep to embrace a terrible
death.
Poor girl sad was the leave-taking
from mother and friends-sadder the
return to her childhood's home, clothed
in garments for the tomb, to lie down to
rest under the shade of the trees taken,
it may be, from the evil to come.
There were 40 of the Pearl of Pekin
troupe, only 12 of whom, however, were
in the demolished sleeper. Those not
injured proceeded to Baltimore on the
morning train to fulfill an engagement
there