Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-01-03
RAILROAD ACCIDENT;
TEN PERSONS KILLED AND A DOZEN

| w
bule train which passed through here after
midnight, Friday, was wrecked two miles
beyond the White Sulphur Springs, at Z
O'Clock Saturday morning. There was no
citizen of Staunton on the train, but the
fact that the Karl Gardeners "Father-
land" Company, which had attracted a
large audience at our Opera House on Fri
day night and made a most favorable i'm
preston on QUIZ people, were passengers on
it, created a widespread interest in the
news here. 1t was hard to get any definite
intelligence from the wreck, and when the
Surgeons Car from Richmond was seen to
pass going West at high speed, as late as 5
o'clock Saturday afternoon, the impression
grew that there had been great disaster.
1t appears that the train was behind
time and going at high speed, and in going
around a curve about two miles West of the
White Sulphur, the combination CAL jump
ed the track. 1t was instantly telescoped
by The day-coach which was behind it, and
every man in the car, save two, killed.
These two were Capt. Myers, section mas
ter, and P. J. Bunch, supervisor Of track,
who escaped uninjured. The whole train.
sleepers and all, except the engine, was
thrown from the track. It was on level,
but had it happened two hundred yards
further the cars would have rushed down a
Seventy-five-foot embankment and caused
still greater loss of life. Two of the cars
were demolished and in them the loss of life
and limb was sustained. The
are-Hale Morrison, Charleston, mail agent
aged twenty-eight, most worthy young
man. top of his head and face crushed.
J. W. Thomas, newsboy, Lexington, KY,
leg broken above and below the knee and
head injured
o. B. Barksdale, Proffett, Va, baggage
master, head mashed.
J. B. West, Howardsville, Va, neck
broken. He was brother of the MI.
West engaged on J. W. Churchman S
farm in Augusta county.j
E. Wilson, Calwell, Kansas, head
mashed.
Nelson Heath (colored), Claremont, w.
Va, leg broken and head mashed.
III. Faltka, Grant county, South Dakota,
head crushed.
Edward Brown (colored), Allegheny,
Va. leg broken and head mashed.
Kidder Kid, Hannibal, Mo-, no visible
injuries, mouth full of mud, died of strang-
ulation. His remains were sent home.
An unknown man, described as white,
tall and slender, fair complexion, gray eyes,
sandy moustache and good looking.
Those that are seriously
WOUNDED
are-Wm. M. Dell of New York city, a
member of the ''Fatherland'' troupe, frac-
ture Of the thigh. Taken to the Retreat for
the Sick at Richmond.
II. R. Kline of Chicago, Musical Direc-
tor of the 'Fatherland" troupe, icy flsac-
tured. Taken to the Retreat for the Sick
at Richmond.
w. d. Clark of Birmingham, Ala, for
merly of Nelson county, serious injury to
the head. Taken to the Retreat for the Sick
at Richmond.
J. A. Clark train dispatcher at Clifton
Forge.
John Voolfolk Of Allegheny right leg
broken and amputated.
Lewis Karsesh, Of Blackstone, Kan, col
lar-bone broken.
H. F. Gregory, of Cliff Top, W. Va,
bruised arm and sick.
Capt. Schweckert, conductor, right leg
broken below the knee.
Great praise is due to the members of the
''Fatherland" company for their heroic
efforts in rescuing the wounded from the
wreck, they being the first to get to work,
and the ladies of the company did their full
share, in attending to the injured men,
even to tearing up their Undertaking for
bandages. Not single woman Oh child
was injured.
The first physician to reach the ground
was Dr.. W. P. Caldwell of the White Sui
phur, who did all in his power to alleviate
the suffering. Soon, physicians and help
came from other vicinities, and the ladies
of the neighborhood turned out and worked
heroically. DR.. G. W. P. Brock, the compa-
nys surgeon at Richmond, arrived at the
scene in special car in the afternoon.
1t seems to be agreed that the accident
was caused by the breaking of rail under
the pressure of the engine in turning the
curve.
The Ronceverte CIV. Va.) Messenger, in
its account of the accident says the rail
broke about twenty inches from the Joint,
and gave way as the engine passed over it. |
The engineer felt the JAZZ, and in the same
instant reversed the lever and grasped the
fireman, who was in the act Of jumping
off, and thereby saved his life. The engine
passed safely over, the rear truck of the
tender dropped into the hole and ran along
Oh the ties, followed by the express car; the
drawhead between the express and smoker
snapped off and the former slid out of
danger; the smoker ran against the bank
and the day-coach, with the whole force of
the remaining cars, plunged into the smoker
and telescoped her. Every coach was de-
rallied except the rear sleeper. 1t was the
work of an instant. A grinding crash fol-
lowed by a terrible silence!
Half an hour later brakeman, bruised
and bleeding, staggered into the depot at
White Sulphur and gave the alarm, and in
a few minutes the wrecking train was on
it's way to the scene of disaster. DR.. w. P.
Calwell, physician at White Sulphur, hur-
ried to the spot, where the work of remov-
ing the dead and wounded had already be-
gun. He was Joined by Drs. Gates of Ron
ceVerte, Beard and Spicer of Anderson. s.
P. and R. G. Peck of Hinton, Ford of Tai
colt, Rodgers and McElwee of Covington.
and Hill and Lewis of Clifton Forge. as
soon as they could be conveyed by extra en-