New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
GOV. HILL IN A COLLISION.
HIS SPECIAL TRAIN ON THE B. AND o. MAR
BOwLY ESCAPES DEMOLITION.
vRE GOVERNORS PARTY UNINJURED-HD'
E TRAIN RUN INTO BY THE CHICAGO Elk:
PRESS AND FORCED BACK AGAINST
TWO OTHER TRAINS-oNLY
ONE MAN HURT

Cameron, ". Va Oct. Ex-Governor Hill ana party
accompanied by T. s. Riley, chairman OF the Demo
cratic State Committee Governor Fleming ana o'hers'
left Wheeling at 80 this morning on spcciai tralh
provided by the Democratic State Committee over the
baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The train, winch eon
sisted Of a drawing room and Calvin b. f'riees
private car. 70 have stopped at all s'a'ioS oe
tween Wheeling and Harper's Ferry fr from hVc 70
twenty minutes to allow the Governor 10 naHe
advertised addresses. The programme, however,
was abruptly interfered with by COLLISION
Tho Governor had addressed gathering OF GOO
workmen at Benwood, and several hundred Mt Mounds
vllc and his train about starting lot the latter
place when Engineer Lee Wells. OF Wheeling, heard
warning whistle fiom the engineer OF train No = the
Chicago Express, which told him that the train was
approaching him on the same track about fifty feet
ahead Of where the Governors train, No. az, was
standing. A wide and low highway bridge spans the
railroad tracks here, making 1t Impossible 10 see
approaching trains either side of the bridge
About twenty five feet behind No. ~ Che accom-
mediation train. running between Wheeling and Cumber
lard, came to stop. When Engineer Wells noticed
the approach of the Chicago express. he Immediately
reversed his engine backing his train, but the eX
press was moving at high rate of speed that II
caught up TO tho Governors tram, ana
crashed into it. The cOwcatchers OF both
trains were demolished. and the engine OIL
the Chicago express partially wrecked, as were
the platforms OF three Of the eight passenger coaches
comprising the trains. Governor HIS train was
thrown back the accommodation train, and the COW
catcher of the locomotive Of that train was smashed
Behind the accommodation tain was heavily loaded
freight train and the three trains together were thrown
back on that with slight force. No damage was done
TO the freight except that the cowcatchcr OF its engine
Vas torn away.
Had tie Governors train consisted OF ordinary
coaches, instead Of the two strongly built palor
coaches II wOud have been crushed like an ccg-sicl
between the two hnavy trains. As 1t was, both of
these cars escaped injury completely. Tie engineer
on No. -. and the engineer on the accommodation
train lying behind him, had orders saying they would
meet the express at MOundSvlle and telling them to
take the second siding east OF Moundsville. The
engineer OF the express had orders not t. pass the
second switch until these two trains de tracked
The Governors train in the act Of making the
sidc-track when the collision occurred Engineer
Fleming who has been in the employ Of the road
for sixteen years. said he attempted to stop his train
on the other side Of the second SWITCH but when he
applied the arbrakcS he found they could not con
tru the train. ON examination. he found that the
air had been shut off the air reservoir tire tender
which, Of course, rendered the brakes useless; and
his train carried past the second switch, with
the above result.
Engineer Fleming had his kncc-cap injured but no
one else suffered even q scratch. The Governor was
not at all excited and enjoy ed the wild rush of the
occupants from the first car in their endeavOr to