Daily Republican., 1890-05-20
THROUGH A DRAW.
AND NINE CANS
#..." PLUNGE
-, tho Delaware and Chesapeake
r,uuI Near Kirkwood Two Canal
r.,, sunk, Hut Fortunately
No ono Was InJurod.

nou, 7S) o'clock last evening the
.nrl houud irei.h train, No. ~, met
mi,ha :, rious accident Gu the Delaware
W.U,o,l where It crosses the Delaware
.'% rl,.apeakc canal, near Krkwood.
Tls rim consisted of niue cara, one OF
ahlcb was loaded with sheep, Que with
r,lr,s. another with strawberries, while
M, remainder contained miscellaneous
lrr Rbt IL WAS drawn by engins No. 90.
wll Theoloe Tuchston engineer and
John Lucas fireman.
lne men were pushipg ahead as
t.pIlly us posslble go as to roach Kirk
r6ol before 1881 O'Clock AMI allow south
bound mall train No. 81, which leaves
uis city at 7 p. m, to pass them There.
4, they approached tho bridge the engi-
rer saw the white light displayed, de-
! p,lus that everything was all right, but
rhen within about one hundred yards
| oi the bridge was horrlhed to see that
tie draw was wide open and that two
sAnal boats wero passing through. Thtre
Wis not an instant TO spare, aud he i'm
uitda,ey shut oil steam and called to
h, fireman, Jump, Jack, for your liie,"
Nnc same time showing the example
Dy jumping himself.
ne lGu bhitigt thS
10 med Train rushed forward to destruc-
ton. They had barely regained their
,e;twhen there was y crash, rapidly fol-
lSyAb ny Uthers, as car after car was
tiri ol top Of those already in the
ran.. The bleating oil frightened sheep
nnllcl with the lowing OF terrified
tay,s, while the crew Of the train bus
iti Ucniseives IN ascertainlng that 10
ulr HAs hurt. II was all over IN very
lev minute and the result wins before
flem, The engine, when II struck the
open draw seemed to have tried to
sftii across, and while the front wheels
lpl pliot rested on tho opposite bank OF
lie ,lual, the rear part had crushe ed one
Of The pa sing boats to the bott0 IN OF the
wa'er. Seven OF the cars were piled on
top OF the engine, and cn each other
While the remaining two were on the
|4nk.
The wreck WAS piled as high as an or
f!nary three story house; aud US tho cars
were badly broken, eume Of tho sheep
nui calves were thrown into the water.
Th.y were all rescued but two, aud they
sere drowned. 1t seems almost . mir
tpe that no one was injured, and the
Hen only saved their lives by jumping
tom the train as soon as they found that
Ne draw was open.
Those on the two canal boats also
nalc narrow escapes, but mono were
Injured. The captain of one of the bonts
had his little son Oh board, and rs the
scat mass Of machinery came crushing
j.wn upon them he jumped overheard.
.nd would have drowned had not his
Mther FASTENED to his rescue.
Wort of the act ilent WAS Immediately
AT. .,ty MI Als n IN IN a vtnn from
which a wrecking gang WAS sent At oncai
A number ci men were also sent down
from here, and IN about three or four
sours the cars were moved SO that the
IAw, which was uninJurod, could be
sosed, aud train No. 81 which had been
attained on this sido Of the bridge,
passed on down the road.
the north bound freight train,
wer delayed, and the crews turned IN
Ak worked like heroes in ass'sting tt
nAlnve The obstructiops. These meI
tluu,d have been at their homes In thi,
aty Nv o o'clock last evening, but did
PVT each here until after daylight thii
AIEing.
Some OF the cara arc badly broken, and
Vie engine, with its 60 feet plunge. Il
,smosl a total wreck. The canal 10 com
ah.ely blocked, and will remain so unit
b. debris is removed, which will taxi
several days.
Az lar as eau be learned no ono can b,
blain d for the accident, rs L was ono o
ttose that seem almost unavoidable. Th,
light at the draw, It seems, works auto
mstically, and from some cause thi
became disarranged; consequently, whel
ihe draw was turned oil to allow tn
canal boats 10 pass, the lamp becam
reversed and showed danger signal OIL
HE canal, while the ''all right signa
WAS displayed on the railroad. North
] bound passenger train No. "a passe
over the bridge less than half an hou
before the accident. and II certainly
providentiAl that 1t did not happen theu
SIMILAR ACCIDENT.
\ One year ago yesterday a similar acc
dent happened on the Delaware raiiroa
at Laurel. 1t was about 8. 40 O'Clock 1
the morning when, as freight train wa
approaching the bridge over the Broad
kiln river, Engineer w. z. Kirk OF thi
city, eaw that the draw was open. H
pnt on his brakes and reversed th
engine, but finding II too late to avoi
An accident jump from the train. II
was followed by mis- fireman and both o.
capped injury. Tho engiae, tender an
three cars plunged into The river, an
four other cars were jatnm med on II
bridge and derailed. II was fully tw
weeks before the engine was remove