Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-30
A NIGHT HORROR.

II
| repose and contentment. By the regulatioo'
| of the CITY government no whistle or sound o
approach. or the moving of railroad trains ex
| cept the unavoidable rumblipg of the wheels
1 Is allowed in the city limits. The many trains
| which pass on the G. & y. line in day time ant
| through The night, come and depart without
| the observation of the people generally. Ont
| of the night trains is that known as No. :, thu
| Cincinnati and Old Point and Washington Elk
press, arriving from the west at steunt ton o.
| LBS A. NJ. Last Sunday night 1t was about al
hour late George w. Wright, an experienced
| aud reliable conductor was in charge, and inc
Chalkley, an equally competent and faithful
engineer directed the great moving power o
| the pondercus train.
THE AIR POWER.
The engineer says thas when about two and
O half miles from Staunton, the air was work
Ing very well, and when Rppi, ing the air fol
the stop at Stauntop, be discoy, rel that IL die
not work except on the engine. When he dis
covered this, he blew for brakes which was
Responded to by the baggage-master The
Epoint at which the engineer blows for Staunton
is about a mile west of the station.
THE TRAIN UNCHECKED.
The swift rate of speed at which the train was
going soon placed it in the yard at Staunton
with its several curved tracks. THIS unusual
speed at that point was observed by the baggage
and railroad men on the platform. These
several curves gave the cars swaying motions
from side to side and the curve west, just be-
fore entering the one which bends outward or
to the north of the track which runs east and
| west had thrown their leaning position
towards the platform. close to which the track
for the passenger trains is located.
| THE PASSENGER STATION AND PLATFORM.
q hr1ilf 1tr1rrc % 41,o
ticket office are, as stated. the north side of
the track. Tho platform, with its covering, ex-
tends along the entire space between the two
baggage rooms, about three hundred feet. The
| Station building is west of the center of this
space. The roof of the platform had prof Getting
| cornice, the raiters of which were rounded and
| furnished part of the architectural design and
finish. The cars leaning to the north and
| towards the platform. came in contact with
| the ends of the rafters and the cornice at the
| western end of the same. The roof rested on
| single center line of iron columns supporting
| cross beams. and upon the latter were the
length bearers supporting the rafters and roof.
| THE CoNCUssIoN-THE SLEEPER.
Some of the front cars showed signs of light
contact with the projecting cornice of the roof
| over the platform, but the fearful conclusion
occurred as the last-the sleeping car-ran
commenced near the upper or western end of
the roof of the platform, the sleeper moving 1t
down as grass. and swapping the oinch iron
columns at their base which stood thirteen
feet apart as if they were no more than pipe
stems, and this for the length OF nearly three
hundred feet. The front roof of the passenger
| station and window and the front wall of the
eastern baggage house were STAYED in
Onward the train sped its way after passing
| through the yards of curves and switch con-
nection, sticking to the track, but thu last car.
THE SLEEPER
meeting with increased resistance, flew the
| track, but not till long latter beam had been
driven through its upper space and its parts
wreck in broken fragments and spIinters and
in that conditionit was thrown upon its side at
the farthest end OF the platform, all the forepart
of the train passing and not being halted
till nearly half mile had been run and partly
on upgrade.
THE DISASTER.
On the train were the Dramatic Corps, known
as the Pearl ofPekin Company" of NewYork.
about forty in number. Fifteen of them were
in the sleeper. One. Miss Myrtle Knox, of
Kansas City. was killed. Mrs. Augusta Fisch
and her daughter. Miss Berthe Fisch, were in.
jured the first internally and the other pros-
trated by shock and now quite feeble. Miss
Edith Miller, ankle broken and internal in
juries. Miss lone Dun ham, ankle badly sprain
ed Mra Edw ard Webb, confused thigh. Mr.
Lewis Harrison, scalp wound. Mr.. Edward
Stevens, dislocated shoulder. Mr.. Herman
Perlet, Manager of the Company, severely
shocked and famed. Misses Minnie Dreher,
Addie Walton, Vera Thorpe Mrs. Louis Har-
rison, and Messrs. Edward Webb and Gilbert
Clayton were not hurt
Mr.. II. r Fitzpatrick, lumber merchant OIL
New York, was also in the sleeper. He was
cut about the head and on his legs.
The condition and feelings of the dy ing lady
and the wounded as well as those who escaped
without serious injury in that time CT suspense
cannot be imagined or described by those who
experienced the situation after the sleeper
made its plunge.
THE ALARM AND THE RESCUE.
Among the passengers waiting on the plat
form to take the train was R. R. Andrews. of
the firm of Myerley & Andrews of this city,
who, quickly taking in the situation, ran for
the key and to the nearest fire-elarm box No
"a, and gave the signal.
Quickly the firemen and many others and
policemen ran to the spot. A fire had COM
menced inside, but few buckets of water soon
extinguished it. Lights were procured md the
work of relief commenced. All except Mr. and
Mrs. Louis Harrison, aud Mrs. and Miss Fisch
were taken to the Virginia Hotel. These four
were taken into the residence OF Mr.. Sickles at
the Satisfactory adjoining the station. Mr.
Sickles was one of the men who did such nobi
WORK at the wreck, and to him and his wife
those under their roof and the whole pany
desire to make their grateful acknowledgment
Mr.. Kilpat-ick who is large man, with fine
energy and strong will, preferred to go to his
how ir,N nrv Vort
he was carried into the vestibule train which
passed East at 9 O'Clock A. NJ.
The death of Miss Knox was ndescribably
sad. Sac was borne 10 the em pa Inning rooms
of Messrs. s. M. Wilkes G. Co.'S, and there the
body was prepared for its long journey to that
home in the West she had so recently left, and
for interment there. AS she lay in the habili-
ment of the dead, many persons visited the
place, as well as her immediate friends of the
company of which she was member. She was
pretty blonde about Ii years OF age, and the
manager of the company says was an accom-
plished young lady of fine education and adj
dress. Her features were delicate and beauti-
fully moulded. 1t was plain to the observer.
ffom the expression other features that daring
the few min utes Of life, after the terrible blows
and piercing wounds her body had received,
| that internal pain tortuI red her the current
| Vi INC WAS epSing away. Ihe bcdy was sent 10
| her family at Blue Springs, Jackson county,
| Missouri which is near Kansas City, where
she previously filed the position of tele-
| graph operator.
INCIDENTS.
Dir. A. Nj. Henkel. of this city, is the physi-
| clan here of the Railroad Company. He and
number OF his professional brethren were
promptly at the scene of distress to render
kind officer, which they continue to do.
| The wounded are doing as well as could be
expected, but several of them that were in the
sleeper and reported uninjured we're yesterday
feeling sore and feeble from the shock they re-
ceived. Considerable interest in the welfare OF
the company under tho shock which befell
them was manifested in Baltimore where their
| engagement was to have commenced on the
night following that Of thu disaster. AS soon as
| they are in condition. the ensagement will be