The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-24
An UNIQUE ACCIDENT.
a Coach on tho st. CiaIrsyiilc, Northern
Road fuus hwny-h Wild tildo-Itll the

a Coaoh on tho st. Cihirsyiils Northorr
Road fuus hwny-h Wild tilde-Ili IN,
Passengers Hurt.
Ono oil the most peculiar railway acci.
dents ever known in this vicinity oc.
Cured on ,he St. Clairsvfllc brunch Of
the O., L. K w, railroad Saturday night,
in the form Of runaway coach. Run.
away trains were not uncommon on
mountain roads before tho days Of air.
brakes, but Tor such thing TO occur In
this country aud at this day seems nj /.
most impossible. Tho road from Barton
to st. Clairsville follows the bed OF n
crooked run, and climbs the bill oil the
way up on a heavy grade. Tho last
train Saturday night stopped at the
depot at 81. Clairaville and unloaded its
passengers, when. the engine was un.
coupled from the coach and backed on
a turn.table to be turned before starting
back to Bridgeport. Several persons
boarded tho coach, against tho warning
OF the trainmea, and had Just got com.
iortably seated when the car began TO
move Slowly away from the depot. The
conductor tried to apply the air.brako,
but 1t would not work. He then tried
the hand.brake, and II was out OF order
also. BY this time the car was out Of |
sight OF the depot lights, and had gained |
such speed that tho occupanta were
afraid to jump oil, and the only thing 10 |
DO done was TO hope Tor some accident |
them. "''
As the car ruGbled down tho hollow.
over bridges and around curves, Il
gained sach speed that the lamps were |
oil put cut, II kept the track all OF the
way, crossed the creek a. 81. ClairsyilIe
junction, and ran through the Switch
upon the main track OF the g., L. 4 W..
and almost down to Barton Station, be-
lore 1t encountered any obstruction,
A coal train was standing ut Barton,
bauled by engine No. ., and without
warning, tho dark coach crashed into
the engine, wrecking both the car and
the engine completely. The front end
Oh the engine was torn away and the
boiler stripped back to the bell. The
speed of the car is not known, but il
struck the engine so hard that It crashed
through the coach and stopped within
aoout ten feet OF having reached the
rear end Of the car.
All the occupants OF the car wcre in.
Iured. Below is list OF them:
hlrs. Hess, OF Wegee, side and shoulder
David Carl, D. 4 0. conductor, severe
scalp wound.
William Holner, conductor OF train,
hand and face badly cut and bruised.
Mrs. uoDner, cut and bruised about
he face and head.
Mrs. Jack Rex, left limb and ankle
bruised and sprained.
NJ. Z. Shanick, OF Wheeling, face cut.
Mrs. W. s. Taggar., Of Barton, back
bruised and cut, and it is feared hurt in
.erually. :
James Anderson, OF Bellaire, right
nm dlslocated and badly brrigcd.
Medical aid was at. once called, and
The injured persons made rs comfortable
Is possible.
Ihe distance the runaway coach trav.
'led is about four miles, and over m
exceedingly bad piece OF road, and the
act thatisstuck to the rails seeEs q mir
lcle: The ride was wild one, to cav
no least, as the car at some places haS q
ieloclty OF much more than mile per
minute. It ls one OF the many railway
,asualues arising from old customs, and
or which no one is to blame, as the
men in charge OF the train were doing
all that was possible with the facilities
furnished by the management for hand
ing cars az that point.
1t hes been less than one month since
.he came coach jumped the track one
mile west Of Bridgeport aud rolled down
IN embansmont, while running very
Iastt and hurt several passengers.