Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-09-09
TWO TRAINS COME TOGETHER.
Two Engines and Nearly Fifty Cars
Smashed.
A LIST OF THE CASUALTIES.
Two Men Killed, Two Dangerously Wounded,
and Four Slightly Hurt--Wreckage
Strewn Along the Track fora Quar-
ter Of a Mile--How the Ac-
cident Occurred.
Special nl.qram to n. R.r.l1r.

LIruEroN, W. Va, September s.-
One Of the most disastrous freight
wrecks occurring along the line OF thc
Baltimore and Ohio railroad I'm rccrnt
years, happened on what is known a-
the Littlcton grade, three-quarter, OF %
mile west OF this place, at half-pa,t
eleven o'clock last night. Two engines
were completely wrecked. together with
their tenders. Between forty and iiiy
freight ears were torn and twisted into
mingled mass Of old iron and kindlIng
wood; a score OF carloads OF freight
was thrown hither and thither, and.
what is worst Of all. two men were
killed, two others very dangerously
wounded, and four or five moro >u,-
tanned wounds OF nature sufficient to
lay most Of them on their Regular
runs for some time to come.
The exact cause Of this terrible mis-
hap is not definitely known. owing
largely to the reticcncc OF railroad men
IN such matters, but from an that cam
be gathered, il seems that the rcspou,.-
biity rests with some one in the train
dispatcher, Office at Grafton. Ordcr-
had been sent wcst-bound freight.
running asa special, and consisting of
thirty ears, 10 meet freight train No
~, east bound, ON the middle switch. go
Cameron, but through some oversight
no corresponding orders were sent out
! 10 the regular train % meet the special
there. The natural result va. q co'-
lisiOn, and a. each train was exception
ally heavy. drawn by powerful cngin,-.
with the addition OF pa hers behind
and each was running about as hard 90.
possible, the one to make up some lost
time, and the other To get to Clmcfou
IN the time mentioned iu the special or.
ders, the crash was a terrible one. and thc
resulting damage as great as one often
secs. even under such very favorable
conditions. That more live, were uOi
sacrificed, is one Of the most singular
thing connected with the mishap.
The weSt-bound train. the special.
consisted OF about fourteen or fifteen
cars. drawn by one OF the largest
"camel-backS" owned by the Company.
10 being No. 40. IN charge OF Conductor
;. ). Daley, Of Cameron, Engineer Dom
mick Kelley, Fireman j. j. JcIcrs. ol
Warrington, and several brakcmcu.
The east-bound regular train. 80. 1e
was In charge Of Conductor James
Elliott, Of Littleton, Engineer Charlie
Lichte, and Fireman Lyle, and cone
sisted Of thirty ears. The cngincdraW
ing the long train was one OF thc new.
est and latest pattern "mOuntaiu climb
crS, being No. 1900, and behind WAS
pusher. 10 give assistance with thr
heavy load. This train was running
under regular orders. and Conductor
Elliott knew nothing about the special.
with which hc was SO soon to scrape
an acquaintance. No. g2 seem. tO
have been little behind time. and wa..
therefore, being run at something more
than the regular speed. while the special
was also going very fast, Conductor
Daley being anxious TO get tO Cameron
on time. The LittlctOn grade is very
bad one, rising 50 feet In about haif
mile. and the one train came down it
very swift, while the other started up
under all steam, ia order 10 make the
top without loss OF time 80. 90 struci.
the grade at one end just as the special
took IL at the other, and the two trains.
bolting along snder full steam, came
together with crash which was plain
ly heard by the telegraph operator at
| this point. more than half "A mile away.
just whore the two engines came ta-
gcthcr. there is a very steep bank ou
one side Of the track. and The twD rn.
gincs. their tenders and the cars follow
Ing piled up ON top Of each other auI
fell over against this bank until thc
wrcckagc was twenty feet high. 1000 .n-
cXtricable mass Of spintercd wood and
twisted iron and steel. Back 0f This.
the ears were Jammcd together. skrw,I
around ON the track. or split open from
end 10 end, their contents whore There
was any, being mixed up with thc bro
ken timbers. Telegraph poles were
broken of, tho track torn up. and thr
wrcckage was strcwcd along the l.ue Doe
greater or less profusion for q distance
OF about a quarter Of mile. A worse
looking wreck was never seen ON This
end OF the road. and q glance at DO. just
after the accident. by the glare Of llu-
terms, made 10 seem as though it would
take hundred men half week to clear
il out Of the way
When the two trains came together.
Engineer Lichtc had time 10 jump from
hi, cab. and thus probably escaped being
instantly killed. As il was Dee ,us-
tanned q very serious sprain 90 his back.
aud one leg was badly twisted. Hi, m-
iurics were very painful but Doc wil
pull through AN right. Lichtc wa.
German. twenty year. OF age.
Fireman Lyle. on the same engine
with Lichtc. was caught in the wreck.
and held down, being horribly scaldcd
an over the body before be- could bc
rescued. He also sustained bad cash
on his head. Hopes are entertained for
his recovery
Fireman JcIers. of the west bound
freight train, was running on the rn-
ginc iu place ~ John kiliccn. who laid
of Tor the run 10 take part In the re-
ception 10 r. Rev. Bishop Kain. of
Wheeling. A. the instant OF the c0I.
lisiOn JefIers was shOyeling coal into
the furnace. and ihe first intimation De-
had Of the accident was the crash of
the engines as they came together.
JciIers was caught by both legs between
the front edge Of the tender aud the
rear Of his engine and his legs were
literally pinched of. lie was still
alive when released from the wreck by
the willing hands soon attracted 10 the
scene. but died in about fifteen minute.
lie was about thirty years Of age.
Brakeman W. K.Toothman, of the east
bound train, was Instantly killed. lie
stuck 20 his train, and when the crowd
Of employees and others surrounded the
wreck, IL became evident that both he
and Jeifers were in the bottom OF th.
mass, and how to get at them was
question. The debris was piled up
twenty feet or so. and to attempt 10
move II would be to bring the mass stHl
more tightly upon the two men. crush
fuO ONT their life il anvsrart- " r.,,.,i,.,.l