The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-07-08

the coaches, derailing them. They
jolted along some so feet over the
ties, shaking the passengers up and
giving them the first warning of
their fate, then lett the trestle,
carrying their load of human lives
to death. The forward car rolled
over the bank of the approach to
the trestle, some ten or fifteen feet,
turning completely over and stop
ping upright beneath, the track.
The rear coach tumbled over the
right side of the trestle and rested
upside down a few feet from the
side of the trestle and parallel with
the track The fall was perpandic-
ular and must have been about
20 feet. This was probably the
cause of all the killed and so many
of the injured being cut and mashed
about the head. When the car
turned over they fell head first to
the top of the car and received their
cuts on the head.
Immediately after the fall of the
cars, those who were able started
nobly to the rescue. Engineer Pat
O'Connor, fireman w. S. Wyatt,
postal clerk Hayes and John Nor
veil, who alone remained on the
track, went to the cars, burst open
the windows and removed the
debris sufficiently to let those who
were uninjured escape. A number
of the injured assisted in getting out
those who were worse hurt, and
persons from neighboring farm
houses also arrived and assisted in
the work. Mrs. Thomas, at the poor
farm, supplied a number of sheet
and cloths for bandages, which were
used as best they could be by the
inexperienced hands who were there.
1t was awful work. Pulling the
living and dead out from the cars,
bandaging up the injured, caring
for the dead, quieting the disconso-
late and doing all they could to re-
lieve suffering and prolong life, they
spent an hour or more before the
first relief train arrived from st.
Adams bearing Doctors Lee and
Clark. 1t was not long till the first
train got in from Charleston with
Doctors Thomas, Barber, Putney,
Houston, Tompkins and Champe,
half dozen railroad officials, John
B. White, John O'Connor and Jesse
McLain, all of whom rendered valu-
able assistance. With the arrival of
the physicians the work began to be
easier and better care was rendered
the wounded. Several of those who
were taken out of the cars badly
wounded died soon afterwards. A
dozen were dead when the train
bearing them started back to
Charleston and Mary Sullivan died
on the way up.
Mrs. Mary Wall died before night,
making IA deaths.
About IL o'clock another relief
train was sent down with cots and
blankets. A gruesome sight met the
gaze of those who went down on it.
A long row of corpses was lying in
a field awaiting the arrival of the
train, while in every direction the
injured were scattered. They were
gotten on the train as rapidly as
possible and the CHASTITY load was
brought back to the city, where the
dead were put in charge of the un-
dertakers, and the injured were
taken to their homes or placed
under care of physicians by the rail
road company.
Many narrowing scenes are re-
lated by those who were first on
the ground. Tho force with which
the ponderous trucks crushed down
on tho inverted car carried the bot
tom down with it and the people
inside We're squeezed in tight
between the roof and the floor of
the car. Some of the least injured
managed to crawl to an opening in
the wreck and make their escape,
but many OF them had to be literally
dragged out of their place. One of
the bodies in this part of the car
was found with the head missing
from the mouth up. 1t was the
body of Jasper Daugherty. Some
hours later in rummaging through
the debris, gentleman found what
he thought was another body.
Examination proved it to be the
missing head of Mr.. Daugherty.
Tbo fo..a .,-oc ,~.o-,.I.I L.-1I -