Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-13

Riverside Accident--The Cause Not Yet
Known, Nor the Extent of the Loss.
The wrecking of freight train on
the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti-
more railroad, Tuesday evening, delayed
traffic both north and south for nearly
two hours, and caused much damage to
property. Fortunately no one was in
jured. The wreck occurred at River
side, four miles north of this city, about
6.10 o'clock.
Locomotive No. 1924, in charge of
Engineer Sherwood, was drawing Is
cars loaded with perishable freight and
merchandise up the grade above Edge
Moor. The train, which had come up
The Delaware road and over the cutoff,
was moving slowly up the track. When
the train reached Riverside 10 cars sud
denly jumped the track and went crash
ing into the cross-ties, the heavy iron
wheels grinding the cross-ties to splint-
ers. The sides of two of the cars were
smashed in and the remainder were
piled up along the track.
Just as the wreck occurred, Whining
ton accommodation No. 10, leaving
Philadelphia at 400 and due in this city
at 5.14, came along. A derailcd freight
car struck the rear end of one of the
passenger cars knocking off the end Of
the car and smashing three windows.
No one was Injured in the passenger
coaches.
The wreck hlockaded the north bound
passenger and freight tracks, the de-
rallied cars being piled up in confusion.
The fruit and vegetable cars, when the
crash came, poured some of their freight
upon the ground, and this lay in heaps
on either track The fruit and vegeta-
bles and other perishable fruit were
almost destroyed
The work Of removing the wreck be-
gan about $50 o'clock. Wrecking
trains were dispatched from Philadel-
phia and Wilmington and soon gangs
of men were at work in removing the
debris. The wreck had blocked all three
tracks between Edge Moor and
Bellevue, the freight track and both of
the passenger tracks. These tracks being
blocked caused all the north and south
bound passenger and fast freight trains
TO be late. The block signal system here
showed its effectiveness in keeping the
trains far enough apart 10 avoid COLI
sions.
In getting The broken and smashed
cars from the tracks the workmen had
to use heavy derricks in hosting them.
A temporary Telegraph station was es-
tablisbed at the scene of the wreck and
the train dispatcher's office in this city
was kept constantly informed Of the
progress of clearing away of the wreck.
The accident caused the Norfolk eX-
press to be nearly an hour late on ar
irving at this city, while the 1906 pas
senger train going south was one hour
late.
Workmen labored all night in clear
ing the track, after the passenger tracks
had been cleared, and by o'clock this
morning all trains were running as
usual. News of the wreck attracted
crowds to the railroad station, who were
satisfied when told no lives had been
lost, as had been prematurely reported
A railroad official said this morning
that the cause Of the accident was prob.
ably the breaking down OF one Of the
cars. At any rate, he said, it was not
due to the spreading Of the rails, some.
thing which seldom occurs on first
class road. The exact cause of the
smash-up, the railroad man said, would
be ascertained to-day.
The same official, when asked for an
estimate of the damages, said that nc
figures had yet been decided upon, and
IL was almost impossible as yet to say
what the damage is. 1.-THE report that
the damage will reach $40 200, however
is preposterous," the official said.
A SIMILAR WRECK ON THE h. g. o.
A very disastrous wreck also occurred
on the Philadelphia division Of the =
q, ~ -
ternoon, about o'clock. A long freight
train passed over Ridley creek bridge
when set Of trucks on car in about
the centre of the train broke. The trair
separated at this point and seven cars
left the track and became piled ur
across both main tracks, some climbing
up considerable distance on the steer
embankmept.
The accident happened at point
known as McIlvain's cut, short dis
lance above AIelrose avenue crossing
No one was injured by the accident.
tramp, however, crawled out of one al
the derailed and broken cars unhurt
The first thing he asked for after having
such a narrow escape was the direction
Of the nearest spring where he could gel
drink of water. He was told to &c
back in the direction of the wreck, but
he refused, say ig: 81 have had enough
of that train. My destination Is Balti
more"
The accident caused entire delay OIL
travel from till o'clock. Two wreck
ing trains, one from Philadelphia and
the other from this city, together witt
large forces of workmen, were engaged
in clearing away the wreck the greater
part Of the afternoon and evening. Tn,
loss, it is thought, will reach from $50,
900 to $4,000.