Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-10-03
Al CRASH ON THE RAIL.

Two men were killed and three in
lured.
Right where the accident happened
is deep cut, a sharp curve and a
grade. Engine No. 435, pulling an
extra freight, was running along at
the rate of seventeen miles an hour
through the cut. The conductor and
one brakeman were in the caboose.
Engine No. 391. with a regular train,
was behind time and was going at
the rate of about % miles an hour.
A dense fog prevailed at the time and
it was impossible to see fifty yards
ahead. No 391 was in charge of
Lewis Rogers. Charles Earnest, an
engineer from the first division, was
being shown the road by Rogers and
was in the cab.
AS the train rounded the curve
Rogers saw the hind end of 435 and
quickly reversed his engine. He was
too late, however. His engine struck
the hind end of the other train with
terrific force. His fireman jumped
from the engine and escaped with a
few slight bruises. Earnest was
thrown from the engine. He landed
on his head beside the engine, which
was wrecked completely. The escap.
ing steam scalded him terribly from
head to foot and his skin, when han.
died. came off in shreds. His skull
was also fractured. Rogers stayed on
the engine and was badly scalded
about the face, head and hands. His
right leg was severely bruised also.
VIM. Thorpe, a former employee
OF the railroad, was sitting on the
bumper of car midway in the train.
When Rogers reversed the engine he
was pitched forward and caught be-
tween two cars. He received terrible
injuries about the hip and abdomen.
He had been to Cumberland to see the
circus and was on his way to Keyser
where he lives. Conductor thinner
man and brakeman Hardy, who were
in the caboose of the forward train
were severely shaken up. They es-
capped with few scratches. Wreck
ing trains were sent from Keyser and
Cumberland and special train left
Cumberland with Drs. Carr and Mil
Ter. On arriving at the scene all med
lcal attention possible was rendered
the injured men, but to no avail.
They were put on the special and
brought to the Queen City Hotel.
Thorpe died at ten minutes past
one Sunday afternoon and Earnest at
twenty-five minutes of two. The
bodies were taken in charge by I'm
dertaker Butler who prepared them
for burial. Thorpe's body was sent to
Keyser and Earnest's to Martinsburg.
Thorpe was single. Earnest leaves a
family.
The scene at the wreck shortly after
the run i'll beggared description. En-.
CINE No. 39l was turned directly
across the track with the pilot up
against the walls of the cut.
About seventeen cars were piled in
a Heterogeneous mass on the tracks.
The hind train was damaged most
and had on quantity of fine freight.
Hats, umbrellas and groceries of all
kinds were scattered about. Bursted
tea caddies were lying all around.
The people in the neighhorhood when
they heard of the wreck, came nobly
to the aid of the trainmen and render.
ed effective assistance in gathering up
the freight. The damage is placed al
from $4,000 to $1,000. Trains were
run around over the tracks of the
West Virginia Central all day.
The south track was cleared at half
past six but the north track was not
clear until late at night.
THE RUN OFF THE TREsTLE.
Train No. s, due here at 7:20 a. NJ,
was run into Cumberland over the
West Virginia Central tracks. While
crossing the trestle between the canal
and city the driving wheels on the
engine jumped the track at a sharp
curve where the trestle is about fit. |
teen feet high and serious accident
was narrowly averted. Along the
edge OF the trestle is guard log and
the wheels of the locomotive were
resting against it. With considera-
BILE difficulty she was placed on the |
track again and went across the tres.
tie alone. a West Virginia Central
engine again hooked on and took the |
train to Baltimore. She was delayed |
about s hours by the wreck and &C.
cident.- Cumberland NelrS.
Charles p. Ernest married a daugh-
ter of Mrs. Muth, widow of John
Muth, an old employee of the B. & o.
in former years. Mr.. Ernest and
family lived at Brunswick, where he
Cad built nice home, being one of
The first to go down from here. He
leaves wife and two children.
We do not like to needlessly criti.
'ize any management, but two points
'eem to be erIminally apparent in the
b. d o. service. /. The run from
Brunswick to Keyser is beyond the
endurance OF human nature, and in
nearly all of the many wrecks some
body is reported asleep in the caboose.
!. When any business or work is so
'ushed that Sunday Is overdone and
iesecrated even more than the regu-
ar legal hours of week day, lit seems
hat no good or profit arise to any
me. 3. The State is bound to protect
he lives of its citizens and it should
BASS a strict law that no man be left
lone in control as engineer or brake
nan who can not pass an examina-
ion showing that he fully and per-
ectly understands his duties and sur.
Young Ernest had been running to
dartinsburg, where some one was
allied 10 relieve him as he was not &C.
uainted with the run westward. On
sunday the dispatch called for "pi- .
OF" instead of an engineer, and
hough an engineer responded and
ook charge, Ernest made the run
with him instant IF s,o,r;.c. Loso