Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-06-05
4 Great Smash-Up.

A Great Smash-Up.
The most disastrous accident that
has ever occurred on the Shenandoah
Valley division of the Norfolk &
Western Railroad happened about
o'clock last Sunday morning at the
Postum Run trestle, in Page county,
about sixty miles south Of Shepherds
town. The railroad company is re-
placing the wooden trestle at Jere-
my's Run, three hundred yards north
! of Postum Run, with an iron struc-
! ture, and all trains are ordered TO
slow up when approaching the latter
and reduce speed to four miles an
hour in passing over the former.
Two freight trains were running
north to Hagerstown, the first loaded
with live stock and the second with
lumber and coke. In the caboose on
the rear of the first freight were a
portion Of the crew and Mr.. James F.
Stricken, of Criglersville, Madison
county, Va, who had several carloads
of sheep aboard. The first train
slowed up and was passing over the
ming at twenty-five miles an hour,
dashed upon it and crashed into the
caboose. The terrific shock unset
tied the trestle, which gave away in
all parts, precipitating the caboose
and two cars Of the first train and
the engine and all the cars of the
second train-to the bottom of the ra-
vine, fifty feet below, which in mo-
ment was almost completely filled
with the debris Of the wrecked trains,
consisting of the engine and twenty
one cars and the timbers Of the tres
tie
People from the surrounding coun-
try quickly gathered and assisted the
uninjured train hands in the work of
rescuing the body of Mr.. Strickler,
who had been instantly killed. The
in and his body otherwise mutilated.
John Reese, of Harrisburg, brake
man on the second train. was rescued.
He is badly injured and may not re-
cover. He was taken to Hagerstown.
Five other train hands were more or
less injured, but none of the latter
seriously.
Superintendent Flickwir and other
officials of the road were soon on hand
with two wrecking trains and large
force of hands, among them being all
the men employed at the stone crush
er at Shepherdstown Although three
hundred men were at work, the work
seemed to progress but slowly, as the
amount Of wreckage was so enormous.
The engine was buried out Of sight,
and the entire train was smashed to
flinders. 1t will take another week
vet to get the wreck all cleared way.
The first work TO be done was the
erection of new trestling, and this
was done by Tuesday.
The cause of the accident seems to
have been that the second train got
away from the control of its crew.
Mr.. Charles Cookus, formerly of Shop
herdstown, was its conductor, and
William Hoover, of Hagerstown, the
engineer. Hoover says he blew for
brakes some distance back, but got
no response. 1t is said that Cookus
was the only man on the train who
was at the brakes, the others being
green hands, who however, managed
to jump in time to save themselves,
Cookus being the last man to leave
the train. The tracks were very wet,
and rendered the few brakes that
were set Of little use. The two trains
met just about the middle of the tres
tie, and every car of the second train
went down, one on top of the other.
About hundred feet Of the trestllng
went down with the cars.
Passenger traffic was paralyzed for
the first day or two, but arrangements
were then made by which passengers
and mails were transferred around
the wreck, although this involved a
haul around the road of about three
miles. No freight was moved until
Tuesday, when the way freight went
South from Hagerstown.