Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-26
TWOFIREMEN KILLED
ACCIDENT ON THE AlLEGt,ANY ROAD
ATTENDED WITH LOSS or LIFE.
A Conductor and Engineer Also Injured
A Fast Watch the Cause Of the Coli.
sion--Two Trains Wrecked.

A frightful collision, which resulted IN
the death of two men and the painful in
jury of several others. occurred at 4:i0 A.
NJ. yesterday on the Richmond and Ale
ghany railroad, between Rock Castle and
Stokess stations, about forty-two miles
from Richmond.
The persons killed were Firemen 8. q.
Mahanes and G. Il. Sicgfried. Those most
seriously hurt were Conductor Mosby and
Engineer T. L. Avery.
The colliding trains were Freights NO.
79, which was made up of loaded coal-cars
and under the charge Of Conductor h. II.
StrattOn. and No. II. composed OF empty
box-cars. and managed by Captain Edgar
w. Mosby. The engines were completely
smashed and fifteen cars were broken up.
The two 6remen met almost instant
death, while Captain Mosby bad hrs arm
broken and received painful scalp
wound. Mr.. I. +. Avery. the engineer on
No. 7s, had his knee badly injured and was
otherwise hurt, though he will recover IN
few days.
With the exception of some slight
bruises the rest OF the menIon the traisi--.
and there were fourteen in all-escaped
without injury.
AROUND SHARP CURVE.
At the time of the accident the two trains
were rounding sharp curve. and each was
going at q speed of about twenty miles an
hour. The engines were SO close upon
each other before the engineers realized
the awful danger which menaced them
that II was impossible TO stop.
Upon being informed of the accident the
company here sent wrecking train at 5:45
o'clock to the scene of the disaster, and
Drs. Mcclure. Brock, and Hugh Taylor
also went with ii. The train reached the
O'Clock. and at o'clock the dead and
wounded were brought to this city.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The bodies of Firemen Mahanes and
Siegfried were taken to Christians under
taking establishment. where they were pre-
pared for burial. Both were mutilated
almost beyond recognition and Siegfried
was horribly scalded, while Mahanes was
terribly crushed.
Mahanes had been in the employ of the
road since 1886. and resided on Wood
street Chelsea Hill. He leaves wife and
six children.
Siegfried came from Columbia, but
boarded in this city at No. 40i east Gary
street. He was unmarried and quite
young.
Conductor Mosby, who had his arm
broken by the collision and was also
wounded on the head. was almost COM
pletely buried in the d@bris of the wrecked
train, and it was with great difficulty that
he was extricated from his perilous posi-
tion.
EXPERIENCES OF ONE OF THE ESoISEEns.
Engineer Avery, who was also painfully
hurt, was seen at his residence. No. ZOOS
Buchanan street yesterday afternoon by a
DISPATCH reporter and asked 70 give de-
scription of the accident. As he was suf-
fering considerable pain and had been
knocked unconscious and remained SO for
nearly twenty minutes, his recollections OF
the first shock were naturally somewhat
confused, but he discussed the matter
with marked complacency and seemed en-
tirely incapable Of knowing fear. He said ;
Just as we turned stiff curve saw the
light of the other engine about twenty-five
or thirty feet in front of me, and without
stopping an instant threw myself back
wards out of the window of the engine.
guess must have struck the ground about
the same time the two engines came TO-
gether. ] was unconscious then FOR twenty
| minutes"
Didn't you experience great horror
l'asked the reporter, on seeing the engine
so near upon you?"
mo" said the sturdy young engineer
"I didn't have time TO get scared"
| II was evident. however, that Avery was
not the kind of man to get easily frighten
ed.
POOR WATCH rHt CAUSE.
When asked how the accident happened
| Mr.. Avery said the watch of tho conductor
on his train (7S) was wrong, and relying
upon this they ran ffty-two minute;
ahead of time.
The accident was the second one which
| Mr.. Avery has been IN, and on both OF
| these occasions he was slightly hurt: He
said last night that he did not know
whether to consider himself a Jonah " OF
| n lucky man.
1t is impossible as yet to ascertain the
extent of the damage caused by the acci-
dent, as the engines were badly broken up,
while the cars were all derailed: BY 5:iS
yesterday afternoon the track had been
cleared by the wrecbing hands.