Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-17
TERRIBLE DEATH.
A ROCK PLUNGES INTO A CAR On THE
CHARTERS ROAD
At Pi.sburg aud Instantly Kills Miss Clara
Fleming, a Cousin Of The Governor u This
Sale-Othsrs In the Car Slightly Hurt.
Death Was Instantaneous

hNaRtA W - AAoAdANAutiu's
/ Pur,EUEC, PA. February lG-With-
out an instant's warning; totally uncOn-
SciOus that danger was near, Miss Clara
/ Fleming, Of Washington, Pa, was in
Stanty killed this morning. a heavy
boulder fell from the hillside between
/ Point Bridge and Birmingham, crashed
/ through the ear in which She was sit
/ ting, fractured her skull terribly and
broke her neck.
/ A chain Of most unfortunate circum-
stances cOnSplred 10 accomplish the ter
riOle accident. First, because Of Sey-
eral small landSlides the Washington
accommodation was compelled to run
east on the weStbound track, and Tor
the same reason the train was some 20
minutes late and passed the point just
in time TO realize the awful cOnSe-
QuenceS of fall of boulder weighing
according 10 various estimates from $50
TO 800 pounds.
Miss Fleming occupied seat with j.
L. DOnehOe ia the third coach. which
was the last but one, about four seats
f.Om the rear of the car. or notably
amiable disposition, proud in the con
SciousneSS that i'm another month she
would be qualified 10 materially assist
her widowed mother in providing Tor
two brothers, and meaSurably lessen
her mothers burden. she chatted gaily
with several friends seated near her,
whose favor they were all glad TO win.
IL was in the midst of happy conver-
Sati0n that i crash and the breaking OF
glass startled the occupants OF the car.
With the QuickueSS of a flash OF light
ming a shadow fell, aud with il went
ont the lite Of this popular young
woman. This apparent shadow, in re-
.ality substance the most cruel,
crushed out her young life and horribly
crushed her head, breaking her neck
and killing her instantly.
George L. Murray, Esq, was on the
Washington accommodation, due ut >;i1,
but was running about 20 minutes late.
As TO giving any account of the mat
ter the case will not admit of il, for it all
happened 50 quickly, and the conSe-
0uenceS So awful" said he. Il was
looking down AZ the tracks when some
one said, there's stone falling, and
heard the crash. Then word ran through
the train that lady was hurt But il
was soon discovered that she had been
instantly killed.
The rock came through the top OF
the window as neatly rs thought II had
been put through, carried away blinds
and sash, killed the lady, took the end
out of the seat i'm which she and Mr..
Donohoe were sitting Miss Flemins'S
neck was broken, her skull was horri-
bly fractured, aud the StranseSt part OF
it an is that people sitting near her ala
not know she was seriously injured.
The rock rested on DOuehOe' : legs and
some one lifted il of. IL is marvcl louS
how he escaped mortal injury. The
car was the third in the train. next 10
ths last. aud had the stone fallen three
seconds later the train would
have passed. The point where
the accident occurred was IN
the ncishborhood OF the Clinton
mill almost opposite the foot of Market
street. lt was some moments before
the other women iu the ear knew the
accident was fatal. and IL was not until
then that two or three OF them tainted.
This is the first passenger that has been
killed on the CHARTERS branch Of the
Panhandle road.
Mr.. Frank Ol.er, student At Dun :,
OF Washington, sat Two seats IN 'front.'
.oIMis> Fleming. lie said;
AT point between Birmingham
and Point Bridge rock probably about
. feet long. . fceI wide Ind foot thick
nearly cube, struck the ear just
above the windcw, penetrated the
roof and fell upon Miss Fleming. The
rock fell with terrific force and killed
the unfortunate lady instantly
G.. II. jackson. of Ingram, also stu
dent M Duf'S, was in the ear in which
Miss Fleming was seated. "Ihere had
been some small slides on the eastbound
track. " said he, and W. came east on
the weSt-bOund track, because the
wreck train was at work on the other
track. The rock which killed MISS
Fleming must have fallen from well up
ON The hillside. IL struck Miss flem-
ing. killed her instantly, and continued
its Hirht downward, breaking the seat
I'm which she aud MIR Donehoc were
sitting. Immediately after the stone
had done its work Miss Fleming fell
over upon Mr.. Donehoe and he held her
until the train reached the city. Blood
flowed freely from deep wounds III her
head. and strramed down over his
clothes.
No one for several moments realized
the extent OF Miss Fleming's injury save
possiblv Dr. Libby, of. Washington who
sat In the seat directly Ia front Ol her,
and MIR. Donehoe. He turned quickly'
Immediately after the crash. and his
prartical eve saw that death was pain
] less and instantaneous. The poor girl
meyer spoke, not even a cry OF pain eS-
caped her. She fell upon Mr.. ponehoe,
who. with the exception Of moment
during great excitement, held her man
innate form until the body was removed
| from the train, and was carefully con-
,eyed 10 SIMPSONS undertaking rooms,
where il was prepared for burial.
/ After doing its deadly work the ooui-
der lodged upon Mr.. DOnehue lap, and,
liz is said. was lifted of. The force OF
its fall broke down the seat, and lying
Idebris slightly cut the right cheek ana
hand of Miss Baldwin. student at
/ nuf'S College. She did not know MISS
Fleming had been killed until the intel
ligence was brought TO her IN the
smoker where she had gone. Other
passengers in the car did not know oi
The fatality of the accident for some
minutes and then two or three women
in the ear tainted.
Miss Clara Fleming was ia her lath
wear: tall. with beautiful brown mar
and eyes, aud disposition 50 SAMMY ana
kiudly aud charitable that her compan-
ions all of them, counted it boon TO
bud favor with her. For several
months she has been student at Dun ;
College. taking a course in business ana
stenography, and would have graduated
next month. During this time She has
travelled daily to and from her home,
and il has been noticed by passengers
who frequent the incoming train upon
which she met her death that If by some
chance she became separated from her
companions in debarkng, they inyaria-
I bly waited for her
Miss Fleming was daughter Of Mrs.
Rosa Fleming. aud granddaughter OF \.
: harms. postmaster at Fairmont, w.
Va. during the Cleveland administra-
tion. The relatives of the family are
numerous at Fairm0nt, the residence oil
0oyernor Fleming, of West Virginia.
vhoisa a cousin Ot the unfortunate young