Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-15
THE RICHMOND Observation-Disclosures SEPTEMBER i5 1892.
RAILROAD DISASTER.
A PASSENGER TRAIN PLuNcEs INTO
A MASS or DEBRIS IN a CUT.
Three Persons Killed ard Four Iojured-
EnRias and Cars q Mass OF Wreck
age-Trafic Delayed.
sn.el.l ,.lerram o ths pl.pstch.l

srAuyros. Va, September i4.-A fearful
accident befell the north-bound Chatta-
nooga express, No. 6, on the Shenandoah
Valley railroad about o'clock this morn
inc. half a mile south Of Basic City. There
was a heavy rainfall throughout this sec
ton last night, and as this train, made up
of three Pullman sleepers, dining-car, day
coach. and combination smoker and ex-
press-car. rushed down the grade behind
time. IL encountered a mass OF rocky debris
washed over the track from the Blue Ridge
foothills by o mountain torrent, wnic .hi -
ordinarily dried-up ravine. Early this
morning, when the DIsPATcH correspond
ont reached the scene, the wreck that met
his eye was CHASTITY.
TIE WRECK.
Engine No. z01, completely dismantled;
had pioughed into the side OF q cut and
turned entirely around the front end
OF the boiler, cutting into the side OF the
Pullman dining-car " Ulysses" ana racing
10 tie south. The ombination- car was
mass of wreckago and splints, the days
coach beng thrown athwart the track and
bridging the cut. This latter coach was a
new Pullman. It's strength to Withstand
the powerful shock alone prevented fear
full loss of life, it being crowded with pas
sengers. The last two sleepers were unln-
iured, but the foremost sloaper stuck its
nose into the bank and was badly used up.
THR PASSENGERS.
IL is believed that none of the passen-
gers are seriously injured. Mrs. Adams;
OF Roanoke. was greatly shocked and
bruised. She was transferred, however, TO
another train and proceeded on her Jour-
= Ia Il 49, 40 Nyo u o.
riously injured in the groin.
BILLED ASD INJURED.
Maztin Propst, from Shenandoah, the
fireman, was killed instantly.
Engineer William Darrougb, from the
same town. was dug out dead, being terri
bly, mangled.
Conductor John Updeerove. of Hagers-
town, was entering the dinlng-car when
the terrible crash came. His skull was
fractured and he was fearfullv scalded and
inhaled volumes Of live steam from the
engine, which crushed head foremost into
this car. having turned "A complete somer-
sault while hurting through the mud.
Morris Enrich, n salesman from Poca-
hontas ca route to Baltimore, where he had
been called TO the bedside OF his sick wife,
had his thigh broken near the hip.
Express-M Messenger Laporte received
bad cut above his eye and received another
heavy blow on his head.
&. W. Crow, baggage from Shep.
bardstown, Md, who was IN the forward
oar, which was so badly crushed, escaped
miraculously and suffered little injury.
MEDICAL AID.
The injured persons are being carefully
attended at the Basic City Hotel by Drs.
r. s. Griffith, A. G. Fox. J. $. Myers, and
S. A. Austin. Division Engineer II. ii. :.
Handy and Superintendent Thomas II.
Bransford. of the Shenandoah Valley rail-
road, were early on the scene and giving
every attention to the wounded. The
track is torn up for seyenty-tiVe yards and
trans are blocked on each side. Com
monwealth s-Attorney Meade f. White has
telegraphed the authorities to hold an in
quest. A jury was sworn in this afternoon
aud adjourned till tomorrow.
DELAYED.
Passengers south bound, after waiting
all day to get through, were transferred
around the wreck at 5 p. NJ. They bitterly
complain at the delay in transfer. The
locality of the wreck makes il difficult to
clear the way, as 1t is in cut ankle-deep
with mud and water. Trains will hardly
get through before midnight.