Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-15
cAUanr a RAILROAD rEAr.

Thrilling Accident at the Pennsylvania
Avenue Crossing of the II. & d. Rail
ad--JOsapii Henvis' Team Caught
Between the Gates in Front of an
Approaching Trnin.-Sarrow Escape
From Death.
Joseph Ilpnvis, u butcher living on
the Wilson farm owned by Colonel
Henry A. du Pont, near Greenville,
narrowly escaped instant death at the
Pennsylvania avenue crossing OF the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad Tuesday
evening.
Henyis had been delivering meat in
this city and started to return home
shortly after o'clock, lie proceeded
out Pennsylvania avenue and continued
on his journey until the =. 4 o. cross
! ing was reached about I.37 o'clock.
! When the horse and dearborn drew near
the railroad the safety gates were just
| going down to allow 4 north bound
freight to pass. The night was in
tensely dark aud the wind was blowing
quite sayagcly Henvis waited until the
freight had passed the crossing when
he urged his horse on toward the rail
road track.
The Newark and Singerly accommo-
dation due ut Delaware avenue station
at 7,35 was just pulling out from the
depot Henyis failed to heed the warn
ing of the approaching train. About this
time the gate which guards the eastern
approach to the crossing was blown
upward by the wind, and thinking the
tlagman was hosting the gate, Henvis
started to cross the track. The gate
guarding the western approach was
down.
STRUCK by THE TRAIN.
Henyis had reached point about
midway between the gates and directly
upon the track when passenger train
No. Al due south came along. Before
he realized his awful predicament the
engine had dashed into the vehicle,
, There was shrill whistle of the engine
followed by loud crash, and fora time
j the obstruction was nowhere to be seen
: Meantime, Joseph 3Ierkle, who at
tends the gates at the crossing, heard {
noise outside the Matchbox as ii somt
e huge object had been hurled witt
2 tremendous force alongside. Going
= ont he discovered the horse driven BY
n Ilenyis, lying close by the Matchbox
!. The train had evidently separated TIN
l. horse from the wagon, hurled the forme
s distance of 40 feet, nearly striking TIL
a Matchbox on the west side of the track
y while the wagon was sent flying jus
T. south of the west-bound track. Nh
,r vehicle was mashed into splintereens
Ie while the horse escaped with few cut
{. and bruises about the body.
rs nENyIs BADLY INJURED.
A search was at once made for til
driver of the vehicle, and Ilenyis wa
: found lying about Is feet from the spc
to where the accident occurred, on the cas-
ie side of the track. He was removed 9
once to the house OF George Hardi
ir which is close by, and DIR. John Paine
Jr, Immediately summoned. lie foun
\. the injured man suffering from a col
~ fused wound on top Of the head frol
"a which blood flowed profuscly. IL
body was covered with bruises, and /
complained Of injuries to his back. Il
was later in the evening placed in a ca
and removed to his home near Greel
al willie. He is 23 years old. Fatal result
from the injuries are not expected.
/ IT WAS A NARROW ESCAPE.
n The accident caused no damage to Il
id passing train. The conductor stoppt
IRIS as soon as the collision occurred, viii
D. the crew at once removed tile obstru
he tions from the side Of the track. Pc
ne sons who saw the accident marvel
by the fact that the driver, together wi
his horse and wagon, were not grour
ID in fragments. Tho only reason assign
I'm is the fact that the train was running
rs comparatively full speed, and probab
Mt. averted more serious accident
his knocking the distractions clear Of I
ed track instead of running over them.