Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-05-20
A Fryghtfui Smashup.

1Olk western ndiirodu, uue III
Shepherdstown at liz q. H., met
with frightful accident at O'Clock
last Sunday morning at Monders
Switch. about six miles north of this
place, in Maryland. Conductor Will
liam Hays was instantly killed and
eight passengers were injured, two OF
them probably fatally.
The train left Hagerstown on time
at 1910, with Captain Hays as con-
ductor; John Clements baggage
master; Engineer Swink; Fireman
Clingan, and Brakeman Charles
Bowie. The train was composed OF
the engine, express car, baggage car,
smoking car, one passenger coach
and a Pullman sleeping car from
Philadelphia In the latter car there
were some twenty passengers, all OF
whom had retired to their berths.
The train was running very fast rs 1t
neared Mondel's. The light on the
switch showed the proper signal, and
the engineer had no thought OF
danger. Three freight cars, partly
loaded with hay, stood Oh the siding
| The engine of the passenger train,
the express, the baggage and the
! front trucks Of the smoking car pass
ed the switch safely, and then it flew
open. The rear trucks of the smoker
and the passenger coach smashed IN
| to the freight ears, the engine drag =
ging them on and grinding and smash
! ing them into fragments. 1t was a
complete wreck. and the wonder is
that any person in the passenger
coach escaped with his life.
Captain Hays was just passing from
one coach TO the other when the
crash came. He was thrown against
a big rock at the side of the road and
instantly killed, his skull being crush
ed in in several places. The injured
passengers were covered with the de
briS several Of them being insensible.
! Those who were not hurt severely
began the work Of rescue, and En-
! gineer Swink, taking in the situation
at once, started his engine at its swift
est speed for Shepherdstown. From
here he reported the accident, and
Drs. 4. S. Reynolds and G. L. '. ).
| Butler were hastily summoned and at
once carried TO the scene Of the wreck
on the locomotive. The ballast train
here was quickly manned with force
of workmen and put to work on the
wreck. Physicians and wOrkmen were
also sent from Hagerstown, and by Z
O'Clock the track was cleared and the
injured removed to Hagerstown.
The injured were John h. Hawk,
aged IS years, Of Lewistown, Pa, who
had one of his legs crushed, cuts on
head and body and internal injuries
b. a. Rogers. of Buchanan, Va, skull
fractured and internal injuries; Chas.
y. Wenner, travelling freight agent
of the y. & W., badly cut and bruised
and ankle sprMned; William Enslin&-
er. James p. Hawk, b. V. l.. CLANCY
and one or two others sustained cuts
and bruises Of minor character.
None of the passengers in the sleeper
was hurt, though most Of them were
thrown from their berths by the force
of the collision.
Captain William Hays, who met
such sudden death, was an old and
popular railroad man. He was 90
wears of age, and Al years of his life
were spent as a railroad employee.
He came from the Pennsylvania road
to- the Shenandoah Valley about
twelve wears ago. 1t is said that he
never missed q day from sickness, and
was rarely absent from his post from
any cause. \ wife and n son and
daughter, who live in Philadelphia,
survive him. He had just been home
to see them the week previous. 1t is
said that Captain Hays, who was
quite well off, intended shortly to re
tire from active work.
A coroner's inquest was held IN Ha-
serstown Sunday afternoon, when
the evidence showed that the bolt
which connects the switch bar to the
tracks had fallen out from some cause,
and the Earring of the wheels had
caused tho switch to fly open. The
jury rendered the following verdict;
That the said William Hays came
to his death by being thrown from
train No going south on the Norfolk
& Western Railroad, on the morning
of May Is, 1892, at about one o'clock,
at Moudell's switch, caused by SAID
train being thrown from the tracks at
said point, portion of the rear end
of the train running OH the side track
colliding other cars on said track, the
bolt on outside of switch having been
removed from some cause unknown
to the jury, thereby making IL posi-
bic for the switch to be Jared from
its position"
Mr.. Il. f. Fitzgerald, road supervis-
or, of this place, was on the train at
the time of the wreck. He was in the
forward part of the smoker and for
tunately escaped injury, though he
had a close call.
At last accounts MesSrs. Hawk and
Rogers, the two men most seriously
injured, were lying in a very precari-
Gus condition at the Hotel Hamilton
in Hagerstown.
Decoration Day at Antetam.