Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-24
A WRECK NEAR PoRTER'S.

The Story of the Accident in Full---No
ExncL Explanation of the Accident
Yet Gained---Soveral Train Hands and
a Passenger Hurt---It Took Six Hours
to Clear the Tracks.
STAFF Correspondence of Gazette and journal.
PORTER, Aug. GA disastrous
wreck occurred on the Delaware rail-
road, about 200 yards below the Newark
& Delaware City railroad crossing at
1927 O'Clock this morning. II was
caused by the New York and Norfolk
express, which left Wilmington at 1901
O'Clock, colliding with freight train No.17
which was being backed from the south
bound track to the second siding south Of
the railroad station. AS yet the blame
has not been fixed, but the general i'm
preston is that the fiagman Of the
freight train did not signal the passen-
ger train in time. The railroad men are
extremely reticent, and it is with the ut
most difficulty that particulars OF the
catastrophe can be gotten.
LOCOMOTIVE AND CARS DEMOLISHED.
The freight train contained 80 cars,
most of them "empties," which were
being taken to Delmar. 1t was delayed
considerably at and above the railroad
station by peach trains, and when it
left the station the conductor had in
struct,ons to sidetrack 1t at the second
siding for the purpose of allowing the
passenger train to pass. He was doing
this when the crash came. All but three
cars and the locomotive had been put
on the siding when the passenger train
appeared. The latter was three minutes
late and was running rapidly. The
freight also had "steam up" The
third freight car from the locomo-
tive was struck first and was knocked
off its trucks. An instant later the first
and second cars were telescoped and
sent flying down an embankment. The
tender of the freight locomotive was de-
molished and the locomotive itself was
greatly damaged. The iron monster
was lifted bodily from the track and
hurled several yards to the right. The
baggage car attached to the passenger
train was wrecked and several other
cars in the train were spiintered. The
passenger locomotive was totally de-
stroyed and its tank curled up like
paper. Both tracks were torn up for a
distance of about rs or 100 feet and
travel was completely blocked.
THE INJURED.
The passenger train was manned by
Conductor Thomas Lewis, Engineer
, James A. Grubb and Fireman William
B. Wheatley, while the freight was
manned by Conductor Phil Jones, Engi-
neer Richard Harrison and Fireman
kGeorge LOTHIAN. Engineer Grub was
I'hurled through the cab window and was
severely injured about the back. Fire
mar Wheatley was caught in the wreck
and received scalp wound, had his
nose broken and was bruised about
the legs and mashed all over his
body. w. z. Carey, the head
freight brakeman, was also caught
in the wreck and had foot
mashed and had his head slightly cut.
Only one passenger, it is said, was in
| jured. Robert Mills of Wilmington
suffered from the shock and immedi-
ately returned to his summer residence,
at Delaware City. Many of the passen-
gers, it is asserted, were asleep and did
not know wreck had occurred until
they were told about it. The freight
engineer and fireman had marvellous
escape. They were in perfect
shower of coal, pokers, shovels,
&C., but were not hurt. They
got out of the wreck by walking through
the cab window. Physicians were
promptly summoned, and came by
| special trains from Wilmington, New
Castle and Middletown. The injured
were put in cars and their wounds were
dressed Immediately after the doctors
arrived. Drs. Draper, Waugh and Ogle
were among those who rendered medi-
cal assistance. The wounded left here
for Wilmington about o'clock.
CLEARING THE TRACKS.
A wreck train from Middletown ar
rived about the same time that the
surgeons from Wilmington reached here
The crew had been at work on the
wreck which occurred near Middle.
town and was weary, but the men began
to remove the debris with commenda.
Bile energy. Travel was resumed at LAC
o'clock, when the south-bound express
continued its journey. The north bound
express passed up at o'clock. The
damaged cars in the passenger train was
taken to Kirkwood.
When EVERY EVENINGS representa-.
tive reached the scene of the wreck mer
were repairing the tracks, but had the
work nearly completed. The freight
locomotive and the tenders of both en-,
gines were lying short distance from
the southbound track and the passenger
locomotive, now heap of twisted
and broken iron, was lying outside
the northbound track. Two telescopet
cars were lying down an embankmen
close to a ravine. One was empty anc
the other was filled with general mer
chandise. Both were almost ready tt
fall in pieces and the latter was upside
down. The car which had beer
knocked off its trucks remained on the
siding and back OF it were the majority
of the cars which composed the freigh
train. An estimate of the loss canno
be given. A deep gloom pervaded th,
place and the general opinion of thu
railroad men, a superstitious one, wa
that there would be another wreck soon