The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-17
FATALRAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Two Passenger Coaches and a Sleeper
Wrecked.

A Trestle Near Milton, Va, Gives
Way Under Train, the Forepart Of
Which Passes over, While the Rear
Cars are Carried Sixty Feet Be-
low-Seven Killed and Four In
jured.
Richmond, Va, Aug. 18.-A special to
the Dispatch from Danville Va, says:
An awful accident occurred at the county
line trestle just east of Milton, this
morning at $3.50 O'Clock, by which two
passenger coaches and a sleeper were
precipitated into the creek below, a dis
tadce of sixty feet, resulting in the kill
ing of seven persons outright and the
wounding of a number of Others.
The train left here at 1:35
this morning, and was the regular
train bound for Portsmouth. After pass
ing through Milton and going over the
trestle the Engineer, Peyton Tunstall,
who says he was running at the rate Of
ten miles an hour, felt the bridge giving
way. He threw open the throttle, and
the engine, tender, and box car got safely
over, but the passenger car was too late,
and the span went down under its weight,
the second passenger car and sleeper fol-
wing.
CARS sHIvERED INTO sPLrNTERs.
The cars were shivered into kindling
wood, and the escape Of any of the pas
sengers was miracle. The water in the
creek had risen to the depth of twelve or
more feet and it is the general belief that
the rise had undermined the foundation
of the iron piers, causing the trestle to
settle On the train at the
time were about sixteen per-
sons, including the train hands,
but only one Of them-Conductor
H. Morris, of Portsmouth was killed,
none of the others receiving serious iniu-
ries In the sleeper was Mrs. Harvey
Geirsch, two children and nurse, of VIM
ston N c., Conductor j. l.. Siser, of Rich
mond, and j. L. Townes, colOred porter.
The nurse was drowned and the conduc-
tor and porter were slightly injured.
Mrs. Geirsch was onher way TO Lawrence
vile to visit friends.
PROMPT WORK OF RESCUE.
The depot agent at Milton heard the
crash, and Immediately gave the alarm
by tolling the bell. The people turned out
in full force and went to work at once TO
rescue the dead and injured from the de-
bris. J. L. Siser, the Pullman conductor,
in speaking of the accident, says: II had
just gotten through with my collections
and had reported to Capt. Morris, who
had passed forward on the train and was
preparing to retire, when the crash came.
Fortunately, was in the forward end OF
my car. Mrs. Geirsch's nurse was In the
rear end Of the car. When shewas found
her head aud chest were under the water,
and she was probably drowned, as there
were no heavy timbers or anything else
on her body that might have caused her
death"
% -aTl L, d.. 80
Giersch not realizisg the danger through
which she had passed, said to the res
cuers: Don't mind me; / am not hurt;
but please take mamma out" The fol-
lowing is the list of killed AND wounded:
RECORD OF THE FATALITIES.
Killed II. Morris, CONDUCTOR Ports
mouth, Va. W. IL. Ellison, Alton, Va. +;
j. G. Davies, a farmer of Baskerville,
Va; w h. Elan, of Durham, N. c.;
James Low, a railroad conductor from the
west, who was a passenger; Thomas Lee
(colored), Of Winston, N. c.. Francis Jen-
kins (colored), of Salem, n. g.
Wounded Mrs. Harvey Geirsch, Of
Salem, slightly; j. S. Siser, of Richmond,
Pullman conductor, foot mashed and hurt
slightly inside; j, Il. Townes, colored
porter on Pullman, slightly bruised about
the body; Davies, hagman hurt about
head and face and foot sprained The in
juries of none Of the woun ded will likely
prove serious.
THE DEAD REMOVED TO MILTON.
The dead were removed TO the railroad
depot at Milton, where they were kept
until the arrival of the coroner from Hal
flax court house, the accident occurring
on the Halifax side of the creek The
loss will be very heavy on the railroad
company, as the cars and full span of the
bridge are a total loss. The passengers,
mail, gaggage freight, etc, are passing
on through, being transferred at ths
creek.
Messrs, ELAN and Davis who were
killed were in Danville yesterday, and
the former had concluded at one time not
TO leave for home until to-day, but after
ward changed his mind and went by an
early train. number of persons from
the two Danvilles went to the scene Of
the wreck, several going on bicycles from
North Danville.
Capt. Morris was chief of the r. E. Lee
division of the Order of Railroad Con-
ductors, and leaves wife and a grown
son and daughter.