The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-17
DASHED SIXTY FEET TO DEATH.
FrightfuI Wreck at Milton on the
Richmond and DanviIle.
Seven Persons Killed Outright and Many
Others Injured-The Trsstle Work of
Bridge Gives Way and Two Cars
Drop Into tho Creek Beiow-One
Woman Drowned in the Deep Water.

RICHMOND, Va Aug. 16.-A special
to the Dispatch from Danville saws: An
awful accident occurred at County Line
trestle, just east of Milton. this morn
ing at ESQ o'clock, by which two pas
senger coaches and sleeper were pro-
cipitated into the creek below, dis
lance of sixty feet, killing seven per-
sons outright and wounding a number
OF others. The train left here at 1885
this morning and WAS the regular train
bound for Portsmouth.
After passing through Milton and
going over the trestle the engineer,
Peyton Tunstall, who says he was run
ming at rate of ten miles an hour, fel /,
the bridge giving way; he threw open
the throttle and the engine, tender and
a box car got safely over, but the pas
senger car was too late and the span
went down under its weight, the second
passenger car and sleeper following.
The cars were shivered into kindlinr
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, aud 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
persons, including the train hands, but
only one of the latter, Conductor II.
! Morris, of Portsmouth, was killed, none
OF the others receiving serious injuries
In the sleeper were Mrs. Harvey
Giersch, two children and nurse OF
Winston, n. c.; Conductor j. L. Sizer, OF
Richmond, and j. Il. Townes, the col
ored porter.
The nurse was drowned and the con.
ductor and porter slightly injured. Mrs.
| Giersch was on her way to Lawrence
| Vile to visit friends.
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 in iured from
the debris. Mr.. j. l.. Sizer, the Pull.
! man conductor, In speaking Of the acct.
dent, says:
II had lust gotten through with my
| collections and had reported to Captain
Morris, who had passed forward on the
train and was preparing to retire, when
the crash came.
fortunately it was in the forward
| Gnu VI my Cdrs NlTS. nurse
was in the rear end of the car where
she was found with head and ches,
under the water and was most proba.
bly, drowned, rs there were no heavy
timbers on her body that might have
caused her death"
The little thirteen year old daughter
| OF Mrs. Geirsch not realizing the dan
| ger through which she has passed, said
| to the reScuers, don't mind me, | am
not hurt, but please take mamma out y
The following is list Of killed ana
wounded:
Killed-H. Morris, conductor, Ports
mouth, Va; w. Il. Ellixon, Alton, Va
j. &. Davies, farmer OF Baskerville
Va w. r Elan, of Durham, n. c.; j.
Lowe, railroad conductor from the
West, who was passenger; Thomas
| Lee, colored. of Winston N. G. Francis
Wounded Mrs. Harvey Geirsch. of Sa
lem, N c., slightly; J. L. Szer, of Rich
mond, Pullman conductor, foot mashed
and hurt slightly in side; j. r. Townes
rolored, porter on Pullman, slightly
bruised about body; j. Davies, fagman
hurt about head and face and foot
sprained.
The injuries OF none Of the wounded
will likely prove serious. The dead
were removed to the railroad depot al
Milton, where they were kept until the
arrival of the coroner from Halifax
Court House.
The passengers, mail, baggage
freights, etc, are passing on through
they being transferred at the creek.
Captain Morris was chief of tho 4. e
Lee division of the order of Railroad
Conductors and leaves a wife and
grown up son and daughter.