The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-03-09
CLIFTON FORGE, VA.
A Fatal Railroad Collision.

! PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb. 22.-The
northbound Southern Express from
| Washington for New York on the Penn
| sylvania Railroad crashed into the Nor
| ton Pa accommodation train from the
| Central Division of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore Road, at
/ 1885 this morning, at South Street Sta>
ton, West Philadelphia. -Four persons
were killed and fifteen injured.
President Harrison was on special
train following the express. His train
was delayed about half an hour and then
proceeded to New York.
The tracks of the Central Division and
the main line cross at this noint, the
former trains running into the Thirty
second and Chestnut streets station
The accommodation had the right of
way, the express being blocked, but ow-
ing to the slippery condition of the
tracks the engineer of the express was
unable to control his train and the loco
motive, No. 1915, crashed into the third
car of the accommodation. The engi-
neer of the express was unhurt, as was
also the fireman. No one on the express
was injured and the engine was dam
aged so slightly that it proceeded to New
York with the train half an hour after
ward when the tracks had bee cleared.
After reversing his engine and apply
ing the brakes the engineer of the express
jumped, but the fireman stuck to his
post.
The killed and injured were confined
to the third car of the accommodation
and this was completely wrecked. Of
the injured none were dangerously hurt.
The killed were Mr.. and Mrs E. L.
Mintzer, of Media; Miss Maria Read, of
Media, and Rev. James Walker, of Lenni
Rev. James Walker, one of the victims
of the disaster, was the rector of Calvary
Protestant Episcopal Church at Rock
dale. Delaware county, near Lenni Sta
ton, where he has been located for
dozen years past. He was fifty-five
years of age, and was well and favorably
known by the clergymen of the diocese.
Mr.. Walker and his wife occupied a seat
in the centre of the passenger coach on
the side where the collision occurred,
with Mr.. Walker occupying the seat
next to the window, and when the crash
came he was instantly killed by a silver
from the side of the car striking him in
the stomach. disembowling him. Mrs.
Walker was thrown from her seat by
the collision and dashed against the
rails OF the seat on the opposite side of
the car, and received severe scalp
wound.
Edward l. Mintzer, Jr., who was in
stantly killed, was about forty five years
of age and was the trusted officer of the
Real Estate Investment Company of this
city. The death of Mr.. Mintzer was out
right, his head being actually severed
from his body.
Mrs. Mintzer, who was sitting by his
side in the car, was also instantly killed,
her head also being severed from her
body.
Little Edward Mintzer, the ten year
old son of Mr.. and Mrs. Mintzer, who
were decapitated and instantly killed,
told at the University Hospital. whittier
he was taken after the collision, how he
escaped uninjured:
Mamma and I were sitting side by
side in the seat and I was talking to her,
She had book, but she was not read
ing. 1t was lying in herlap. And then,
all at once, the locomotive came in
through the window. And wasn't it
nice? I wasn't hurt bit. found my
self lying right out on the ground, and
mamma and papa were nowhere to be
seen. | don't know where they are now,
but I guess they will be here pretty
soon.n
The child was not informed of the aw-
full fate of his parents, of which, happily
he had no suspicion.
Miss Maria Read, of Media, the fourth
victim, was taken out of the wreck alive
and placed tenderly in an ambulance
connected with the University Hospital
but she died before reaching that insti-
tuition.
A number of prominent persons were
passengers on the express train, among
them Congressman Dingley and Belk-
nap; -Postmaster-General Frank Hat
ton, Senator Washburn, Major John M.
Carson and U. H. Painter, well>known
Washington correspondents. All rem
dered what aid they could to the injured
passengers, but no one was more ener-
getic than Congressman Charles E.
Belknap, of Michigan. He grasped the
awful situation at once and did splendid
service in rescuing the wounded and
caring for the dead.
Congressman John Robinson, of Me-
dia, Pa, was on the express train. He
said it was miraculous that so many
persons on the accommodation escaped
alive, considering the force with which
the trains collided.
John Russell Young, in addition to
being president of the Union League and
fifth vice president of the Reading Rail
road, has been elected president of the
Pennsylvania Ballot Reform Association,
to succeed H. L. Foster, of Oil City, who
resigned recently because of his inabili-
ty to attend the meetings.
The Pennsylvania Ballot Reform As