The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-07-10
PECULIAR ACCIDENT.
An Ohio River Freight Train
Crashes into q side-Tfecr
At The BLOCH TOBACCO WORKS
And Plays Havoc for a Ttms-A Fine
Horse BeionRluR to Hr. g. 8. Bloch
KiIIed-FOrtunate Escape Of 1'oGs OF
Lifs-The Switch Left Open by DoyS
The Loss No. Considerable

A most extraordinary accident at tho
came tImo fortunate in tho escape OF
loss Of human life, occurred yesterday
afternoon about o'clock Al tho i'm
menso tobacco works Of the Bloch BroL
Tobacco Company, a. the corner Of
Water and FortIeth streets, South Side.
By the mcrest chance the only fatality
Is the death Of Mr. s. S. Bloch's Gne
driving Kentucky thoroughbred, "Bob." "
The Joint track CT tho Pdn.Raudlo
and Ohio River roads runs along Water
street In front Of the tobacco works,
and switch runs from IL into tho open
court between tho factory proper aud
tho new brick warehouse adjoining on
the north. This switch is supposed TO
be kept locked, and tho only person
who has key Is tho switch hand Of the
Pan-H9ndle yard engine crew. Only
about ak minutes before the accident o
passenger train had passed up aud the
switch was set oil right a. that time.
AT O'Clock, however. when an Ohio
River freight train was coming down
the road from tho city the switch had
been turned, by whom IL 10 not known,
and the train instead Of going on down
the main line turned sharply 70 the lett
md crashed through tho big oak door on
route of destruction. The engineer and
fireman OF tho train, not knowing what
would DO struck behind that closed
door, jumped from the engine after tho
former had reversed aud put on tho nir.
0nly about forty feet beyond tho big
door, which was broken into thousand
aud ono splintcrs. stood a Pan Handle
freight car ready to be loaded with
Mail Pouch tobacco. The engine
crushed into the cur with great violence,
and car, engine and train continued
down the switch into the eastern end OF
tho warehouse building. only 10 BIO
brought up short by the heavy bumper
at the end OF tho switch, which, how
ever, would not probably have with
stood tho shock had not Mr. =. s.
BIoch's 1ne driving horse. "Bob,"
standing there, acted in the nature OF o
cushion. The horse was badly crushed,
and died almost instantly.
Tho accident almost created panic
In tho works aud the hundreds OF en-
ployes came 1ocking to the sceno. OF the
disaster as soon as the train had stop
ped. The engineer and fireman took
charge Of the engine and II was found
that beyond n shattered pilot no seti-
Gus damage had been inflicted on the
machine. After considerable delay the
train was pulled out by tho switching
engine, and tho locomotive sent TO tho
shops for repairs.
The escape from loss Of lilo was very
narrow. Tho Panhandle car standing
Oh tho side track was to havc been load
cd In a few minutes. and Two or ton men
would have been employed on tho car
and around II. Had tho accident &C.
curted then there would have been un-
doubtedly LOGS Of life, At the tiinc Of
abe accident tho shtppera wero at work
on tho other side track ns the southern
ond OF the works.
Beyond tho loss OF the horse, which
Yves valued at 5000, the loss of tho
Bloch company will not amount to
more than 500, and the railroad com.
pRny's losa Is probably $500.
It is supposed that boys had boon
playing around the switcb and turnedik