The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-05

CONTINUED from First Page)
Hotel and will remain in the city for sew
eral days.
RICHMOND MANS EXPERIENCE
Tells How He Escaped by Cra"""s
Tt,rouvh a ~ indow.

Tells How He Escaped by or""s
Through "a window. =,
II was TIE narrowcst escape l ever na s,
not 10 sneak OF the severe sbo'f- 90"
Mr.. X. A. Chenault, who csme uv"n ~
the night train from CharloltesN, ''' Mn
Chenault resides at No. Il east NAN
street, In this city. He Is the son -
Chenault. prominent physician y, -
ington, Ky, and had been ou1 W.
ington on a visit. lie left tnae eisS Din
uesday afternoon and WIS que ia
mond Yesterday on the $3.50 tram.
.~rhe shock vas terrific said MI SnV
nault, when seen by Tines repieSe ~
tive last night. II haven't gotten -.
IL vet. was in tie Richmond oieepel
and there were i'm that car s"ine eisn' y.
ten passengers. l think there "eie 10
sixty or seventy passengers on the tram
which was a heavy one cons'suus Oh
mail and an express car, cohDina,ion
car. day coach. and 1 think TWO sieepe's,
besides a dining coach. we "eie aDou'
one hour and a half late when the tram
~eaebcd CharIottesville. a short stop
was made there. and when the train left
that poiut we were moving at a high rate
of speed.
FIFTY MILES AN HOUR.
7 think we were going nifty miles an
hour. About three miles east OF CHAR
Iottesvile the railroad follows the river
for short distance, AT several places
the track is only few yards from the
river. running as II does almost along
the bank of the stream. There are seve-
raj curves there the river being on the
right and a kind of embankment being
on tie left. At several places this EN-
bankment is quite high. After the tram
left Charlottesville. l was lounging on my
bar oil
window. We were slipping along rapid
liz and now and then the train swung
around the curves with something OF
unee. All at once there was an awful
crash The shock that came with 1t was
exceedingly severe and following II there
seemed 20 be a sort Of settling. Every
body knew a dangerous ACCIDENT had
occurred. The car in which | was rolled
over on one side, and was suspended on
/ the slope Of the bank as II threatening
every moment TO give way and fan INTO
the river The car was somewhat shdt-
tered.
PERILOUS POSITION.
II hung by a coupling pin only. ana !
! looked for il TO roll into the river at any
moment. [ don't see now why II did not,
| thrown up as II was and the heavy
weight OF another car pulling 1t down all
! the time. The windows were closed, and
| l was afraid TO try 10 scramble down to-
wards the door by crawling over the seats
| lest an additional jar would cause the
I car TO give way from its perilous posi-
ton. There was but one thing 10 do,
and | lest no time in doing that. With
/ considerable effort l managed 10 kick
! ID ough the window and shattered the
/ glasses. Cautiously / crawled through
! the vacan. space and climbed down from
/ under the overhangng car. / was as
/ careful as | could be and every moment
| j expected the whole sleeper would give
way and crush me to death. l was
bruised and was badly shocked, but 9TH
erwise escaped unhurt.
RESCUED A CRIPPLE
I'm the same car with me was a poor
cripple who had his clutches with him.
II was with much difficulty that he
could move himself at ala He was
! greatly shocked, and in the excitement
/ did not seem TO know how to get out OF
the car. He poked his head through the
window and asked me to help him.
/ could not do anything for him. as II was
/ impossible for me To get back into the
l car and / felt sure that IL / went back
under the car to assist him out l would
! be crushed 10 death. l told him 10 come
to the window which l had smashed and
drop through 1 directed him as best
l could and waiting off to one side 10 as
sist him from under the car ! had the
satisfaction of seeing the poor fellow es-
! cape I'm very much the same way as
| myself He was unhurt with the excep-
ton Of some bruises and the shock The
other passengers in the car got out
through the windows in pretty much the
same way. They all escaped
A MEMORABLE SCENE.
1.-THE scene Of the wreck was one long
! 70 be remembered. Cars were piled up IN
! confusion some being smashed TO pieces
| the engine was a complete wreck, the
track and ties were torn up for hun
/ dred Yards or more. and the greatest con-
| fusion prevailed Men, women and child
| ren were frightened out OF their wits and
! no one knew how many people had been
crushed 20 death Some unfortunates were
/ pinloned under the wreck and were cry
lnr for help. u was thought some had
gone down under the cars in the river
and the cries OF those who were badly
| hurt were almost narrowing. over TO the
left the engine had been smashed 70
rieces and the tender with IL. They had
struck with terrific force against the en-
| bankment. which was partly Of rock. All
the coaches left the track except two
! THE cars presented a striking scene oil
debris 7 think most Of those who were
| hodlv injured were I'm the immigrants
| coach. This was lying to one SIDE
| partly in the river.
WORK OF RESCUE
THE passengers who were unnurt Oh.
what little they could to help those VINO
were caught under the wreck, but then
facilities for assistance were very limit
cd. I DO not know how many were hur'
or killed. though IT seemed TO me quite
number were caught under the falling
cars It was some time before the wreck
ing train and physicians arrived The pas
| sorcers including killed and wounded
we're taken back TO Charlottesville.
II was the worst accident ever wit wit
messed. I hope ! shall never see another
| Ike IT," o,..
AR Chenault was met at the Chesa
neake and Ohio station last night by I'VE
roiotives VINO were anxious about him
having heard that he was on the iii-ia'e'
| train.
PASSENGER STORY.