The times., 1897-11-05
STORIES OF PASSENGERS.
Prominent Neutrality-suspicious. Give
Their versions of the Accident.

Prominent AYashingtonians Give
Their Versions of the Accident.
The fmst of the survivors to step of
the Southern train from Charlottesville at
1l.25 last night, was Miss Noryell of TIE
New York Herald. She was not agitated.
but she could give no story OF the dis
aster. she was reading In the second
sleeper when the crash came. She knew
that tie train was running rapidly 20
make up lost time, and it seemed to
strike II curve and leap from the rails
SEe sustained no injury.
Mr. Nj 81. blumeuperg, of this city, one
OF the Official Stenugraphers Of the Sen
ate, was on the train. He fortunately was
in a rear car. He has been travelling with
. special committee of which Senator
Platt is ch8irman. MI BlumenbeIg was
not hurt ana went immediately to render
what assistance he could TO the wounded
Ihc ties lid not seem To be in good con
edition. one Ui the employees on the train
told him, he said, that he had, in fact,
been expecting sucf calamity for some
time. The rails were so twisted and out
Of shape that il Indicated but little resist
Ben ialain Durfee, secretary of the Con-
greSsional Joint Committee on AlcenoI in
the Arts sale he was only d layInan ia
railroad matters, but the impression he
tad was that tile wreck was due to weak
track. L. YVES a very heavy train-niue
cuachcs-and was running at a rate Of
about fifty miles an hour. Near Massie,
three miles east of Charlottesville, and
approaching the Rtvanna River, the train
ran into what appeared TO him to be
pretty sharp curve. Instead Of following
the rats tie train pressed forward and
drove the locomotive across this curve
and up an emhankment. He thought the
roadbed wdS imperfecuy ballasted, OF that
il had been softened by the late rams.
He thoH"ht tie train struck this curve too
hard. Mr.. Durfee was In the first sleeper
and was not hurt.
V. Elder, No 423 Fourth street,
Washington, told The Times man that tue
situation was awful. There was a marked
degree uf cnolHess about the passengers, al nj
those +rtio sgere not disabled set at once
20 work 80 give aid TO the injured. de
understood that the engineer was killed
ana that the fireman had escaped uR
scatneG. When The engine left the track
ne tcuCar was lerked over OF the loco
motive tearing away the cab and sand
Come, ana wrecSing the boiler. How the
fireman could have come oHt Of that con
fusion uuharmed, was more than he could
understand.
Col! Lee CrandaH, formerly OF Wash
inrton, but now a resident OF Globe, Ariz..
was In the day coach when the snash-up
oDeyrsed. Tha5caach was badly wrecked,
and yet Of the fifteen or twenty people in
it, 10 one was seriously Injured and only
hinsell and two others, one a man named
Miller slightly hurt. Col. Cr6ndall sus-
! tein49 a slight scalp wound by being,
thrown against seat, His right wrist
WIS also sprained. His version OF the
cause Of the accident was similar to that
given b, Mr. Durfee.
Mr. c. Fl. Marshall received a slight cut
on the forehead, caused by flying splinter.
lie was IN the last sleeper, and heard the
crashing OF the Tot ward ca rs before his
coach left the track. There was terrible
confusion for a few minutes, but tlis
subsided, and the work of rescue was
begun. The people OF Chariot tesynle
responded promptly and generously, and
All w9S done for the wounded that
could give them comfort.
Mr. Charles r. Buchanan, Of New York,
said That the damage to the rolling stock
was not az great as one would be apt TO
think. The sleepers escaped with little
hurt.
c. K. O'Brlen was In the first sleeper.
He sustained lacerated wound Of the
forehead and a confusion of the cheek.
Senator Platt and Representatives Evan,
and RuSsellwerea a subcommittee appointed
to investigate the use Of alcohol in the
arts. This committee had held hearings
in Chicago and Cincinnati, and was on
the road 70 the East for the purpose II
| conducting hearings.