Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30


pleteIy Demolished.
Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Mcbride of near
Stanton. while driving to tha Whining
ton market with wagon load Of pro-
duce. were killed at the Stanton CROSS
ing OF the P., W. & B. railroad shortly
before 3 O'Clock Friday morning, their
team being struck by northbounl ex-
press train No. 7s. which does not stop
at that station. Their daughter, Carrie.
aged 6 years. WAS badly injured. The
horse was killed instantly and the car
riage was wrecked completely, and the
produce and other articles we're scatter
cd in every direction.
After the tram had struck the wagon
it was brought to standstill and ran
back to the station. The train hands
and others assisted in placing the un-
fortunate people aboard the train, in
order that they might lie brought to
this city.
1t was found that Mrs. Mcbride had
met instant death. while the father and
daughter were alive when picked up.
The father lived only q few minutes,
however, after being pot aboard the
train. The child was able to speak, but
soon lost consciousness When the train
reached this city the dead bodies Of Mr..
and Mrs. MGBride were turned over to
Deputy Coroner Chandler and removed
by him to the morgue. The child was
sent to the Delaware Hospital, where
she was attended by Drs Ogle and
joyce
Mrs. McBride's head was crushed to
a jolly; her left leg was broken in three
places and her left arm in two places.
She was also otherwise injured.
Mr.. McBride's head WIS also badly
crushed, the scalp being torn open and
the skull fractured in several places.
lis left arm was also broken,
Carrie Mcbride, the child, had her
right leg fractured and her scalp was
The horse hai it's neck broken, was
manged on tine left side and the right
hoof was torn of.
From what could be learned, it ap-
pears that Mr.. ani. Mrs. Mcbride were
not reg gular attendants at the Whining
ton market. hut started in this morn
ing with load of poultry and eggs for
the purpose of doing some Christmas
business. They made preparation for
their departure from home about
o'clock. and left shortly after that
time. The night was cold and there
was high wind blowing. The wagon,
which is an ordinary light.running
market vehicle, was closed up as much
as pussible to protect the occupants
from the wind and cold. Mr.. and Mrs.
Mcbride were on the seat in front, the
former driving, while the little girl
was IN a seat in the rear of the wagon.
Had the seat upon which Mr.. and Mrs.
Mcbride were sitting been at the front
OF the wagon, in all probability they
would have had no trouble to see ap-
preaching trains, but it is likely that
the seat WIS moved back some on
account of the wind, and this probably
accounts for their driving upon the
tracks before an approaching train.
The freighthouse and yard at Stanton
are below the station and it is likely
that il the occupants Of the carriage
did hear anything like the approach OF
a train they thought some shifting was
heing done in the yard, as is frequently
the case.
Nobody could he found who saw the
wagon driven on the tracks, but people
living only few feet from the cross
ing, when spoken to about the mattor.
said that they heard something like a
fore ths crash. They we're OF the opin-
ion that a freight train was in the
vicinity of the station at the time of
the accident, but whether there was a
train there at the tins could not be as
contained. One person living in the
vicinity stated that it might have been
possible that the horse started across
the tracks Immediately after a freight
train had passed, il there had been one
there, not thinking that there might be
another train coming north.
Immediately after the train was heard
to crash into the wagon those who
heard the noise went to the windows 10
ascertain the cause. 1t was dark. but
a glance sufficed to indicate THAT there
had been an accident. The train was
seen to stop and proceed backward 10
the station. Then those who were look
ing realized that there had heen an ac-
cident with frightful consequences.
SonlH of tho peuple living in the
vicinity ran from their houses and as
sisted the trainmen who were on the
scene Immediately after the train had
stopped. All seemed to realize what
had happened and search was at once
instituted. Mr. McBrido's mangled
form was found on II freight platform
on the northern sito of the crossing.
Thers is a small house on this platform
and it is altogether likely that he was
thrown violently against it. Mrs. Me-
Brides dead body was found about 80
fest up the track near the mail catcher
alongside the northbound track. The
child had been thrown nearly the same
distance away and was found in field
east of the track aud north of the rublic
road. The body OF the horse was founu
in coal bin about 30 feet above the
crossing and west of this tracks. The
unfortunates wern given immediate at
tention, hut as it was seon that the
horse was dead il was allowed to re-
main whure it had fallen after being
tossed into the air.
The wagon, which looked like pilo
of firewo9d, was aongside the platform
at the north of the public road, where
it had bsen thrown by the force Of the
collision. Tho produce was scattered
in every direction. There were stains
OF blood all around the tracks, platform
aud ground.
after the unfortunstes had been put
aboard the train peonle in the vicinity
directed their attention toward looking
after such of the effects az were of any
value, and soon all Of the produce that
hau not been damaged too much was in
tho freiGbthpupu, whore II was tekpu