The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-11-06
PLUNGED into
The RIv ANNA.
-Four Persons Killed and a Number
of Others Injured.
THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO F.
Il. V. TRAIN DERAILED NEAR
CHARLOTTESvILLE-A BROKEN
AXLE THE CAUSE.

Chesapeake and Ohio train, known as the
'F. F. W" left here an hour late yester-
day afternoon, and three miles east of
Charlottesville, at the old Keswick dam,
was almost totally wrecked at 1925
O'Clock. Four persons were killed ami
seventeen more or less injured. News of
the wreck was brought to this city by
Conductor 5. G. Buster, who had run all
the way wreCking train was at once
made up and took Drs r. w. and Hugh
u. Nelson, +. w. shine, II. s. Hedges, j.
r. Early, j. p. Browning, and several re
porters and others to the scene of the dis
aster.
The accident occurred on Il very sudden
and sharp curve at the old Shadwell
dam. On the left side of the track is an
abrupt hill, coming down to within
few feet of the rails. On the right side,
which is the inside of the curve, or was,
for there is no track there now. is the
RivaDna river within some sixty feet 1t
was just here that the derailment oc-
CURED. The engine, instead of following
the curved track, left It, and kept
straight into the rocky hillside, where it
lies IL dismantled boiler. The express
car did not follow the engine but 200
feet further Gu it went to smash against
the hill.
The baggage-car turned into the river,
wherein one end Is Submerged. Another
car went the same way. Both are
wrecked. The sleeper "Salolan went
over on its side. The dining-car and the
Richmond sleeper remained on the track
Altop ether, the scene was one of indie
scribahle confusion, and it is little less
than miraculous that scores OF persons
were not killed instead of only four. The
train, according to the passengers, was
running at Il very high rate of speed, and
the m omentum Of the engine, which
thrust itself against the hillside, must
have been terrific. The engineer, Robert
l.. Duke, of Hanover, and Fireman Nick
Bailey, OF this city, were thrown from the
cab-Bailey against the hillside without
injury, and Duke, in some unaccounta-
bic way, under the engine
When Bailey and Conductor 6. &. Bus
ter discovered Duke, he was struggling
out from beneath the great driving
wheels OF the mogul. He was terribly
injured, bus full of pluck. He was taken
out aud laid on IL litter on the trackside,
where, after proper surgical attention,
he was left until needed service could be
rendered to the Others injured The doc
tors regarded him rs desperately and
fatally wounded, but Duke expressed the
opinion that he would pull through.
The cause of the accident has not been
definitely ascertained, but it is believed
to have been due to spreading rails. The
engine left the track ON sharp curve
and was hurled against rocky hill All
of the cars except the dining car and the
Richmond sleeper were derailed. Two
cars plunged end foremost down the steep
emDankment and one of them went into
the Rivanna river, which at this place
skirts the track. The day passenger
coach and the express car were badly
wrecked
AS soon after the crash as possible the
nninjured passengers AMI trainmen be-
gan The work of rescue and aiding the in
jured. Word was sent to this place and
II wrecking train with physicians was
Immediately dispatched to the scene of
the wreck. The body of Henry Burnett,
the colored porter, was the last recover.
ed He Was terribly margled, having
been in the baggage car. "a foot, sup
posed to have been his, was first discover
ed, aud later portion of the head. The
body was literally dismembereu. Mareno
bad both legs cut off and died at the hos
pital at Charlottesville.
Among the uninjured persons on the
trair were Senator Orville H. platt, of
Connecticut; Commissioner of Pensions
Fl. Clay Evans, and Representative Wal
r Evans, of Louisville, Ky.
he local railway officials after investi.
eating the cause of the accident declared
that it was not due to spreading rails.
though they are not able to give even a
theory They state that the tracks at
the spot are true and examination reveal
ed that they are tied securely
1t is said that the breaking CT an axle
led to tn. wreck
The dead are Henry Burnett, colored
porter, keswick, Virginia. An Italian
woman named Merara and infant, be-
lieved to be from Cincinnati Phel,x
Mareno, died after removal to Charlottes
VILE.