Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-05


reporter that he was at Gornons'iie'
eighteen miles from the scene oil .ne az
cident, when II occurred. teisp p, ~
message came from Massey's Tor al ,nc
doctors in Gordonsville. Thefe al, 49,
in the latter place, ana these az -
sponded promptly, and were az
station waiting for an engine '" ', IN.
them to the wreck when he lei. on n,
engine for Richmond. Only 'ne inos
meagre details of the accident were sis.n
to Gordonsville. but lower COW" .o
line an onerator told him that Pull
man porter and three passengers wee
dead and thirty people were injured,
among the number being a MI. Hope' Va
Richmond. a travelling salesman.
THE TRAIN PULLS IN.
when tho Clifton Forge train arrived,
about 1880 o'clock, the greatest excite,
mont nrevailed at the depot Men leaped
upon the platforms OF the cars anu
crowded round the passengers TO near
the particulars. while those who expecteu
friends messed eagerly forward scan
ming the faces Of the arrivals. ~ W.
soon learned. however, that only three
or four people who had been in the acci-
dent had come on to Richmond inc
others having decided to remain a,
Charlottesville until this morning, anu
very little information beyond what was
already known was forthcomins W s"'
isfy the sensation seekers -
Captain F'itz, who was in charge Oh the
train. said he had not passed near the
scene of the accident, and all his IN
| formation came second-handed. Ihere
was really no information that ne could
| give, he said, for every one seemed u
| have a different version OF the same
story. The estimates as to the number
| OF the dead varied from two to thirty,
| and of the wounded from seven 10 nity.
| He had been able to gather no onlciai
| information along the route, but an ope-
| rator told him that four men hau Deeh
| killed three Of them being ltalians'S
| who sat in the baggage-car, and the
| fourth a colored porter. The engineer,
who had been desperately hurt. would
not live, Il was reported, and only a Few
| persons were known to have been
| wounded.
WAS A FEARFUL SIGHT.
Mr.. George r. Jacobs. of Boston,
travelling salesman. who was In the
wreck. came to Richmond last night, ana
went to Murphys Hotel. He said:
81 was on the last car on the train,
the Pullman sleeper. l was sitting in the
| smoking compartment when the accl-
dent occurred. The shock was so slignt
that | thought the engine had rum over
| "a COW. When the train came TO stand
still got up to go outside and see what
was the matter. ] met the Pullman
porter at the door, and he was under the
same impression as myseH. Wheh
we got outside. though, we saw fear
full sight There were cars on both sides
of the track The engine was to the
left. and the tender had gone ahead or
IL. The baggage-car was where the track
ought to have been and the mail
coach was on its end in the river, TO the
right the day coach was on the ie1t'
the first sleeper was turned over on us
side. and the second was lying on It's
| side across the track, still coupled 10
the dining-car The two front trucks OF
the dining-car were off the track, but the
Newport News sleeper, which was at the
end of the train, did not leave the track
at all. There were eleven passengers on
the sleeper; none OF them were Killed,
and as far as I can learn, no one was
seriously injured.
ALMOST MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
'I don't think any one was killed II
the 6ay-coach, which is truly mlracu'
lous." Mr. Jacobs continued: The great
est injury was done in the comDlnatloi
baggage and smoking car. There WerS
a lot of Italians in there, and several Of
tbern were killed ] am surprised beyont
measure that there were not more peopl'
fatally hurt | understood that there
were seven persons killed when left th'
scene of the accident and | heard ina
the engineer had died afterwards
couldn't begin to form an estimate as L
how many were injured. 1t was very
fortunate circumstance that there wes
two doctors on the train. | have for
gotten their names. but they certain!
went TO work with a will. There was III
great noise. beyond that caused by tn
esoaping steam. The first words l hear'
we're from lady. She said
THANK God was hungry" Sh
had been in the day coach, ant
feeling hungry had gone into the dine
at 1 O'Clock. The accident occurred jus
twelve minutes afterwards. When
cot outside. on the platform. l had tw'
striking thoughts. The first was tina
/ the fatality must be enormous, and tn
second that my baggage and sample
must have gone astray. The baggage
however, was nearly all saved.
THE TRACK TORN UP.
.The train was a good deal behin
time. and at the time of the acciden
was travelling at a good rate OF speed
, certainly. / should judge forty miles a
hour. Where the accident happened IN
rails were all twisted like wire and tn
ties were torn up and sphntered INT
}. matchwood. Very few passengers wh
were in the wreck left Charlottesvillt
: and only about four came to Richmono
A relief train came to the scene OF IN
accident to carry the passengers I
" Charlottesville about two hours after tn
y accident. A lot of doctors and nurse
& came To the scene of the wreck and IN
y injured were made as comfortable a
n nossible | feel sure that the list Q
, killed will be considerably swelled. on
- car of the relief train was crowded wit
m people more or less injured. Severs
# people were badly cut by the glas
n which flew in all directions. Luckil.
~ we were entirely free from fire. IN
only fires on the train were In the diI
n ing-car and the engine-the former al
" not leave the rails and the latter wa
n out of harms way. The train ran abo'
ID the length OF the train and car aft'
n the accident before coming 10 a stan'
Of still. The porter who was killed will
Il. much regretted by travelling men. %
is Henry was well known character ar
b. had been on the road nor twenty year
The fireman's escape was miraculou
o. He was literally thrown up the embanl
40 ment about fifteen feet onto a rock al
o. escaped unhurt."
ld Mr.. Jacobs says he has been travelliI
ne for eighteen years. and this Is the mr.
u. serious wreck that he has been IN.
~ ACCOUNT OF A STUDENT.
10 Mr.. ]. w. Jordan, OF Newport New
ed was on his way home from college