Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-06
THE DISASTER Al STANTON
Was Investigated Monday by
Coroner's Jury.
VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH
In the Case of Mr.. and Mrs. T. w.
Mcbride.



at Crossing "a Man whose sole Duty shall
he to Operate Safety Gates.
Coroner Wright, Monday afternoon,
at the office OF Deputy Coroner Chand-
ler, conducted an inquisition into tine
cause OF T.. Wesley and Jennie j.. Nc
Bride. who were killed at the Stanton
crussing of the r.. W. & B. railroad on
tho morning Of December 24th, as they
we're on their way to market in this
city. Several witnesses were heard, and,
after deliberation OF about 10 min
utea, the jury rendered the following
verdict:
''That 7. wasley Mcbride came to
his death in Wilmington hundred, and
Jennie Z. Mcbride came to her death
IN White Clay Creek hundred, on
December 24th, 1897, from injuries re-
ceived by being accidentally struck by
the second section OF train Nc. rs of
the p, W. s u. Railroad Co., at Stan
ton. The train was two hours an II
minutes late, and, in cur opinion, the
crossing at Stanton should have a gate
tsnder whose duty it will be, both day
and night, to raise and lower the safety
gates, and perform no other duty,
thereby affordiDg greater protection to
the travelling public. .
Engineer Georgs u. Jackman, who
was on the locomotive which struck
the carriage in which the unfortunate
people were riding. stated in nis testi-
nony that when the train approached
the crossing that morning il was dark.
just as the engine was about To go on
bp tnV n N 4 N In
the back OF a horse. 1t looked like a
vision. He just caught glimpse of it
and did not see more than q font OF IL.
He saw nothing like horse and wagon
before reaching the crossing and when
he did sec the horse's back cav moth
ing else, the wagon not being visible.
He did not even soc the horse's head.
1t appeared to him that The instant hs
saw the horse's back the crash came
Mr.. Jackman mad ,his~ head ou. OF tha
window at the tins, looking ahead, and
be at onca pui his head, inside and ap-
piled the brakes. The train was rum
ming at the rate of between As and so
miles an hour. He was hauling II cars
and the train was over two houra late.
utes late and had been detained 20 or
his time, il was about i. 16 the engine
struck the horse. 1t was 5. II when the
train was stopped. Tho signal at the
Stanton tower was all right, indicating
that the way was clear. There is no
signal right at the osossing for train.
men, he said, the yjsignRls there being
for people on the public road. and
whom there is clear signal at the
4...r thn laea 81 hnk
the track iH clear until be reaches the
next tower. He did not notice whether
| the gates we're up or down. He did not
| think the wagon was struck. 1t did
not, appear to be on the track; the
| two lengths later it would have struck
ing it. Hb was not Is feet from the
There was freight train on the south
hoEnd track just below the station at
the time.
Jesse NJ. Anderson, the fireman on the
engine, substantiated the engineer, in
so far as he knew. but being on the
side OF the engine opposite the side
from which the wagon was approach
| ing, he didlnot know very much until
| the wagon until after the crash He
knew that thesignals at the tower were
| all right for a clear track and the
whistle had been blown before the en-
| gins reached the crossing, as is Gus.
tomary. Hq did not notice whether the
gates were up or ,lown.
Lewis W. Ragen, the conductor of the
| train, said that he knew nothing of the
J aFt st ha.
| When the train stopped be went back
| to look for the bodies. Before he
reached the scene Of the accident the
members OF the freight crew had found
| the. littls girl, He found Mrs Nc.
Brids's dead hoay wedgsd in under
! the crane at the mail post 30 tight that
it required the efforts of himself and
another man to remove it. Life was
extinct. Mr.. Mcbride. who was in d
dying condition. WAS found on the
platform at the freight station, All
we're placed aboard the train and
brought to this city, The man never
regained consc iousness, and made no
! sound, except to moan. He died at the
| railroad COMPANY q nlorgue. Conductor
hagen went through the train after it
had left Stanton in search Of physi-
/ Qsf
hut there weru two medical students on
board and they did what they could for
| the relief of the sufferers until Will
miDgton wRs reached.
William j. Wickes, the night man at
the tower at Stanton, said that he had
| lust got through delivering orders to
| tho crew Of freight train aud was re-
! turning to the tower when the pass en-
/ al A t,+h
| freight train had Just arrived few
| minutes. before, and, as he had orders
| for the conductor and engineer, went
| down from the tower to the train 10 de.
/ liver the orders. He lad received no
report of the approach OF the passenger
| train and had not put the gates down
before he left the tower. The gates
had been put down for the freight train,
| but had been raised again after the
freight had passed. While he was down
to the track delivering message be
could not hear the signal OF the train
approaching, as the only thing he had
| TO go by was the wire, and he could
not hear the instrument when he was
down from the tower. He stated that
| train ia always reported from the
| tower below, but as he was called out
of the tower to deliver the orders hv
did not know that such report had
come. When a train is reported from
the next tower the gates are lowered.
Had ne known of the approach OF train
when he left the tower he would have
put the gates down. When the orders
| for the freight train came he took his
rad lantern and went 60 the train, which
was then about 100 yards from the
towsr. When he left the tower he gave