Evening star., 1898-12-01
DIED UNDER WHEELS
Lives of Two Children Crushed Out
by the Cars,
A THIRD RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES
The Three Were Victims of Rail
way Grade Crossing.
INQUEST TO BE HELD

Two little school children. Fannie Bell
Harris. aged nine years, and George Her
bert Gray. aged six. were instantly killed
shortly before O'Clock this morning by a
Baltimore and Ohio railroad express train
at the county road crossing, Ivy City Har-
ry McDonough, aged seventeen years. who
was with the children in a two-seated buck
board wagon at the time of their tragic
death, was badly injured i'm the accident
and lies at the Emergency Hospital suffer
ing from a compound fracture OF the leg.
which will doubtless ncccssitate amputation.
Another little boy, Oliver Gray brother Of
one OF the children killed was in the ILL
fated vehicle also. hut escaped injury by
leaping out just before the rushing engine
struck death to his little playmates.
The horse was thrown some 200 yards
down the track and torn to pieces. Frag-
ments of the buggy, which once contained
the happy youthful party. are lying along
the stretch of track just south of the road
crossing, portion Of the running gear be-
ing the only recognizable object.
On the Way TO school.
The children were on their way TO the
Morris School, on the Bladeusburg road,
driving from their homes on Fenwick street
in buggy, was their custom. Leaving
Ivy City teams pass over the Baltimore
and Ohio tracks at the county road cross
ing; the road continuing leads into II street
northeast at its terminus. They approa ch-
ed the tracks therefore from a westerly di-
rectfon just about the time the Baltimore
express train No. 149 is scheduled to pass
Ihis train arrives in Washington at 500
O'Clock, and runs through Ivy city without
stepping about five minutes earlier. The
train this morning was drawn by engine
No. 1918, in charge Of Engineer o. A
Peters. The conductor was Capt John
Henry Barnes. Both have long been In the
employ of the railroad
w. Keys was in charge of the safety
gates at the county road grade crossing
and declares he performed his duty this
morning and before the approach of the
death-dealing train had owered the safety
guards, as usual. According to Gateuap
Keys story of the affair, he noticed the
buggy, in which little Fannie Harris and
George Gray were riding. approaching at a
RAPID gait. The driver, McDunough the in
1ured boy, seemed to be unable 10 check
the animal. as he ran down the incline to-
ward the railroad tracks Al this time the
express train was hardly 500 yards from
the grade crossing, running rapidly, proba-
bly at speed Of not less than forty miles
an hour. Young McDonough endeavored in
vain to stop the horse
Gateman Keys says the animal forced it's
way under the lowered gates. and was in
an instant later struck by the engine The
vehicle was we'll upon the tracks when hit
by the train, and was completely demol-
ished. George Gray and Fannie Harris
were mangled and crushed. The young
n marvellous.
Air Brakes Applied.
When Engineer Peters realized what had
happened he put on the air brakes with a
will, the train stopping so suddenly many
of the passengers were thrown from their
seats. A hasty examination by the train
hands and a pl1Dahar n ha rd
of the road. working in the vicinity. devel-
oped the fact that the little boy and girl
were beyond all earthly aid. The elder lad
Harry McDonoush. was picked up and
placed upon the train and brought imme-
diately into the city the train arriving
only about ten minutes late.
The station master here in Washington
had been informed Of the accident mean
while, and when the injured young man
reached the New Jersey avenue station
he was met by Drs. Hickling and Merriam
and the Emergency Hospital ambulance.
He was at once conveyed to that institution
and given every possible attention. The
bodies of the dead children were brought
into the city and placed in the morgue,
where they will remain until coroner's
inquest may be had and the responsibility
for the accident fixed.
Little Fannie Harris was a very bright
and pretty child, loved and este med by
her Schoolmates. She was the daughter
of Mrs. Harris, a widow, who is employed
al NEAe CoHIkol- NIepl St btIl III dA. WHO
met his death also, is a son of Mr.. James
O. Gray, living at No. los Fenwick strsct,
Ivy City, adjacent to the old race track.
Coroner's Jury to Decide.
The coroner's jury Will be called upon TO
determine whether or not Gateman KEYS,
who lives at the corner of 9TH and | streets
northeast, did his whole duty A number
of school children who were near at hand
when the accident occurred declare the
safety gates were not properly lowered
when Harry McDonough drove the children
upon the tracks. One version of the affair
is that the gate on the opposite side Of the
tracks was lowered just as the blackboard
reached the first of the two lines of steel
rails. Seeing this. they say, young Nc
Donough checked his horse while upon the
tracks. Had he driven on across, which
would seem an inpossibility with the gate
lowered, the vehicle might have escaped
the passing train.
Single Gate on Either side.
There is a single gate on either side of
the tracks at the county road crossing.
beth being operated by levers from the
gatemans house the west side. They
are counter balanced, and might easily he
ralsed in the manner described by NJ.
Keys-being violently struck by the horse.
The accident created much excitement in
Ivy City, ana people thronged to the scene
of the tragedy. During recess hour chill
dren from nearby schools crowded upon
the tracks with dangerous recklessncss,
when fast express trains are constantly
passing at lightning speed.
Mr.. and MRS. Gray are both i'll. pros
trated with grief. Mrs. Harms was in the
city at the time her little girl was killed.
She, too is completely overcome with grief.
The railroad company at once began an
investigation of the accident aud sent n en-
TO the Ivy City crossing without delay
Gateman Keys was questioned and put
through rigid examination. He told his
story to the railroad officials pra cUicaliy
the same as related above.
McDonOughs story.
The story of Harry McDonough. the
driver Of the carriage. was obtained from
him by a Star reporter at the Emergency
Hospital this afternoon. He is about seven-
teen years of age, and has that sharp in
telligence that comes from acquaintance
with race tracks and race horses
Fully clothed, but covered by a blanket,
he lay on cot and readily replied to ques-
tions
My folks live at Hamilton, Ontario. For