The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-11
A PASSENGER
TRAIN WRECK
Fast Flying Virginia In
to an Open Switch.
SEVEN PEOPLE HURT.
Engineer Foster Has His Arm Crush
ed Off.
RUNNING AS A D0UBLE-HEADER.
A. Smith, the Other Engineer, Jumped
and Escaped Serious Injury The
Signals Could Not be Seen.
The Man in the Tower Said
They Looked to be all
Right.
RUNNING AS A D0UBLE-HEADER.

sTAUNTON, VA, Aug 1o-special.-
Chesapeake and Ohio f.. T. " passenger
train (No. A was badly wrecked at the
depot here this morning at 1870 o'clock.
This train is due here at 1l:0S and came
in twenty minutes late. Passengers were
badly shaken up but none injured.
The train was running double header
IN charge OF Captain Buster.
The injured among the trainmen We're:
a. Smith. second reaD engine, hurt in
hips and head.
L. S Foster, Clifton Forge. first en-
CINE, left arm cut of below elbow
r. e. COSBY of Alton, hurt IN the
head.
James CARRIER Brands Station, leg
mashed below the knee.
Foster jumped from his engine into a
pile Of rocks.
PECULIAR ACCIDENT.
Foster. Goosby and CARRIER We're hurt
by the fall Of the first engine and tender
down al embaukmant half an hour arter
the train had stopped.
The trestle on the edge Of the bank
gave away, and precipitated the engine
and tender down into a dense crowd OF
lockers on. Charlie Phillips OF the city
Railway Company, slightly injured on
tho back; Joe Mott merchant, bruised
and right arm scratched. The two last
. are StauntOnlans, and were looking on
the scene The other injured men.eX-
cept Smith. were injured also by the
falling engine and tender. Fortunately
the steam escaped slowly. q great loss
OF life would have resulted.
HOW m HAPPENED.
The train No. 4 was twenty minutes
late. About half an hour before the
whistle of 80. ! blew for the station sig
nal, the yard engine in charge of Yard
master Johnson, had switched several
cars loaded with melons on the track
just in front of the warehouses. on the
slip. ana fifty yards north OF the main
track
Inspection shows this switch. used FOR
this shifting % Doe locked. snd turned
90 the side track This caused the wreck.
A MYSTERY.
WHY this switch was left locked and
turned from the main. is not now known.
The switch shows red. the danger signal
II is ON the left Of the train No 4 and
could not have been seen by the engineer.
who was on the right Of the cab 1ne
young man i'm charge of the tower at the
depot says the tower signal was al right
lie declined 90 talk further said the en-
ginecr slgnallcd for the station switch
and II was all right.
When your correspondent saw the
tower signal. II showed white and hung
down. supposed TO indicate clear track.
II appears that the yard switch IS IN
no way connected with the tower andIs
not under the control of the tower man.
These seem 10 be the facts I'm the case.
do not undertake to place the blame.
INCIDENTS.
Little Fred Quenson. son Of Manager
Ouenson. OF the Globe Brewery, was
standing near the engine as % fem down
the bank. and was slightly gjured an
the jaw and head. but not serious.
Mike CrOghan's wagon was loading
melons from the side track, tso car was
turned completely on the track and
wrecked. Cr0ghans horse was Killed
and wagon wrecNcd.
p long train Of freight standing on the
warehouse track were showed Off the
track. passed the ticket office and 800
front OF SPOTS. Bowling e. Co.'S whole
sale grocery store. Al this point the
hotel busses and private vehicles were
waiting for the incoming train. and there
were some wonderful escapes from dan
ger and death.
+. S. Foster. of engine No. !. wa, run
ming IN the place OF the regular engiDeer.
J II. Merritt. Foster had an arm cut |
,n.
An investigation will show where the |
blame OF this accident rests. Certain 1t !
s.. there is no worse place on the line |
Of the Chesapeake and OhlO railroad |
nan the stanton depot and its APP J
,roacnes. 10 IS due the travelling pubic |
baf the long promised. and oft deferred |
here, should be made with
,ut delay.