Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-12
MOTHER BOLD ATTEMPT
Wreck a Passenger Train on the
Delaware Railroad. Near Dover.
|oSSTlES AGAIN WERE USED
igIne Struck Them ana Left
the Track.
|SSENGERS ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY

Monday morning regular freight No.
i left this city over the Delaware rail-
Sad Everything passed we'll until
10 train reached the vicinity of du
bnt's station, between Cheswold and
over.
4When the train reached this point
Engineer Hickman thought he saw an
bstruction on tho track. He at once
rersed the lever and applied the
Makes, but before he had accomplished
d work the pilot of the engine crashed
Ito a number Of crossties which were
led on the tracks.
THE train, fortunately, remained on
10 tracks and although the engineer
nd fireman were thrown backward in
az cab they were uninjured.
The train crew was called to the scene
ahd it was discovered that number of
crpssties were placed between the rails
for the purpose of derailing
ne Norfolk express which left this city
~ 11.56 p. m.
Unfortunately, the parties interested in
ne attempted wreck were unable to
f&mplete their plans before the arrival
the freight.
{iDover, Jan. 1O.--Another attempt to
neck train on the Delaware railroad,
||Ie second within 20 hours. was made
&c evening, about $50 o'clock, in
{Ae suburbs of Dover. Both attempts
ERE made at the same place, opposite
Ia upper end of the fair grounds, and,
{ubtless, both were made by the same
stards. The daring of the perpetra-
LIS of the crimes, in selecting place
~ near the town and making two
}tempts in one day, is surprising.
Whether their object was to destroy
"A tlroad property, or to rob, or to take
q are questions as yet unanswered.
lie generally accepted theory, how.
|er, is that the intention was tc
btroy railroad property. If robbery
he the motive, the risk was not worth
hing, and murder would not have
zen the desperadoes any satisfaction,
1.-The attempt made last night was
ainst the passenger train which lef
7lmington at G. 81 O'Clock, and which
20 due here at 8. "a O'Clock. In thu
|t&b were Engineer Samuel Barron ant
Hireman Frank Kane. Attached ts
tho locomotive were two passenge
c6aches and q baggage car. Thoma
owkins was conducror, and Fredericl
5ss brakeman. About 30 passenger
N9ke aboard, but beyond shaking vi
Ipo5pdy suffered.
The train arrived al Cheswold. abou
live miles above Dover, on schedul
finie, and was running at a speed O
SO miles an hour when it got opposit
Rthe fair grounds, and struck severa
Serossties, which had been put on tn
N&4/,I, Tho aputpaar did mt itnasyif,
X6at anything was wrong until he SAY
Ter proceeding 200 yards farther, th
sward truck Of the locomotive lei
d track, and the train ran distanc
200 yards more before it could b
5}pught to standstill.
rhe enginemen quickly alighted, an
Rgan an investigation. They foun
heavy crosstie, partly aslant tn
Rck, wedged under tho pilot, in sue
position that it might have upset th
|>tomotive if the train had bee
k1pped less promptly, or IL the trai
md been heavier. Obtaining torcht
kuQ lanterns, men went up the roat
0nA discovered two crossties, one
Which had been hurled TO the left I
t6t train and was lying between IL
f&ain track and the siding, and u
6t1er had been tossed clear across I'll
34ing. These crossties were found
eF feet above the place where Il
z04omotive was derailed. One of IL
>}&ssties had struck switch, crackii
|f lock and demolishing the lamp.
Eontinuing to the place wnere I'll
8truction was struck, the men four
fguard rail mashed, and conclud,
10 crosstie had been wedged again
for the purpose OF giving mo
idity to the obstruction, but, fo
Rately. the pilot loosened the eros
and forced it out. None OF Il
ling stock was seriously damaged.
wreck train was sent down fro
hyton,. arriving here at 1907 o'cloc
q soon thereafter Che disabled loc
tive was put on the track, and talk
Clayton for repairs. At the sal
|4e, a locomotive which had gone
wyoming to bring up train tn
4t1fning, came up, and brought to t
190Ser station the cars of the sout
bound train, from which the passenge
Ehad alighted an hour previous, al
3Valked into town. The belated ira
Irffyed at the station at 10. 10 o'cloc
"a minute later it resumed it's IL
Delmar.
kfter the second attempt at ira
4Acking, q track walker was rut
" between Dover and Cheswold.