The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-27
CLOSE CALL \
OF A HOTEL
Narrow Escape From
Death In the Logan
THE WORK OF A COAL CAR.
Over An Embankment it is
Thrown and the Logan
House Is Badly DAM
aged as the Result.
THE WORK OF A COAL CAR.

A largo telegraph pole saves the Logan
House from destruction and John ID.
Kelley and his family from a sudden death
this morning. The pole stands on u bank
between the hotel and tho elevated tracks
of tho b. & y. railroad at tho Delaware
Avenue Station. About o'clock this
morning heavy freight train drawn by
euglne No. 1871 drew in on tho switch to
allow q passenger train to pass. Three
quarters of an hour lator tho engine cut
lcoso from the train and went on the main
track in order to reach the water tank.
train was noticed to move as the brakes
had given way. Next moment the on
gino collidel with two heavily laden coal
cara. The first car was hurled over the
pole. The latter saved the car from strik-
ing the front corner of tho Logan House
where John ID. Kelley and family were
sleeping Tho car changed Its course and
struck the back portion OF the hotel crash
ing through the end of the kitchen wash
room ana bowling alley.
EBurglars have been playing their game
right lively of lato in Wilmington and
whom the crosh cams it shook the big brick
structure so that Proprietor Kelley
thought there woro burglars in tho house.
Jumping out of bed and grabbing his ro.
volver be ran to the hall where he met his
clark who was also hunting burglars. An
Investigation showed that the back part of
the hotel was wrecked ard that a coal car
with thirty-one tons of soft coal was on
the back porch. The car was wrecked and
the trucks arc damaged to sucn an extent
that they will not be fit for use.
The second coal car that COllided with
the engine was thrown across the track
anu stopped The other cars. The wrcciing
crew was summoned and tho tracks was
open for travel in an hour Engineer w.
i Gosncl of Philadelphia received good
shaking up and had ono foot severely
hurt. Fireman William Fl. Standiforl
of Phil adoIphia when the collision took
pace was in his cab. He was thrown out
aad had one of his legs badly spraincd.
Both however took the train 10 Philalel-
phia. The telegraph polo was badly twist
ed and splintered Lut did not break. The
Logan House is damaged to such an extent
that it may have 10 be torn down and re-
built. Tho walls are cracked and tho
floors strained. Mr.. kelley cannot tell
his loss at present until the hotel is ex
aminea by the Building Inspector.
AT tho time the car was hurled over tho
embankment Koloy and his family were
asleep in the front room. HID the car not
struck tie telegraph polo it would havo
struck the end OF tho wall of room where
they were asleep. Mr.. Kelley expected
fronds from Philadelphia last night but
owing to the weather they did not come.
Had they coplc to Wilmington they would
have occupied the room that Il damaged
most.
Mr.. Kelley In speaking of the accident
said that the coal was delivered too late In
the season and that he cannot make use Of
the soft coal. Ho docs not want his coal
dumped through the second story by car
loads into tho cellar. lie prefers to havo it
go in the cellar widow. Stevedorcs wero
put at work and the coal will be all out of
his yard this afternoon. A large crowd of
people visited tho scene of tho wreck to-
dry. The Railroad company will reiln-
burso Mr. Kelley for tho damage.