The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-08
GRAPHIC STORY
OF THE WRECK
Eyewitness Tells Of Engine Ex-
plosion Friday Night.
PASSENGERS cRAWLED OUT
Imprisoned. They Found Egress Only
by Jumping from the Car Windows.
Two Terrific Crashes-No
Official Report Yet.

Though careful inquiry and investiga-
ton were made yesterday concerning the
cause OF the explosion Of engine NO. las,
drawing the Liberty Bell special. on
the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto-
mac Railroad, eleven miles north of
Fredericksburg Friday night 1t SUI re-
mains a mystery.
No official report had been made last
night TO General Manager Duke, conse-
qucntly nothing bearing upon this phase
Of The accident was given out.
Engineer Humphrey and his fireman,
Mr.. c.. L. Saunders. are at the Mary
Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg.
There is small chance of Mr.. Humphreys
recovery, while It is thought Saunders
Will live.
The track at the scene Of the explosion
was cleared by 1870 yesterday afternoon.
when the special train carrying the Phi
adelphians, which had been returned the
night before to Washington. came
through. This train arrived at the Byrd
Street Station yesterday afternoon at
e:05 O'Clock, and remained at the sheds
ten minutes before resuming the trip to
Charleston, something over fourteen
hours late.
The train upon its arrival here was
composed Of five cars, a new depart
mont car and sleeper "Ya1ua'' added at
Washington, besides the dining-car and
puliQanE '.Cn2fnion ana fellOI:,
which were IN the wrecked train.
Mr. Wilson Brown, chairman OF the
Liberty Bell Committee. when seen by a
Times reporter at the station. said by
way of introducing his account OF the
wreck: I've are here, but we don't know
why
EYE WITNESS STORY.
A gentleman VIII Has one of dozen
of the party riding in the department
car next to the engine, when the explo-
Sion occurred. told the following Story
OF the wreck:
I'VE were sitting in the car. smoking.
after coming forward from the dining
car, when the crash came
I'VE heard the terrific explosion; our
coach suddenly checked, and then lunged
forward, seemingly with greater speed,
when there was second report and the
car came to a standstll.
Every man made a break for the
doors. but found these fastened by torn
up ties and railroad irons, so our only
hope of escape was through the windows.
mo time was lost in this as the in
terror of the coach was now on fire, and
we deserted her, crawling and climbing
through broken glass and other debris.
..Once outside. we realized The terrible
disaster and wondered how We escaped
death.
..,rhe engine we could not find at first,
as the car. out of which we climbed. had
passed the point where the wrecked boiler
and tender lay on the embankment, pos
sibly serenty-fire feet.
JUMPS TIE TRACK.
You see when tbs engine exploded 1t
left the track. flying in the air. and left
the train to plunge forward until checked
by the accumulation of rails and ties
loosened from the road bed.
SEARCH was at once made for the en-
E.neer and fireman by those of our party
who were not engaged in fighting the fire
now threatening the coach.
Fireman Saunders was first found
about thirty yards north of the engine
on the eastern side of the track. and was
at once taken into the coach, where he
was attended.
THE search for Engineer Humphrey
began TO seem hopeless after a half hour
of calling and hunting through the thick
cts bordering on the tracks. and we We're
about decided that his body had been
groan was family heard coming from the
western side of the road in a clump of
trees over sixty yards from the spot the
engine exploded.
when reached he was unconscious and
we thought dying
The gentleman speaking said: mo one
In the Philadelphia party was injured
though they We're right roughly rolled
ebout in the cars. About 5 o'clock the
cars remaining on the rails We're pulled
out of the wreck and returned to Wash
6nctOn