Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-07-03
four KILL Ed
IN TWO WRECKS
The Norfolk and Western Had Two
Bad Wrecks, one at Marion
and the other at Dunlop
PASSENGER TRAIN STRUCK A COW
Which Caused Marion wreck-The
Cannon Ball Had Head on
Collision with Loaded Freight
train.
PASSENGER TRAIN STRUCK A COW

WcStUOuuu 1NOIlOlh ~ WCoICIA pas
senger train No. 10, engine No. II,
which left Roanoke as train No. at
4:30 o'clock last Friday afternoon, was
wrecked one-quarter of a mile east Of
Marion, at 1912 o'clock at night, and
Engineer Lee Spalding, of Roanoke,
and his fireman, Mr. j. H. Hoover,
also of Roanoke, were instantly killed,
and Express Messengers Otey and
Wood, of Bristol, were seriously and
Mail Agents Jenkins and Adams of
Lynchburg, slightly injured.
Train No. left Roanoke few min
utes late on last Friday, and upon
reaching Radford dts number was chan
ged to 49, All went we'll until the
train was within sight of Marion.
While going at rapid clip and on
a perfectly straight stretch OF track
the engine struck COW. The pony
trucks were derailed and ran for dis
lance of nine hundred yards before
throwing the other wheels of the loco
motive off the rails When the larger
trucks left the track, the engine tum-
lled down an embankment and pulled
It's tender along with the mail car, ey-
press car and baggage car with it.
The engine and three cars were piled
up into a mass of Wreckage and En-
gineer Spalding and his fireman were
instantly killed, while the two ex
pressmen escaped with serious injuries
and the mail clerks came out with still
lesser hurts. None of the passenger
coaches was derailed, and no other
persons excepting those named above
were in any way injured. A telegra-
phic report of the wreck was made as
soon as the trains conductor could
reach the telegraph Office at Marion
and a relief train with surgeons on
board, was started from Bristol, while
Superintendent J. w. Cook, of Roa-
noke, left with the wrecking train
and gathered up surgeons along the
line of road between Roanoke and the
scene of the disaster. The wounded
expressmen and mail agents were plac-
ed on board the special which had been
sent out from Bristol, and accompan-
led by the company's surgeons, were
quickly removed to Bristol, where they
are being cared for.
Engineer Spalding's body was taken
to Bristol, where it was prepared for
burial Fireman Hoover's remains were
shipped to his old home at Staunton
for interment
Engineer Spalding must have not de-
tected his pony trucks being on the
cross-ties, or he would not have gone
900 yards without trying to stop his
train.
The dead fireman was about rs years
of age and unmarried Mr.. J. Fl.
Hoover had been running out of Roa-
noke for about two years, and was
we'll and popularity known.
1t will be observed the wreck occur
red on Friday and the i'll fated train
was No. 1S.
A Richmond telegram says: The can
non ball train, which left Richmond
at 8 O'Clock Saturday morning, plum
ged through an open switch at Dunlop
head on with the engine of loade0
freight standing on the siding, ready
to take the main track after the Nor
folk e Westerns superb flyer shoula
have passed
Engineer Harry Covington stuck to
his post until too late to jump and
lost his life. He applied the air brakes
but the space Was too short, and though
the speed was slackened, the heavy
train dashed onward to destruction
and the impact was terrific.
A heavy crash. the stiffness of death
and then the terrible cries of the
wounded.
One moment a grandly flying mod.
arn train, the next chaos and horror.
Two men were killed and one ser-
usly injured.
The passengers, about twenty-five
we're badly shaken up. and most OF
them were slightly hurt
The wreck occurred at $3.50 O'Clock
at Dunlop Station, three miles north
of Petersburg. The Atlantic Coast
Line officials, over whose track the
Norfolk and Western runs it's cannon
ball trains to Petersburg, are now
investigating the cause of the wreck
The killed are Harry Covington. OF
Norfolk, engineer, and his nephew
Robert Covington, of Chesterfield coun.
ty, fireman.
Captain Robert S. Echols, who was
in charge of the train, had both arms
broken, chest hurt cut in head and
leg hurt. His condition is serious.
DR.. George e. Font, OF Richmond
who was a passenger on the train
set the broken limbs and made Captain
Echols as comfortable as possible, un-
til he could be taken to Richmond.
Among others who were injured are;
William Davis, colored, postal clerk
leg hurt; w. C. Cousin, fagman, wris1