Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-06-11
ANOTHER TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Head-on Collision Between Freight
and Construction Train.-Mr. Chas.
Keys MORALLY Injured.

that his death resulted at the Alexandra
Hospital today. Several others ofthe train
crews we're more or less injured, including
Fireman Johnson, colored, of the freight,
who, with Mr.. Keys, had terrible ex
perierce, he having been wedged in by
the impact of the two locomotives and
buried under coal for hours before he
was extricated.
The circumstances in connection with
the accident are substantially as follows
A northbound freight train received or
ders at Fairfax to pass two southbound
construction train at Burke's. The freight
passed freight and one construction
train at the point named and pro-
ceeded to cut through which the
track curves between Rayensworth
and Ditchley when Engineer Jen-
nings, of the other construction tram,
saw the freight rushing toward him. He
closed the throttle, reversed his engine
and after telling the four other men on
the engine to jump followed after them.
The engineer collided with the conductor
when he alighted on the ground and cut
the left side of his face and was the only
one injured on his train. There were
five men on the engine of the freight
train, but they had no opportunity to
lump. The trains came together with a
fearful crash, the locomotives mounting
each other and turning over and burying
Mr.. Keys and Firemen Johnson under
tons of coal. The former was mashed
terribly and wedged between the cab and
tender,' but while the fireman was also
buried up his injuries were by no means
so serious as those sustained by Mr..
Keys. Engineer Mason Saunders and
others of the crew escaped with super
fetal injuries.
Engineer Jennings had in the mean
time reached the overturned engines
and with the other members of his crew
and those of the other train who had
escaped injury began the work of rescu-
ing Mr.. Keys and the fireman. Tons of
coal were piled upon them and after the
former had been located it was not known
whether he was alive or dead, as no
sound could be heard. Owing to the
fact that the collision had occurred in a
cut, it was extremely difficult to conduct
the work of rescue, and Engineer Jen-
nings, head down, had to be held by his
feet while he removed the coal lump by
lump from the imprisoned men. This
was necessary in order to prevent the
coal from caving in on the men. a
trench was also dug in the bank under
the freight engine in order to furnish
the men air. Fortunately the steam
pipes were not broken otherwise the
two men would have been cooked alive.
As it was the heat was almost unbearable;
although the goOseneck connecting the
tender with the locomotive broke which
sent streams of cool water into the con-
tracted space where themen were pinion-
ed and rendered conditions better than
they would otherwise have been. Mr.
Keys was finally reached and water
passed to him. He was conscious. lie
had his right hand to his mouth and a
CHASTITY expression on his face as it was
seen from the light of a torch held close
to him. After nearly three hours in
cessant and labOriOus toll theimprisoned
men were extricated.
A relief train had in the meantime
reached the scene and shortly after one
o'clock this morning the injured and
uninjured reached this city. Engineer
Saunders walked home unassisted, and
Mr.. Keys and Fireman Johnson
were carried to the Alexandra Hos
pital. The former was terribly mangled.
His right lee and forearm were crushed,
his right eye injured and the right side
of his head terribly lacerated. He was
perfectly conscious, but was weakening
perceptibly and it was realized that his
recovery was impossible. 1t was found
that should his strength warrant it his
/ leg would have to be amputated almost
to the hip, while the amputatiOn of his
forearm at the elbow was inevitable.
The gravity of the injury to his head
could not be definitely determined. The
unfortunate gentleman continued to
weaken and at nine o'clock this morn
ing he was almost pulseless. He ling
cred until 1890 o'clock when death
closed the scene.
The unfortunate young man was
son of Mr.. George w. Keys. He was
an insurance agent fer railway en-
ployees and had boarded the engine at
Manassas.
Fireman johnson, who had the same
terrible experience as Mr.. Keys so far
as having been buried for hours under
the coal was concerned, is not thought
to have received serious injuries, al
though his escape as well as that of
the others on the engine is miraculous.
Mr.. Keys was a member of Andrew
Jackson Lodge of Masons, Mount Yer
mon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and
of Old Dominion Commandery, Knights
Templars. He had for some time been
engaged in insuring railway employees
and was on his way from Charlottesville
where he went to fix up the papers Of
the late Edward Baggett when he met
with the terrible accident described
above. A singular fatality has occur
red in his family. His uncle, Charles
Keys was killed in railway accident
at Monroe long time ago and Thomas
Keys, another uncle, met a violent death
at the upper end of the Manassas diyis-
ion. Tie accident last night therefore
makes the third violent death which
has overtaken members Of the family.
As is always the case, there are sew
eral versions of the accident and the
statements of eyewitness vary in
details. 1t seems from one statement
c.l4 Aim bod racaivad