The Washington times., 1903-07-28
TWO MEN KILLED
IN MIDLAND WRECK
Eleven Seriously Hurt, Not
Far From Alexandria.
ENGINEER WAS CARELESS
Allowed Work Train to Ove-Isp on
Lain Track When Limited Was
Dre in Few Minutes.
ENGINEER WAS CARELESS

Two persons were killed and a num-
her injured early this morning IN a
wreck en- the Virginia Midland Railroad
seve. niles south of AlexsLdTia- Care
lessness or the Part OF an engineer N
charge OF e work train Is said to haze
heen the cause OF the disaster
The Southwestern limited was deraiI-
ed at Springfield. the engine demolished.
and several Of the cars were wrecked
One United States railway mail clerk
was killed ard fT.ee Others were Sc
riocsly injured. Oae white fireman was
killed and the engineer OF the passsn-
ger train was probably fatally injured
The Dead.
The dead are:
W W. WOODWARD. mail clerk. p years
WALTER AlEEKS. white fireman on the
limited. crushed under the engine.
Eleven Injured.
The seriously injured are:
P. A Fontsins. mail clerk, OF $40 y
Street northeast.
John L. Phcnson. mail clerk. OF Rocks
ooro. Y. C. legs broken
Benjamin Rollins. clerk. OF A d Street
northeast. legs orushed below the knees.
J. Frank Keller. mail clerk. of Lantzs
Mills. Va. crushed.
John Lynch, OF Aiexaadria, engineer
OF the work train. crushed.
Peter Harrington. OF AIexandTis. en-
gineer OF the limited thrown under hiz
engine. and probably fatally injured.
William Mahoney. conductor OF tho
work train. leg fraetured.
Frank Rust. OF The limited. head cur
Charles Henderson. OF x Street north
vest. a passenger, head cut.
Two other passengers, whose names
could not be learned
Careiessness Of Engineer.
The accident took place at a few min
utes>afte- Z O'Clock. 1t appears that the
work train had been on a siding at
Springfield, loading ballast. and few
minutes before the l'rnitedAwas due the
engineer allowed the train te slip and
the engine TO extend over the end OF
the switch.
The train had not been in this position
three minutes when the limited. which
WAS half an hour late and was trying TO
make up the tine. came tearing alo1g-
'--~- Harrington saw the engine
sa1 truding oyer the track and hs
ground down all OF the brakes. but with
out avail The heavy express. which had
been rushing along at the rate of about
City miles an hour, plunged into the work
train.
Harrington acted the part OF a hero.
He could have jumped and saved him
self. but he refused and remained at the
throttle The engine of the limited was
thrown from the track. falling upon its
side. Harrington tunbling under it. The
mail cars OF the passenger trains were
splintered and none of the seven clerks
in them escaped injury. The work train
was demolished.
Clearing the Track.
The trains knocked down a telegraph
pole. ard for some time after the acci-
dent il was impossible TO ge; word TO
Alexandria OF what had happened.
Finally telephone was found in work.
ing order and help was asked for. The
wrecking train cf the railroad was at
North Garden and could not be reached
The Pennsylvania Railroad loaned its
wrecking train. and In about two hours
after the accident the treck vas cleared
for business
The engineer of the work train has
raic 10 statement as TO why he allowed
his train 20 leave the siding when he
knew that the limited could not be far
away. The officers OF the railroad are
making an investigation
The dead and injured passengers were
taken from the relief train. which had
been sent to the scene of the accident,
ct Alexandria
The mail clerks were hurried to Wash
ington and taken to the Emergency Hos
pital. where il was found that the con-
dition OF all OF them IS serious
Rollins is not expected 70 recover, AMI
should he 90 so ii is more than probable
that hts legs must be amputated.
The damage to the railroad consisted
Of two wrecked engines and several cara
demolished