The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-05
Especial TO The Tilncs-Dispatch chD$8


& SUFFOLK, VA. April 1.-THE fast Nor;
folk and Western cannon bali train run-S
ming from Richmond to Norfolknslcft9i itss$
tract: and plunged into the fastliess OFT
/ tho Dismal Swamp. seven miles ca st 81
Suffolk. at 4 o'clock this morning, and
stopped only afterai 7 had torn VI
pine trees about fourteen Inches fln diahl-%
Foter. The cub of the engine was thrown
more than twenty feet from its boiler,sl
and tho engineer was about twenty-nve#
feet from his locomotive. There were
about sevcnty-nvo persons on the train,
thirteen OF whom were injured. only onejB
OF two fatally. q 5Es }gsiS
s#iThat there were no more casualties ss$
considered by surgeons and trulnmen to R4
be almost miraculous There We're Other
slight injuries, but the al bovc Is the list
given BY the ronds district surEcon.9as
Several other surgeons were s,lnnlOneut9
10 tic scene from Norfolk ana Suffolk.fis
Engineer Hero. ~.
Tho verdict OF tho passengers is that&n
number OF lives were saved through thesa
sllcroisnl of Engineer Noble, who stood
to his post in the face of almost certain
death, si #s$
Ilc saw. tile open switch. whlcl, causedSy
the disaster. in timeSto reverse his lcvfr,sss
and he still stayed on, while thc&cngine#
jumped the Glitch, plowed up for itself
a huttrcss Of pine trees, and became dis
mantled. 89ssa
Only the Impetus Of thesmnchinc used
him to leave his charge, and he Whirlcd
through the air twenty-five feet nwly,Ei3
where lie wns half buried in mud
The fireman Jumped, and fell through
vlNf. III, "a
his fail. The combination baggage and
coaches followed to the edge
or the canal where they stopped, badly
carecned i3; y 3g3$f8
Fire in Mail Car 81
4 fire broke out in thc mail car, but
was cxtinguishcd after q few pouches,
had been burned Tho speed OF the train
through the swamp is fully SIXTY miles
an hour One torn UP rail was poked
Though the entire body of n car, and one
man was thrown from car ms far as n
fifteen feet. di$23
,rhc roads district surgeon, Or. ", w.
Murray, was on tho wrecked train, nlld! nlld!s
did much to relieve the victims before
the arrival ofrelef trains from Norfolk 4
and Suffolk. Since the wreck began on
a side track, the main line was left clear.
The worst hurt persons we're distribute &
among three Norfolk hospitals. When'y
surgeons arrived with wliskeN, which f
was ordered only for tho injured, one
sphysicon says it was amusing TO WatchtSf
some Of the safe folGn injury IN order TO ~
temper the shock sustained by lnuor.$
High Speed. [,
Tho train was running at the rate o.
* or 50 mlcs an hour when Engineer
Noble spicd the open switcl, thirty
Yards away Immediately he threw on nt,5
his emergency brakes. reducing he speef
ia about thirty by tho time tho cnslns
struck tho switch. Tho train Jumped t',sts
track, then Jumped an adjoining ditch
ana ran hcadlong into netshbor'n
woods before It stopped. 'fhe lrnir
cnreened, but did not turn over, and dld sa
not burn, as first reported. ${s8
The switch which caused me wfeeS,s
was wide open and no ona has yet c'H3S
counted for tho cause. Though EnSineel
Noble was looking for danger as no al.$F
wnys looked when running Mt such great
spccd. he had orders giving him = fres a5
,road from, Suffolk TO Norfolk No onS
secms 10 know why tho switch had heen
left omen. IT Is said that y had beer Il
lcft OPEN after freight which passed II,
early in the morning. s8S
Wreckng trains were sent oni from
Norfolk and Suffolk With large wrecklas "a
crews ana a large number Of 5pby yslcln nns 5as