Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1907-12-03
A Disastrous Wreck.

The most disastrous railroad wreck
ever known in this immediate section
occurred at Ego yesterday morning on
the B & 0 Railroad just west OF Shenan-
doah Junction. where Rev. H. H. Ken
nedy was killed few years ago. The
Duquesne Limited. which seems to be
an Inflated train. being behind time and
running east at high rate of speed. was
struck by a box car of freight train.
and the ladies' coach Of the flying pas
sepger train and two Pullman sleepers
were hurled from the track. causing the
death of three persons and the injury of
IL others, tearing up the tracks for 100
yards. smashing an engine and a num-
Der of freight cars and blocking traffic
more of less for nearly twelve hours.
The dead are Walter l. Hoffman and
his IS year old daughter. Ella. of Balti-
more. and B. Beyeridge. of Cameron. w
Va. The injured included no one from
this section. The dead and injured were
taken to Martinsburg
While passing freight train, also east
bound. grinding, rending sound was
heard, the flying passenger train was
torn asunder, and the three rear cars of
the passenger train were hurled from the
track as though made of cardboard, -
Amid the rending of timbers. the crash
of glass and the sound of breaking rails
could be heard the screams of the passen-
gers in the wrecked cars as they were
beaten and crushed by the mass of de-
bris that encompassed them. The La
dies coach, in which were seated those
who were killed, and several OF those
who were injured. was lifted bodily from
the rails and hurled across the tracks,
turned over on its side and forced by the
terrific impact of the two rear Pullmans
to plough Its way through the ground
over into an adjacent field on the north
side.
The wreck is said to have been caused
by the failure of the airbrakes on an ex-
ira freight train to work. One freight
was standing on the siding, on tbs south
tracks. Another had orders to pull into
the siding in order to allow the passage
of the flying passenger train. The sec
ond train, with Engineer Edwards, of
Harpers Ferry, at the throttle. came
down behind the other train at good
rate of speed. When a short distance
away the engineer applied the air. but
failed to bring his train to stop. As a
consequence. he crashed into the forward
train. the impact sending his engine
down the embankment wreck. and
smashing the cars of his train. On of
the cars in the forward train was derailed
and thrown against the Duquesne, which
was in the act of passing on the adjoin-
| ing track. Engineer Edwards jumped
on the right whilst his fireman jumped
on the left and barely escaped being
caught by the Duquesne.
Superintendent Fitzgerald went to the
scene of the wreck on an engine, which
was run as special from Baltimore. ar
irving there about O'Clock. In the
meantime the wrecking crews from Mar
tinsburg. Cumberland and Brunswick.
with powerful steam derricks. had been
ordered to the scene, and the work Of
clearing the debris from the tracks was
taken up.
Hundreds of people from all surround
| ing towns and country visited the scene
of the wreck yesterday. and a novel
sight greeted their eyes: All classes of
| freight-wire cable. castings, nails. CO.
coanut butter. chocolate, balm. candy,
beans. starch, etc., all mixed up in one
miscellaneous mass and cars piled on
cars and jammed into one another. and
some being slowly burned up to furnish
| fire by which 10 keep warm.