Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-12-05

NO. IL, bne lli-Ifteu ~ lquooue dtW
ited--the B & 0's fastest passenger
train-was involved, and three of its
passengers were killed and dozen
others injured. The accident occurred
in peculiar way Freight train N,
1897 was on the siding jcst above the
Junction. waiting a signal to proceed.
which would not be given it until the
Limited should pass. Freight train
No 1928. with E1ginem.n Eiwards
at the throttle and Fireman Ksyser
on the tender, came in on the same
track behind No. 1897 and plunged
into the rear end with great force,
throwing the CHOOSE to one side and
hurting several other cars over on the
m ain track. Just at that instant the
passenger train came along at tire
mendous speed The engine struck
one Of the freight cara glancing
blow, and the combination baggage
snd smoking car had lts front end
smashed 10. but both went on ahead.
being stopped within a few hundred
feet, the coach derailed.
The day coach plunged into the
freight wrsckags with full force, and
the shock was so fearful that it was
thro sn into the field north of the
tracks, where it lay upon its side.
Two Pullman sleepers that were 10
the rear of the train we're derailed
and one was badly broken at the for.
ward end. but their occupants were
no. seriously injured.
Tue passengers in the day coach
had frighttul experience Three
were instantly killed--W. L F Hof
man, aged 36 years, and his daughter.
Nellie, Is years old, of Baltimore.
and man whose name waa given as
A. Beverage, Of Cameron, W. Va.
though his identity has not yet been
fully established. About dozsn 9th.
ers were injured, oil whom three only
remain IN the hospita! at M.rtinsburg.
None of the train men was serious
" hurt. The engine of the express
train was but slightly damaged. and
it's occupants were unharmed. Con,
ductor Henry Hill aud Fl4gm 20 PoS.
ell. who were 10 the c4boose. miracu.
lousy escaped injury when 1t was
| struck by the engine, AMI the engl,
neer aud fireman of No. 1928 jumped
when they saw that COLLISION was In
evitable.
After the frat shock was over. the
occupants of the shattered passenger
coacn began 10 make their wAv out Of
the death trap. By the light of N .tch
es aud burning paper they extricAted
them selves, uatil the train men came
with lanterns to help them Tue
dead were laid to one eide and the
badly injured were carried out and
sheltered 10 the Pullman CATS With
IN an hour relief train with half a
dozen physicians had been sent out
FROM M4rliusburg. and wrscking trains
sum moued from Brunswick, Cumbsr-
| land and Mtrtlusburg. All of tue
| killed and injured were taken to Mar
rinsburg, where the dead were pre-.
| pared for burial by W. q. Wien and
| the injured were carei for at the
Kings Daughters Hospital.
By Eve o'clock the dead and In
iured had been taken to M4rtnsburg
aud those who we're lucky enough to
escape had been transferred to an
other train aud taken on to their ces-
tiuatiou. A large force OF worsmsn
began to remove the wreckage AMI
repair the tracks, AMI by nine o'clock
one track was cleared and trains got
| by. Many persons from Shepherds
town. Charles Town and the surround
ing country visited the scene OF the
accident and watched with interest
the work of clearing up the wreck.
The engineer of N, 1923 said that
mis- engine WAS only N wing at SIX or
seven miles an hour when be struck
the other train, but from the loozs
of the LOGON ,tive. which was simply
mass of shattered irou and tangled
pipes. and from the way the freight
| cars had been thro VI about. 1t Is most
certain,that he was going much faster
Ii Was no gentle bump that caused
such q wreck.
A coroner's inquest was held in
4rtinsburg Mon lay night, before
Coroner Ki,ns II WAS shown that
Conductor Hill WAS asleep in the ca.
boose of tam No 1897. and that
Flag nan Powell was also in the ca
booss. after having placed torpedo-s
on the track behind him. Engineer
E wards. of No. 1928, declared that
the trouble was cause by the failure
of the air. brakes Although he did
his hest. the air would not work, aud
his train gathered speed after it passed
the summit at Hobbs. When be
found that he could not stop his train
and that it was certain to c ,use an ac-
cident, be blew his whistle to warn
the men in the c4booss ahead Of him
and then be and his 6rem 80 Jumped.
The coronsr's jury rendered a yer.
dict that the accident WAS due to neg
ligence of Conductor Hlllsnd Fl,g-
man Powell, of No 1897. AMI Egg
neer Edwards. OF M 1928. The
members of the jury thought that the
conductor and A,gman should have
warned the train following them and
that the engineer should have put on
his brakes sooner than be did, AS his
firem an hal told him that the other
train Was just ahead of him None Of
1 IL 70 Ia,