The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-29
BY FATAL MISTAKE,
WILL NEVER RUN TRAIN AGALN
Engineer Bradshaw De
clares Wreck Due to
His Own Neglect.

Hcartbroken over his fatal mistake
Of Saturday night. which. as told in thej
accounts given yesterday, caused one
death and injuries to about half
dozen people, Engineer w. v. Brad-l
shaw lies IN bed in his home in Man
chester, tossing more In mental an-I
gulsh than In physical suffering, and
wishing he had given up a railroad
life twelve months go, before he had
wrecked his engine, Killed his fireman,
Hardy Durham, and injured himself
and others.
Mr.. Bradshaw is now forty seven
years of age, and during all his TWEEN
ty-three years Of railroading sixteenl
Of which were spent in tho employ oil
the Atlantic Coast Line. had never be-
fore made serious mistake or ,brokenI
a limb. t
Saw Train Too Late
Saturday night Bradshaw was III
charge OF the Florida and West India
Limited. No. So, one Of the fastest
passenger trains OF the Atlantic Coast
Line. 1T was not HIS regular run, but
the other engineer was of for some
reason, and at o'clock word was
sent to him In his home that he was
wanted to take the train out. He left
at 7:25. and at Petersburg received
orders to meet second No. so at Stony
Creek. eighteen miles south of Peters
burg. He overlooked the order. Being
on time, he was loanng it along at a
s.cat, gallop' by stony Creek, when
suddenly tho headlight of second so !
loolned up before him. lie had thought
the track clear.
Shouting q warning TO Durham, his
colored fireman. whom he never saw
again, he applied tho brakes. But 1t /,
was too late. The trains crashed into
each other head-on. There was
sound Of crashing steel, rending iron,
noise. The other train was knocked
back three car lengths, The two en-
gines piled on top Of each other, and
then the engineer knew no more.
When he revived consciousness a few
moments later he was lying In the
bottom of the cab and escaping steam
and boiling water were pouring over
him. He staggered to tho window,
hurt and bleeding. and somehow man
aged to get through. D l,z, by his
injuries, he climbed up the bank, and
then fell exhausted beneath a cluinp
|of bushes. There he remained for
tome time; hidden from all the search
ers. who were looking for him In vain.
Information was telegraphed back that
he could not be found. and 1t was
supposed that he had been killed and
was lying trneath his engine
Thought He Was Dead.
Durham was found. with his neck !,
broken, short distance from tho
wreck Whether he jumped at the
warning or was thrown from the cab
will never be known. He was dead
when found. At last the searchers
found the engineer. lie could not
tell them anything. lie could only
bemoan his fatal mistake. Two en-
= ,,,Nt MOI nt
him, and his devoted fireman was dead.
1t was enough to break any mans
heart and the others kindly took him
away ssa9 |
Intthe meanwhile his household was
wrought up over the accident, all
thinking him dead His son. Richard
p. Bradshaw, who Is also an engineer
on the same line came oyer o., on me
wrecker, and the two met with an
OVERWHELMINGLY affectonate greeting
|Jnformation as to his safety was tee-
graphed home to allay the anxiety
there but Mr.. Bradshaw was unable
to return until yesterday morning
All His Fault, He says.
''It was my fault; IT was my ms
take" lie said yesterday evening and
III never get over 1t. Sixteen years
Two been with the Coast Line. and they
trusted me. 1T was my first mistake,
and it will be my last one. I'll mover
go back to the main limo again; I
couldn't after that mistake. l over
looked teh order, and heaven knows
why i did 1t. 7 thought everything |
MAS all right until saw that other
headlight, and then came the crash. It
was awful.
It's terrible life" he continued. ut
keeps you on your nerves all tho timc, II
and you can never tell what will hap |
PEN. Few men come out of 1t whole. |
Nearly all my friends have been killed. |
poor follows, end now have wrecked
n trnin--and ] q trusted engineer
a guess the company would take
me back again, but III never run IA
main line engine any more I never
liked the lifs;8I just went In 1t for
the money, SO that I could rear my
children and give them n comfortable
living, They are all grown now, and
am getting old. WON'T have to
work so hard now. and can get |
work as machinist, I'm all broken
up about IT." he said, "and know
that will never set over It." He
was suffering intensely.