Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-11
Engineer Frank 3. Coffey Meets
Death on Railroad Yard.
WAS GOING TO HIS ENGINE
Aoed Man Had Been Running Engine
en- Chesapeake & ohiS Ever Since
the Road Was Suit Hare Twenty
seven Years Ago.

------------~s
After serving twenty-seven years
As an engineer on the Chesapeake q
Ohio railnad, Frank Il. Con y, Z"
years old met his end about 6;io
o'clock Yesterday morning by being
ground to death beneath the wheels OF
a tender and switching engine NO.
s45 near tn Old Point Junction IN
the railroad yard here.
when the accident occurred, MT
Corey was walking up the railroad
Yard 10 his engine, No. S2s, which
was standing on a siding near the
coal Tin north OF the Junction. rive
minutes before he met his death Mr..
Coffey had been talking 10 Engineer
r. V. Tuck, OF the engine which ran
him down and killed him. The switch
ing engine was standing near the
Thirty fourth street bridge when Mr.
Ccffty entered the yard TO so ID MS
engine and he stopped for a short
talk with Mr.. Tuck.
Backing Into Switch.
How the tragedy occurred probably
never will be known. The switch
ing engine was backing inao SIDING
near the coal bin. Engineer Tuck ana
Fireman w. S. Tucker having COM
pleted their nights work with the To-
connective. Whether Mr.. Cor y was
walking on the track and. owing 10
his deafness, was unable 10 hear the
APPROACH OF TIE engine, CT whether
he attempted to cross the track III
front OF the tender could not be ue-
termined. He was blind in one eye
ana Il Is possible that he misjudged
tn speed OF the engine. which was
being brought to a st5p and thought
that he could cross the track without
uanger.
When Engineer Tuck and Fireman
Tucker descended from the cab OF
their locomotive and started TO the
junction 10 wash and change Their
clothing before going home for break
fast the latter caught his foot into
a niece OF clothing and upon exami'
natin he found that It was an over
coat. He told the engineer that II
looked as II they had run over some
body and the men began an cxami-
nation.
Find Body Under Engine.
They found Engineer Coffey's dead
cody lying acrtss the track between
the front driving whte ell and the pony
truck of the negine. The wheels OF
the tender and both Of the driving
wheels Of the engine had passed COM
pletely over the body. severing both
~ the legs just above the knees.
Death prohaly was almost instantan7
eous.
Superintendent Of Terminals L. l..
Ford was Immediately notified by
,elephons and he reported the acci-
dent to DR.. r. r. Gary. the city coro-
ner. After viewing the body. ooro-
nsr Gary had 1t moved TO Caffee's
undertaking establishment. A ccro-
ner's Jury. composed of c. J. Phil
Inns. C. NJ. Davis, w. c. Cosby. Dan
s. Jon $. W. S. Morris. and T. +.
Harris was summoned and after
hearing the evidence bf Engineer
Tuck and Fireman Tucker returnsd
a verdict of accidental killing Botn
CT the men testified that they did
not hear q cry and that the engine
was so heavy that they could not
notice any jar when the locomotive
ran over the tsdy.
Oldest Engineer in Service.
Engineer Coffey had been in the
employ CT the Chesapeake & Ohio
since 1852 when he road was nrst
built into this city and was oEs Of
the best knowu and most popular en-
n!eers In the C. & o. service. He
had kncxn Superintendent Of Termi-
naIs L. I. Ford ever since the latts r
was a messenger boy 10 short trous-
ers. Mr.. Coffey came here from New
York where he was employed as an
engineer on the Erie Railroad. he
had bsen engineer OF ewitcairg en-
CINE Gu tn yards here scr twelve or
more years. but formerly was engi-
neer OF passenger train between
this city and Richmond.
wnSu he frs. moved 20 Virginia
he established hrs home in this city
and has lived here ever since. 4 nun
Der Of years ago be entered the
grocery business with Mr.. Richard
Richards under the firm name Of Coz
FEY & Richards.
Survived BY Widow ard Sen
Mr.. Cosey Is survived by = widow
ssd one sen. Edgar A. Codey. who
lives in West Virginia. he mas a
brother, Charles coffey. living In Chi
csgo. and a sister. Mrs. Annie Sly
Win lives IN this city.
Besides being a number % The
Brotherhood Of locomotive Engineers,
Nr. Cc5ey was member 81 James
River Crnciave. Inrroved order Of
Heptssophs. and Peninsula Camp NO
Is. wocsmsn Of the world.
Il - Frsw.