The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-16
Frank Phillips of Mancheste
Holds to Throttle in Train
Crash Near Clopton
ONLY TWO MEN
INJURED. IN ACCIDENT
Speeding Through Train From
Florida to New York Runs
Into Open Switch and
Collides With Box Cars


the face of death. Engineer Frank
Phillips, VI Manchester, OF through
train NO. 81 OF the Auan..c Coast
Line Railway. bound from FIorida to
New \ ork city, prevented horrible
catastrophe and proDaDiy fearful
loss OF lie By reducing the speed on
the tying train just before II crashed
into iifteen ioaoed box cars on a SD
Ing at the water tank near Clopl"h
Station. just south OF Manchester,
short line before daybreak Thursday
morning.
Fireman Walter McDougal, OF Man
chester, q negro, who also remained in
: the cabin, was badly injured. sustain
ing fractures of both legs ana tB1u-
ries to the BODY. and Mail Clerk "a
10. numpnrieS, of raSetteNliie. ~. ~
was painfully hurt, receiving bruises
OF the legs and an injury to the right
hand, but the rest OF the trainmen
and every passenger, most OF them
asleep in their Pullman bertns, es-
capped serious injury.
Brakeman Was Negligent
The crash was due to the careless
fess of a brakeman, who LETT the
switch op IN. and though he Is known
10 the railway officials. they decline
TO reveal mis- identity or disclose what
actien will be taken 1t Is probable
that the man viii be dismissed at
once, as his thnughuessness might
have resulted III one OF the greatest
train disasters in the history OF the
State.
Train No. 81 was due In Richmond
at $40. but was few minutes late
IL WAS about fifteen minutes after
o'clock when the train approached
what is known to railroad men as
Ciopton water tank, a little more than
q mile south of the point where the
railroad tracks cross the street car
line in Hun street. Manchester. 1t
Is estimated that the train was run
ming about thirty miles an hour.
Just as the engine Was whlzxing
past the tank Engineer Phillips saw
the open switch and threw on the
emergency brakes. There was roar
and the screeching OF steel against
moving st eel as the train slowed down
rapidly, IL ran distance OF about
eleven rails. nearly SOC feet. before
the engine crashed into the loaded
box cars, at standst.a!. With loud
noise like an explosion, caused by the
partial demolition OF the first box car
and the rending and twisting of steel.
Passengers I'm Panic.
The shock awakened sleeping pas
-sengers and created terror among
those who were awake. with the re-
"A
excitement ahated when word spread
through the cars that there was no
danger. Half clad passengers a'isat"
ed and ran up toward the engine. Con-
ductor j. w. Cotton, OF Petersours'
Immediately took charge or the situa-
ton and conducted the work with ek-
pediency.
He ran 10 the repair yards short
distance away and notified Train DIS
Z SSh tl nS.fi-
ned Chief Dispatcher A. A. Mckay.
=, at HIS hcysaeN .McDoagal WAS placed
on some blankets in box car. where
he was given first aid treatment by
Dr. Hill. OF Manchester. and Dr. Z,
r. Robbins. or Richmond. sard
engine mas then attached to the hex
car and McDougal WAS removed here
and taken to the Memorial hospital
Physicians found an operation WAS
necessary and performed IL with,
out delay. The patient Is said to Do
resting easily.
Mai Clerk Humphries WAS not in
fured 10 seriously that he needed
hospital treatment. He was attend
"a by D1s Hill, and Robbins and re-
turned To his duties McDougal 10
believed TO have teen caught between
the tender and the boiler head of the
engine when they we're forced to-
gether by tho impact.
The damage to the engine lis estt-
mated at 5000. but the damage TO
the mail car may be much more. only
three OF the box cars. loaded with
tobacco for the American Tobacco
Company. were damaged. The pas
senger train was composed or six
pullman cars. a solid mail car. COM
bination baggage and mail car and
one day coach. The mali car was de-
tachad and the mail transferred and