The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-17

train was running. were torn up AM
scattered. Some were merely thrown
| aside as straws In q wind. Other.
were so twisted that their former
shape was unrecogniZable. TIL,
ground was torn up for q distance OF
more than 100 yards, and new bed
VIII have to be constructed. Some Of
the rucks were hurled clean ncros.
! the tracks. others were thrown on tor
of cars to which thee did nok belong
Part OF the mail car was TANNED
into the enyine, te1escoped so tightly
that II will have to be demolished tc
be separated The baggage car did
not lose its trucks. though 1t was bad
ly wrecked
The engine worked like snow
plow. AS 1T plowed along It dug .
trough in the ground. between tho
rails and where 1t turned and leaped
into the field, two or three feet deep
and as wide as itself, scattering dir.
end rails and ties before and around
IT. AS IT lay on its side steam st!ll
escaped for several hours from tina
valves. and one man spent his time
in throwing water into the firebox.
Where the fireman was killed were
lying his seat. his shovel and the red
bandana handkerchief he wore around
his neck. The coal he had been SHOW
around his body Fortunately life was
crushed out OF him within the in
slant, and the surgeons say that he
did not have time to suffer the agony
of twisted. broken bones and the
scaldiES steam which poured out upon
him.
Making Up Time
The train left Washington on time,
out was said TO have been four min
utes late at boswell and two min.
utes late at Ashland. When passing
Laurel 1t was said to have been on
time. But II was still running at the
speed to which Engineer koontz had,
II Is believed. set himself when he de-
termined not to be LATE when he pull
ed into Richmond His hand was on
the throttle as he passed the little
fas station at Laurel A hundred
yards further he felt the engine rock
and knew that he was off the rails
Fireman Byrd was still shoveling coal
when the engine left the tracks. and
II fell upon his side, crushing out his
breath with its ponderous weight
koontS was jammed up against tho
boiler by the sudden shock, and then
Tell a heap into the wreckage which
his big girl had made. They took
him out unconscious.
Trump Escapes.
But IT seems that fate gave its saw
Ing grace to at least one man who
otherwise must have been crushed into
a shapelesa mass. He was a hobo, and
he rode on the forward part of tho
mail car, with the tender of the en-
CINE just In front. He was lying with
eyes to the ground. when he saw the
rails divide. He had ridden many
times before, and he knew what those
dividing rails meant Without sec
ond's thought he arose and jumped,
utterly escaping the wreck into which
the train was flying. He landed on
the ground without scratch and with
out bruise. So the crew found him.
sitting on the ground, a bit dazed, ST.
lent and thankful. He will be de
talned, however. to appear as a witnes a
at the coroner's inquest.
II was considered remarkable that
none of the passengers was hurt. Ru-
mors in Richmond flew thick and fast.
and each rumor was worse than the
last Scores had been killed. rumor
mad it, and many Richmond people who
mad relatives on the train left for the
scene of tho wreck on the train leaving
Elba ut i:l5 o'clock. One man jumped
when he saw the incoming train. car
rying Its burden of injured. But none
OF his was among the hurt. His wife
and child came home safe and sound
on the special train which the company
sent up for the passengers.
Movement of Passengers.
The dining car and Pullman were
taken back to Washington. Passen.
gers on the accommoda ton train were
transferred around the wreckage To
another train sent out for them from
Washington. The wreck caused sew
eral hours OF delay and utterly chang
cd the schedule, so that for a time.
there was no schedule at all
The train was in charge of Conduc-
tor j. a. Thompson of Hanover Ave
nue. He was unable to explain the
accident He said that the train was
proceeding at rate of forty miles an
hour when the engine left the tracks
EVER BOD: expressed wonder that
only one man was killed and only