Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-05-11
R0ADMASTER DIES
FRIGHTFUL DEATH
Gasoline Motor Car Run Down and J. N.
Walker Instantly KlIIed--W. R. Dawson
and J. R. Anderson Badly Injured.

and J. R. Anderson Badly Injured.
Roadmaster j. NJ. Walker was inst
antly killed and Assistant Superipten-
dent w. r. Dawson and Master Car
penter j. r. Anderson badly injured on
last Friday morning when extra west
1910 on the Pocahontas division ran
down and demolished the motor car on
which they were riding, just west of
Wilmore, W. Va.
The three officials were inspecting
tracks and bridges at the time of the
accident. After looking over the pro-
posed changes in the tracks at Welch,
they had started west, moving slowly.
in order to better inspect the work. AS
they were rounding the curve Just west
of Wilmore, extra west 1910, with En-
gineer Crowell in charge, overlook their
car. Roadmaster Walker was thrown
between the rails of the west-bound
track, and the engine and sixteen cars
passed over him. He was literally
ground to pieces. Assistant Superin-
tendent Dawson was picked up between
the two tracks. 1t is probable he was
thrown against train Sc, which was
then passing on the east-bound track.
and then thrown back between the
tracks Master Carpenter Anderson
was picked up about forty feet from
the west-bound track.
At the time of the accident the mo-
tor car was making ten or twelve miles
an hour, while extra 1910 was making
between 35 and 40 miles an hour. Owing
to the noise of the train passing on the
east-bound track, the men on the car
could not hear the one following them,
and the stiff curve at the point where
the accident happened prevented the
engineer on the 1910 seeing the men un-
I til within about two car lengths of them.
No recent accident has caused so
much interest and sympathy. All the
men were well known and popular.
Mr.. Walker was raised near Roder-
field, w. Va, and was for number of
years track walker and foreman on the
Roder6eld section. He was promoted
in charge of an extra gang wnen A L.
Whitehead was made roadmaster and
helped build the Tug Fork branch of the
Norfolk and Western, and was after
wards promoted roadmaster, holding
the position at the time of his death.
He is survived by his widow and five
children.
Joel M. Walker was fine outstanding
man. OF large frame, his every i'm
pulse was generously in proportion.
Firm, yet kind in his relations with the
men under him, he commanded not only
their respect but their regard, and not
a man in the service that knew him,
but that felt tug at their heart-strings
when told of his untimely death. His
life was long, strong struggle for the
betterment of his fellow workmen.
May his rest be peaceful.
More than passing interest was felt
here regarding the other gentlemen in
volved in the accident w. R. Dawson
was born and grew to manhood in this
county, and Mr.. Anderson, while not a
native of the county, has lived for many
years and raised his family at Graham.
Both in and out of the railroad service
they are well known and equally as well
liked. Much sympathy was expressed
and many inquiries made by the people
here as to their condition while it was
thought they were still within the shad-
ow. The latest word from them, how
ever, is that they will recover, although
they will not be considered out of dan
ger before the end of the week.