Dunlop, VA Express Wrecks, June 1903

THE CANNON BALL IS WRECKED.

FAST TRAIN PLUNGES INTO OPEN SWITCH.

CRASHES INTO A FREIGHT TRAIN.

ENGINEER AND FIREMAN OF THE PASSENGER TRAIN KILLED.

CONDUCTOR ECHOLS IS BADLY HURT.

PASSENGERS THROWN OVER THE SEATS AND BRUISED AND CUT -- REV. HENRY E. JOHNSON'S COLLARBONE BROKEN AND HIS FACE CUT -- THE CREW OF FREIGHT TRAIN SVED BY JUMPING.

(Special to The Times-Dispatch.)
Petersburg, Va., June 27. -- The cannon ball train, which left Richmond at 9 o'clock this morning, plunged through an open swith at Dunlop head on with the engine of a loaded freight standing on the siding, ready to take the main track after the Norfolk and Western's superb flyer should have passed.
Engineer HARRY COVINGTON stuck to his post until too late to jump and lost his life. He applied the air brakes, but the space was too chort, and though the speed was slackened, the heavy train deshed onward to destruction, and the impace was terrific.
A heavy crash, the stillness of death and than the terrible cries of the wounded.
One moment a grandly flying moden train, the next chaos and horror.
Two men were killed and one seriously injured.
The passengers, about twenty-five, were badly shaken up , and most of them were slightly hurt.
The wreck occurred at 9:30 o'clock at Dunlop Station, three miles north of Petersburg. The Atlantic Coast Line officials, over whose track the Norfolk and Western runs its cannon ball trains to Petersburg, are now investigating the cause of the wreck.
The killed are HARRY COVINGTON, of Norfolk, engineer, and his nephew, ROBERT COVINGTON, of Chesterfield County, fireman.
Captain ROBERT S. ECHOLS, who was in charge of the train, had both arms broken, chest hurt, cut in head and leg hurt. His condition is serious.
Dr. George E. Font, of Richmond, who was a passenger on the train, set the broken limbs and made Captain ECHOLS as comfortable as possible, until he could be taken to Richmond.
Among others who were injured are:
WILLIAM DAVIS, colored, postal clerk; leg hurt.
W. C. COUSIN, flagman; wrist hurt.
WILLIAM JONES, colored, porter; hip hurt.
R. E. HAWKINS, baggagemaster; leg, thigh, and arm injured.
EDGAR WAYNE, colored, fireman on freight train; leg broken.
MRS. H. J. BASSETT, of Boston, who was in a wreck on a street car in Richmond yesterday, was thrown backwards over several seats, her leg was hurt and hip quite badly cut.

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