N&W in 1908 -- Collision

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 29, 1908

PASSENGER TRAIN COLLIDES WITH FREIGHT
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Head-on Crash Disables Two Engines and Demolishes Two Cars--No One Seriously Injured
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    Passenger train No. 3, which left here at 8:30 p. m. on Monday night was wrecked shortly after midnight yesterday morning at Fort Gay.  It collided with an east-bound freight, wrecking both engines and demolishing the mail and baggage cars.  The conductor of No. 3 was the only man hurt, his injuries fortunately being slight.
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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 30, 1908

SUPERINTENDENT WAS IN THE WRECK
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No Reason Yet Assigned For Head-on Collision Between Passenger and Freight
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    Additional details of the wreck of No. 3, an account of which appeared in the Daily Telegraph, are in the effect that the freight train, in charge of Engineer Floyd Kempt and Conductor Del Barton, both of Portsmouth, was running late and they attempted to reach the siding before the passenger arrive there.  Brakeman Cornwall was sent ahead to flag the passenger.  The crews of both engines saved themselves by jumping, but the passengers were thrown all over the cars.  Remarkable as it may seem strange, but none of them were injured in the least.  Gen. Supt. Geo [blurred; best intrepretation shown] F. Johnson's private car was hooked onto the rear of the train and Mr. Johnson was one of the first to reach the ground and assist in the clearing of the tracks.  It is said that Cornwall, the brakeman who was sent on to flag the passenger train showed up at the wreck some time after the crash and he will be placed on the carpet as to what he knows concerning the wreck.
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Gordon Hamilton
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