1854 Alexandria Gazette

[NW Mailing List]

My apologies for forgetting to sign this article I
posted earlier. And yes, you are correct Jim, it is
too bad the Alexandria Gazette article doesn't mention
which engine. Remember, this was picked up from a
Lynchburg Newspaper so .... if there just happens to
be surviving files of that early newspaper which
didn't get destroyed during the War Between The States
or later, there might still be hope, to mention one of
the Richmond, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg or who
knows which papers may have picked up the story?

This is an excellent example of why we all need to
share information such as this when we find it for one
little seemingly obscure gem, mentioned in one paper,
not in another and referred to by a 3rd, can fill in
some blanks in early rail history.

In the 1854 Alexandria Gazette microfilm files, the
papers are periodically giving details of railroading
all around the country as this was still new stuff all
over. They are, of course, paying particular attention
to the local goodies, namely the Orange & Alexandria
as well as the Manassas Gap railroads with particular
attention to the O&A's "Lynchburg Extension" to be
built between Charlottesville and Lynchburg. So when
this little gem about the V&T appeared, voila, It was
easy to know where to go with it. You should see what
the papers had to say around 1880-1881 and ole Billy
Mahone. They were none too kindly speaking of that
good old boy, let me tell you. Too much stuff to
reprint and as yet incomplete newspaper research to
present here at this time unfortunately.


Bob Cohen
 


>From those REALLY thrilling days of Yesteryear


We learn from the Lynchburg, Virginian, that a serious
accident occurred on the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad
last Wednesday morning, above Big Spring Depot. The
downward freight train, in passing the trestle work,
came in contact with three dirt cars which had been
negligently left on the track, and the engine was
thrown off, detached from train, and precipitated
some sixty feet over the embankment. The engineer
succeeded in leaping from from the engine to one of
the
freight cars; but the conductor, Mr. Conner, and the
fireman, a free negro went down with it. The latter
was
killed instantly, and the conductor severely, perhaps
fatally injured. The engine is said to be a perfect
wreck.

Alexandria Gazette, Saturday, September 16,1854

Thanks for the post. This may help to explain what
happened to the Phoenix. This little 4-4-0, V&T #6,
was built by J. R. Anderson in 1853 and condemned in
1859. This was the first V&T locomotive to be
destroyed after the wreck date. A rather short life
for a locomotive even for that time period.

Just wish the article had included the locomotive
number or name.

Jim Blackstock


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