100 Years Ago at Bridge 5

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  ---------- Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct. 27, 1918---------. Four Die When Engine Plunges into River Norfolk & Western Locomotive Backs Through Open Draw at Norfolk Warning Light Is Unheeded Engineer, Fireman and Two Negro Brakemen Victims of Accident. Norfolk, Va., Oct. 26.  The engineer, fireman and two yard brakemen were drowned tonight whena Norfolk & Western locomotive backed off the cantilever bridge spanning theeastern branch of the Elizabeth River into more than thirty feet of water. The freight train of 44  heavily-loaded cars inbound from the west, was being pulled by two engines. In backing to reach a siding  entering the yard, one of theengines plunged into the open  draw.  It is believed that the engineer overlooked the warning red light found burning a  thousand feet from the structure  The dead are Engineer J. W.  Wright, Fireman S. E. Eure and two  negro brakemen. I.C.C. never issued a report on this incident, but in Robert B. Shaw's A HISTORY OF RAILROAD ACCIDENTS,SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND OPERATING PRACTICES (1978) p. 199 " a similar incident occurred on theNorfolk & Western on October 26, 1918. when a (draw) tender started to raise a vertical lift span aftera freight train moving at only 12 MPH had already passed a signal at clear 500 feet west of thebridge   The lead engine plunged into the channel , causing the death of four crew members." Thanks to Robert Harvey for the research.                                                                                                  Harry Bundy
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