Main Index
History Index
Modeling Index

Trail Index


1840's
1850's
1860's
1870's
1880's
1890's
1900's
1910's
1920's
1930's
1940's
1950's
1960's
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's

Archives>Article
New Jersey Herald - January 18, 1882 issue
Death on the Rail
William P. Coursen, an employee of the Sussex Railroad, met with an accident at Warbasses (sic) Junction, about four o'clock on Monday afternoon, that resulted in his death one hour later. For a year past the deceased had been employed a portion of the time as extra brakeman. On Monday morning the early mail train arrived at this station [Newton-DR] with one brakeman short, and Coursen, who was at the depot, was ordered on duty by Mr. Arvis. He made several trips over the road, and in the afternoon left Waterloo on the milk train as head brakeman. At Warbasses Junction the train runs past the depot some distance, for the purpose of dropping one of the milk cars in the Y to be taken to Branchville. The train had passed the station, and was running at an average rate of speed, when Coursen applied the brake and stepped to the edge of the rear platform of the forward car, and was looking back toward the depot, when his head came in contact with a passenger car standing on a side track. He fell from the platform of the car to the ground, and when picked up by those who witnessed the accident, he was in an unconscious condition, and bleeding at the nose and ears.

He was at once brought to his home in this Town, and an examination of his injuries made by the physician of the company, who discovered that his skull was badly fractured. He died about fifteen minutes after his arrival home. The deceased leaves a wife and one child, both of whom are sick with scarlet fever. He was about twenty-six years of age.


[Top]