| ELKINS, VETERAN |
| KILLED BY TRAIN |
'City of Huntington' Meets Tragic Death |
| STRUCK WHILE CROSSING |
| TRACKS ON HIS BICYCLE |
C. & O. Limited, Passes First Street Crossing Doliver J. Elkins, 73 year old Civil war veteran and river pilot, residing at 1029 Jefferson avenue, was instantly killed early yesterday evening when he was struck by Chesapeake & Ohio passenger train No. 2 at the First street crossing. The veteran was struck by the train as he pedaled his bicycle over the tracks enroute to his work at the Huntington Development & Gas company's pamp station, Sixteenth street and the Boulevard, where he had been employed as night engineer for the past four years. The body of the aged man was hurled a distance of over 100 feet. Death was pronounced as instantaneous. When struck he was riding south on First street. Witnesses later stated the veteran had evidently failed to hear the passenger train approaching from the west. Dr. Earl B. Gerlach, coroner, after examination said that the victim's legs were both broken, internal injuries had been received and the skull fractured. The body was removed to the Johnson undertaking parlors. Mr. Elkins was a veteran of Huntington. For a long period of years after coming to this city he was engaged as pilot and engineer on ferry boats plying the Ohio river between this city and Chesapeake. During the years he spent in this occupation he served on the ferry Transfer and later the old City of Huntington, the latter boat having been owned by Capt. B. T. Flesher. "'Doliver," as he was known to hundreds who crossed the Ohio river with him, has a large circle of friends and acquaintances in river circles and in and about Huntington. During the Civil war Mr. Elkins seen considerable services as a river pilot for the union forces. He was pilot of the "Wild Goose," a river packet, when that boat was captured and scuttled in the Big Sandy river by the Sandy Rangers under the leadership of "Rebel Bill" Smith, father of Sam Dock Smith, of Huntington. The packet when captured was carrying supplies to the Fourteenth Kentucky Union forces at Louisa, Ky. After leaving the ferry boat trade the veteran became identified with the United Fuel & Supply Company, having been in that company's service for 13 years. For the past four years he has been with the Huntington Development & Gas Company. In late years the war veteran had devoted a large part of his time to landscape gardening about his home. His home gardens had been attractions in landscape gardening about his home. His home gardens had been attractions for hundreds of friends during the past years. Since his employment as night engineer at the gas company pump station, Mr. Elkins has been accustomed to riding a bicycle to and from his home. Last night, the wrecked remnants of the veteran's bicycle were held at the police station. Fraternally Mr. Elkins was a member of Odd Fellow Lodge No 251, in which organization he was an active worker. He is survived by his wife, one daughter, Mrs. Ethel Hensee, of New Haven, Conn., and one son, Evan Elkins. -The Huntington Herald-Dispatch, Tuesday Morning, January 23, 1923 |
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