Martin Sexton

Personal and Family Information

Martin was born in 1832 in Ireland, the son of unknown parents.

He died on 13 FEB 1875 in Detmold, Allegany Co., MD.

His wife was Janet Hotchkiss, who he married on 28 MAY 1866 in St.. Peter, Westernport, Allegany Co., MD. Their five known children were Margaret Thompson (1862-1940), Janet (1867-1937), Mary Ann (1869-1944), Martha (1872-1904) and Elizabeth Roger (1872-1947).

Events

Notes

Note 1

!Source: This family line from Mary Ellen Hughes. Soundex S235

!Notes: Civil War - PVT Co "B" 21st Regiment New Jersey Volunteers from 24 Aug 1862 to 19 Jun 1863. Single when he joined Reserves of Hudson, NJ.

!Obituary: 'The Mountain City Times' 20 Feb 1875

!P Accident "New Detmold" Mine, Near Lonaconing - One Man Killed And Two Others Injured. - On Thursday morning last an accident occurred at the inclined plane of the mine known as "New Detmold", about three-fourths of a mile from Lonaconing on the line of the C. & P. Railroad, which was attended with fatal results to Mr. William Beaman, employed as a car trimmer at the foot of the plane, and was the occasion of severe injury to Mr. William Douglass and Mr. Martin Sexton, employed as dumpers at the same place. As near as can be ascertained the accident occurred in this wise. The entrance to the mine, like all others on George's creek, is far up the mountain side, from which point connection is made with the C. & P. Railroad by an incline plane. The coal passes down this plane in cars whose speed is regulated by a wire rope attached to a drum at the entrance to the mine. As the loaded cars pass down the plane the empty cars ascend, the one as it were, balancing the other. As two loaded cars arrived at a point half way down the plane on Thursday, the formost car jumped the track. The man at the drum at the mine entrance Mr. Robert Boyd, Sr., immediately stopped the machinery, and the men employed at the foot of the plane, Messrs. Beaman, and Sexton, at once ascended and commenced the work of unloading the car, in order to put it upon the track. As soon as this work was finished the empty car was placed upon the track, and the descent again commenced, Mr. Beaman standing between the cars on the bumper, and Messrs. Douglass and Sexton being on the rear car. The "man at the wheel," at the mine entrance, whose business it is to superintend the ascent and descent of the plane, making same allowance for the difference in weight caused by removing the load of one of the cars, regulated his machinery accordingly, in the effort to do which a cog or some portion of the machinery gave way, and control of the cars was lost and they went down the plane with increasing velocity, carrying their living freight to what seemed instant and certain destruction. As the flying cars reached a curve near the dump house they jumped the track and went over the trestling to the ground below a distance of eighteen feet, Beaman and Sexton landing on a gondola car, and the loaded mine car falling on top of them. Mr. Douglass jumped from the cars to the trestling, but fell to the ground below breaking his leg and receiving other injuries. Mr. Beaman was dead, his body crushed and mangled fearfully, when taken from under the car. Mr. Sexton was alive, but his injuries are very severe, several ribs being broken, and it is feared that his spine is injured. The wire rope did not break, but was pulled out by the lightning-like velocity of the cars, when they reached the foot of the plane. Mr. Beaman leaves a wife and two children to mourn his untimely end. His remains were interred yesterday.