The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-03-18
General Gntelligente.
RAIL ROAD ACCIDENT
SEVERAL LIVES LOST.

| A terrible accident on the Seaboard and
Roanoke Railroad, took place on Monday
morning the 10th instant about III o'clock.
| The calamity occurred near Margarettsville,
about "a miles from Portsmouth, and l6
! from Weldon, n. c., and was caused by a
bridge giving way as the train was passing
| over it.
| The trustle work at the place is some 30
! feet high, and had long been regarded as
very insecure; in fact, the engineer had just
'sshut off, steam intending to cross at a slow
rate of speed, when the engine left the track,
and was followed by the whole train-con-
sisting of an express car, a baggage and
mail car, and two passenger cars, down into
a deep ravine. Before any of those on the
train had time either to reflect or act, it was
found that the ears were on fire, and, horri-
bic to relate, no less than four persons were
literally roasted to death in the hames.-
Every car was also entirely consumed.
Even the wood work on the locomotive, and
the entire mail and express freight was so
| thoroughly destroyed that nothing remains
but pile of ashes, with here and there a
brass lock, to mark the scene of devasta-
ton.
Mr.. VIM. T. Daughtry, the L. s. mail
agent, and a most amiable and worthy gen
tleman, was so nearly consumed, that he
was only identified by his watch, which,
strange to say, was wholly uninjured, and
running. Mr.. ID. leaves a wife and six
children in Norfolk.
Mr.. w. G.. kilkellv, one of Adams & Co.'S
Express messengers, running between Balti-
more and Augusta, Georgia, was in the mail
car at the time of the accident, and was so
burnt that nothing vas found of him but a
matter was unusually large, some six or
seven tons, every portion of which was burnt
to ashes. Mr.. KiIkeIly resided in Colds
borO', n. c., where he leaves a wife and
four young children to mourn his untimely
end. His remains were brought up to
Goldsboro' for interment. He was uniYer-
sally beloved.
In the same car were two boys from
Portsmouth, who were i'll the habit Of travel
ling up and down the road selling books and
newspapers to passengers. One of these,
named Cox, was probably instantly killed.
The other, a lad named Cary, was alive
when extricated, but breathed his last i'm
mediately on being brought to the air. Both
were dreadfully burnt and bruised.
These are all who were killed, and all
were at the time in the mail car.
Among those severely injured were the
following:
Geo. c. Bourdett, Conductor, had one
arm and three ribs broken, and was other
wise severely bruised. Mr.. B. will proba-
bly, recover.
VIM. Weymouth, engineer, badly bruised.
Woods Neimyer, of Portsmouth, three
ribs broken.
Leon Clary, of Windsor, n. c., collar
bone fractured.
J. p. Allison, Brooklyn, n. Y, slightly
injured.
DR.. Williamson, (dentist,) of Northamp-
ton, n. c., severely wounded about the
head and face.
OctaNluS COOK, severely burned.
Three or four others, whose names are
not given, were more or less injured-none
of them, however, seriously.
The number of passengers was unusually
small--not exceeding twenty in ALL including
three ladies'. This was fortunate-for had
the train been crowded, as usual, the loss of
life must have been terrific.
Among the packages in charge of the
Express Company, was a box containing
unsigned bank notes for the Bank of M
mjngton, ~. e. These were scattered
around in the greatest profusion; and it
will be well for our merchants to look
sharp, or they may take some of them as
genuine. As most of them were either much
burned or charred, they can be easily
recognized. All we saw were of the dcnom-
ination of V. and X.
The bridge or trestle work having been
set on fire, shared the fate of the unfor-
tunate train, and was totally destroyed. /
The company having no engines or cars at
the Weldon terminus of their road, they
were unable to transport their passengers
up to the point of the disaster. In this
dilemma, Mr.. C. 0. Sanford, Superintendent
of the Petersburg Railroad Company, sent, !
unsolicited, locomotive and train of cars
to their assistance, with the request that /
they shuold keep them until their road is
again in running order.
The Norfolk Argus, says that foul play !
is suspected with regard to the breaking !
of the trestle work, train of 40 heavily |
laden freight cars having passed over it on
Saturday in safety. The dead and wounded |
were taken to Margarettsville, where medical
aid for the latter was procured.
LIFE.-For every one, life has some
blessing-some cup that is not mixed with
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