Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-01-03
OUR CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.

The chapter of accidents current for the past
week contains more than one incident which deserves
the recording. First is that which befcl the town
of Beaufort in this State the best portion Of which
was destroyed by disastrous fire on Saturday
night the 22d of December. The Charleston Stand
ard has learned from persons on board the boat WI
liam Sea6rook that ''the fire commenced at the west
end of Boy street, and crossing over from the south
side had destroyed many houses on both, and was
only stopped at the Library building, which was
cut away This was in the best part of the town,
and the loss Of property was very great. The bull
dings on this street are generally valuable and if
the flames had not been arrested by the prompt re-
moval of the Library building, it is probable the
whole street would have been in ruins" Among
others, the houses of Capt. Murray, Mr. Capers
Mr.. Cockloft, Mr.. Adams, Mrs. Cook, and Mrs. Por-
teous, with the most valuable contents, were des-
troyed. No insurance, except to the extent of a.
bout twenty. FIVE hundred dollars.
The Patriot publishes edtorially minute account
of an accident on the Greenyille and Columbia Rail
Road on Thursday the Goth. The passenger train,
which was previously freighted with full cargo Of
legislators returning homewards was delayed sever
al hours near Allston, and running out Of schedule
time came in collision with freight train, near
Newberry, crushing the baggage cars and doing
heavy damage to the engines. Luckily all the pas
sengers escaped with their lives. Mr.. Solicitor
REED and: Mr.. WELLS, the Mail Agent, was badly
hurt-the latter making narrow escape. The ac-
cident furnishes suggestion which is well put: =
| "There ought to be rule of the Company that the
freight trains should remain OF their proper satons
until the passenger trains pass no matter how long
they may be delayed" r.,
The Charlotte road, too, makes conspicuous fig
ure in the chapter. Indeed this Constitution" cuts
such figures so frequently Of late that it might be
well to set apart whole chapter for its exclusive
benefit The first to be- mentioned for which, by the
way, no blame is to be attached, is of the queer
est on record. On Christmas-day, male specimen
of the peculiar" who had in state Of superlative
inebrety, stretched himself longitudinally on the
track, was run over by the train at full speed with
out being in the least disturbed thereby. Strange
to say! he escaped unhurt with the loss Of very
small portion of the "wool the top Of his head"
The hero of such hdir-breadth escape, without o
parallel as it is, ought to have place in Barnums
collection Another accident occurred on the same
road on Saturday last, which, we regret to learn,
resulted much more seriously. The Carolina Times
thus speaks Of it,
"The passenger train on the Charlotte Railroad
due on Saturday afternoon from Charlotte failed to
reach this city until half past eleven o'clock o. m
yesterday, the consequence of q run off one mile
this side of the Catawba River. The engine, tender
and baggage cars were thrown from the track, and
we regret to learn that two negro boys, brakemen,
received serious injuries Allen, the property of Dr.
Pride, had one thigh and leg broken and other
wise severely injured. boy, the property of Mrs.
Jones' received internal INJURIES which it is feared
are of q serious nature VIM. Little, Esq, United
States Mail Agent, narrowly escaped being crushed
to death. The passengers escaped unhurt, andapart
from the injuries sustained by the brakemen the ac
cident may be regarded triAing in its consequen-
ces"
We must felcitate the public service, as well as
our friend Col. LITTLE upon his happy escape The
COL is right jolly, clever sort of man, and withal
capital officer, and should the road succeed finally
in eecting his detrment the service will sustain
nss to equalIed only by that of his many friends
We hope his good luck will continue to travel with
him.
Of course our readers may expect hereafter uuny
other chapters Of the ilk. This may suffice for
the present.