The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-09
....4itI1mond 1ispatth|,
MONDAY. ...JANUAR1 y, 1911.
n TIE CIRCULATION OF THE DEiPATCA
rs LARGER THAN THE COMBINED cfEr
cU1.ATIoN OF ALL THE oTHEE DAILY,
sKwspApNRs OF THE CITY. 71g4p5.s :
ferom the Memphis Avalanche 9Th ] 3,
Frsghtfal Accidental, Train Fasss
Through Bridse-seven Persons
, Burned TO Death IN O Car. ~: &

. #
Frsghtfal Accidental, Train Fasss
Through q Bridse-seven Persons
Burned TO Death IN Q Car. ~: Z,
A terrible accident occurred to the north
ern bound express train on the Mississippi
and Tennessee railroad, about four miles
below Memphis, near Nonconnah creek, at
10 o'clock yesterday morning, which re-
suited In the death, by burning, of seven.
colored persons, and mortal injuries to two
white persons. and the bruising and scorch-
ing Of about thirty persons. At the time
y. @s q THE FRIGHrrUL cATAsTEoPHE
occurred the train was running about
twenty miles an hour, aud the engine, ten.
der, baggage car, and coach filed with
negroes, had found safety over the iron
bridge which spans the gully, about i've
hundred yards above Nonconnah creek,
when the rear axle Of the baggage car sud-
denly snapped, and the car was thrown
across the track. A rail was Corn from its
place and entered the first passenger car,
penetrating it from end to end, and at the
same moment the car which contained over
sixty. negroes, with the conductor, MIR.
Peter Kirby, the omnibus agent, MIR. VIM.
White, aud the newsboy, Charles Eccles,
was
PREclpITATGp OVER THE EMBANKMENT,
about eight feet, and fell on it's side. The
stoves were thrown down, and In very
few minutes the
CAB WAS ON FIRE,
and the flames burst forth. Conductor
Kirby, who was standing in the vicinity OF
the stove at the time, was pitched forward
on to it. and was burned about the face and
legs. He, however, retained his presence
of mind, and was among the first to get out
ut one OF the windows. Fe then set to
work with will to rescue the Others and
his efforts to do so were almost herculean.
Among those whom he first got out was
Mr.. bite, of the omnibus line, who was
frichtfully burned. The flesh on his face
was terribly scorched, and
ONE OF HIS EYES BURNED OUT OF THE SOCKET,
while his hands were burned almost to q
crisp. SO that both had to be amputa ated by
DR.. Rogers last evening. Mr. Eccles was
also badly burned, but is likely to recover.
The passengers who had escaped with slight
injuries did all In their power to rescue the
Door colored people, aud oyer fltty were
rescued from the burning car, WHICH was
in the short space Of five minutes one mass
of flames. The shrieks OF those who were
in this
FIERY FURNACE
were literally heart-rendlng, and those who
witnessed the horrible scene will not Tor
get it to the last day Of their lives. The
light woodwork of the car was soon al
ablaze, and over half dozen colored per-
sons, young and old, male and female, per-
ished in the flames. Strong men were TO
be seen at the windows epdeavering to get
cut, and q moment afterward they fell back
and became the prey Of the devourlng ele-
ment. Women, with their clothes one
mass of fame. were also seen to fall, Wnllc
CHILDREN WERE TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT,
and in two instances perished beside their
parents, who would not forsake their off,
spring. In fifteen minutes there was hard
" vestge Of the wood of the cur remain
ing. ald the burning bodies were fully eX-
posed to view. The top Of the stove had
fallen over on a man, and he presented all
the appearance as If he had been
BURNED ALIVE IN THE STOVE
itself, While the other sufferers were burned
beyond all power of Identification. The
sight was horrible one, and the fcstid
smell Of burning flesh made all recoil with
horror from the scene. Still they gaZed at
the poor unfortunate beings as the flames
enyeloped them and burned into their very
vitais, and then turned away again. The
passengers in the middle car Of the train
had most =
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE,
and although all or nearly all were more or
less injured, and one. Il young man, Felix
Davis, son of Mr.. N. ". Davis, of Texas,
seriously. The wonder of all was that the
majority were not killed outright. When
the cur containing the negroes as above de-
scribed was thrown over the embankment,
the gentleman's Cur was driven with great
force against one of the pillars of the bridge,
h;.b, nf hrio ioly 3,,id dryiTh hnn
six feet square,
THE FORCE or TIE CONCLUSION
may well be understood when it is stated
that the solid pier was broken completely
in twain. and the car hung over the yawn-
ing gulf which was about thirty feet in
depth. The car was rent asunder, but for
tunately, there was no water in the gully,
or the majority Of the passengers would
ce: tainly have been doomed. AS it was,
nearly all the passengers received wounds
and bruises, while the car itself can only
be described as total wreck.
The car which went over the precipice
Was
'.. CHOPPED UP LIKE KIEDLING WOOD
and thrown into the gully, .while the la
dies car on the brink of the chasm was
minus the front platform and with nearly
all the windows smashed, while the interior
presented total wreck.
THE SCENE PRESENTED IN THE AFTERNOON
was of the most dismal character. The bag
gage car had been Iolled off the track and
Law partially down the embankment, while
on the opposite side of the track was the
debris OF the car in which go many had lost
their lives, q heap of smouldering ashes, in
which were the charred remains of those
who had persisted in the flames far past any
sign Of recognition, and it was impossible
to tell from examination whether the SUI
ferer had been male or female.
s The stove around which Mr.. Kirby ICON
ductor), Billy White and Charley Eccles
were standing when the accident occurred
was in the midst Of the smouldering heap,
and the cover having fallen over the head
of one of the sufferers, gave the body the
appearance as if 1t had been burned in the
have perished within few feet Of each
other. The fntid smell from the
BURNING OF HUMAN FLESH
caused every one to seek their way to the
bottom Of the gully, where workmen were
engaged clearing away the wreck. AS has
been said, the gentlemen's car was smashed
front all smashed up, hung partially over
the gully. The pier, which was forced
from its position by the force of the concus-!
sion, had toppled over into the chasm, and
gave ample testimony Of the immense force
with which the cor had struck the solid
mass. u. ..- ss = 1859 q. z#a
The following is correct list of the dead
and wounded 30 far as could be ascertained
yesterday: .-...'.. ....r .tz-.. ..a- s-
. .......v. . - DEAD. -.s..
Daniel White (colored), Grenada, Cla-
rinda, his wife, and Cora and Mary, their
two children, aged respectively three and
two years Noah Dillohanty (colored), aged