Wilmington journal., 1874-07-03
n CAR e.
The Railroad Disaster

! Editors Hera7G In the DAILY
Journal of the Goth inst, [ find the
| following covert illusions made to me
| by s. correspondent OF that paper.
writing of ''Ihe Railroad Disaster, .
over the signature OF IL. " in which
great injustice is attempted TO be done
me by q trust notl willfuI mistate-
ment of the facts in connection with
the matter OF which tL' essayed to
| write; to wit:
"Mr. z. RatIiff saw, at least two
hours before train time, that the cul-
vert was washed out, but only waved
his handkerchief at a distance of fifty
yards from the track as the train pass
| ed his mill half mile above the fatal
place. Poor Calvin and his fireman,
Nilngo, both saw him, but thought
that he only intended it as Il salute 70
the eAcursionists.
In striking contrast with this is the
conduct of Tom Wall, colored. who by
mere chance learned of the damage to
; the track and ran two miles to give
warning but, alas he was five minutes
too late. He heard the train rushing
on and heard the crash, and then fell
exhausted"
Aii' /Sttt .jt<ttS az SilcSC --<1lGGE IC-
naming at Ily mill-a half mile or
more distant from the Railroad, for
some time-having reached there a
quarter PAST O'Clock, on the morning
of the terrible disaster Oh the Carolina
Central Railway, the train being then
past due, I casually asked one OF my
hands, ~ho was engaged with others
III collecting the timbcr5 of my mill
dom Viii koI 10
been washed out by the heaviest rain
L remember ever to have seen fall, if
the train had passed that morning,
when [ was told that he had not heard
it pass down that day. A negro stand
ing by, who sshad evidently overheard
the above remarks, then informed me
for the first time that "the road was
broken into - q use his language).
WhereupoD, L at once set out at the
top Of my speed for the nearest point
on the rail road, but before effecting
crossing of the creek which lies between
the mill and the road, was told by my
hands that the train was coming.
Though running at full speed" [
soon found that it would be impossi-
BILE for me to reach the road before
the train would pass, and when in
about 20 feet of the former and 80
yards of the latter, commenced as I
best I could, to signal "down breaks, -
and did everything i'll my power, beth
by gestures and screaming to avert the
impending crash. / was recognized
by Capt. Calvin and lis fireman,
Mingo, but was entirely unheeded by
them-they mistahing my signals for
.-aiute sto the eXcursionists. This was
all done about 500 yards above the
wreck k"-Capt. Calvin not divining
my meaning until within so yards of
| the fatal spot, when lie began to shut
off steam, but, alas, too late to save
himself and the many committed to
| his keeping.
The above, Messrs. Editors, is a
plain statement Of the real facts in
! this unfortunate matter, which Will be
corroborated by every hand in my
/ employ on the mill, and by many of
| the excursIonists, who will testify that
they saw me making tie most frantic
efforts at the distance above specified
as the train passed me, and which
ought to have been needed, and as to
the meaning of which poor Captain
Calvin and Mlngo We're doubtful, as
appears from the statement Of the
! former when they asked each other my
meaning.
[ have been induced to thus trespass
upon your valuable time and space,
/ not with the view Of censuring IL,
twho is entirely unknown to me) who
has done me great injustice, but solely
/ for the purpose "f letting my friends
! know my connection with this unior-
tunate affair.
Very respectfully,
! l'EEtSANT l.ATTIPF