Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-11-25
SERIOUS RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

SERIOUS RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
A shocking accident occurred on the Char
lotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad on
Wednesday of last week, resulting in the
death of one child and the wounding of q
number of the passengers From various
sources we gather the following particulars Of
the accident:
The accident occurred at place known al
Bacons Turn Out, thirty miles from Augusta
and four miles above Pine House. This turn
out is the place where the northward and
southwark bound trains pass each other
under the present schedule. After the regu
lar passenger train left Columbia, it was fol.
lowed by a train of empty cars for Augusta
The two trains rolled along at the rate ofabou1
twenty miles an hour, one following closely on
the other. The passenger train had just
reached the siding, and was about to stop.
when the second train came rushing along
and the engine telescoped the ladies' passen'
ger car, throwing it and the smoking car from
the track. A terrible scene followed. The
ladies' car was filled with passengers, and men
women and children were jammed together,
wounded, crushed and bleeding. After a few
moments confusion the windows and doors
were broken open and the passengers emerged
from the wreck. It was discovered that,
while many were bruised seriously, but one
life was lost, that of Charlie Nightingale, a
bright and loveable child about six years old,
" son of William Nightingale, Of Brunswick,
Ga. The child had but q slight wound on
the head and seemed to have been steamed to
death. A son of NJ. Heigsheimer, of the Uni
ted States coast survey, who was in the smo.
king car, was seriously injured and will prob.
ably lose an eye. Mr. Dishman, of Baltimore,
commercial traveller, was cut in the arm and
bled great deal and seemed badly wounded.
Governor Chamberlain who was on the train,
en- route for the Barnwell fair, received slight
wound in the arm, but proceeded on his way
to Bafnwell. All the other passengers es.
capped, some without scratch and others with
slight bruises. 1t is almost miracle, under
the circumstances, how any Of them escaped,
as the engine telescoped right into the passen.
ger cars. One of the lady passengers, who
was in the rear part Of the car when the en-.
CINE ran into it, found herself after the acci-
dent sitting on the cowcatcher midway in the
wrecked car; her infant son was found under
one of the seats close to the locomotive, badly
bruised, but not dangerously injured. AS
soon as possible the passengers were rescued
from the wreck, and every passenger was
brought from the train except the body of the
poor boy whose untimely death is above re.
corded A few hours later the Augusta train
reached the spot, and being unable to pass,
carried the passengers of the wrecked train to
Augusta, reaching that city about half past 10
o'clock.
The passenger train is not to blame, but
there is great feeling against the men on the
other train for their criminal carelessness.
The passengers report that the engineer and
conductor could not be found after the acci-
dent, and it has since transpired that they had
both been drinking. The fireman was found
in the cab, drunk and totally unconscious of
the disaster. The engineer, whose name was
James Fetner, of Columbia, was seen to take
two large drinks at Johnson's Turnout. The
name of the conductor is James McKensey,
of Charlotte, N. G.
The Union Herald, of Friday, says: "The
train of cars broken by the railroad accident
on the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Rail.
road, near Pine House, on Wednesday night,
was brought to the city yesterday, and placed
in the company's workshops The rear of the
first class car is completely broken through,
aud the strong flooring ripped aud shattered
into fragments. The engine of the rear train
ran into this car as far as the cab the second
class car is also badly injured, showing the
violence it had been subjected to. The con.
cusson was so great that the engine of this
train was knocked completely of the track
and badly broken. Seeing the condition of
these wrecked cars it is difficult to believe
that no more than two were killed by 80 terri
BILE and reckless disaster, for it cannot be
called an accident. A report was on the
street last night that the culpable engineer
would be arrested, and that a warrant had
been issued for his apprehension, for causing
the death of those who have died through his
carelessness. The damage to the company
will be about $4,000. An investigation into
the cause of the disaster is being vigorously
made by the officers of the company"