Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-29
TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENTS.

bound passenger train on the Charlotte, Co
lumbia and Augusta Railroad, was precipita
ted in South Fork creek, ten miles south oI
Rock Hill. by the giving away Of the trestle
on account of the undermining of the founda
ton, in consequence of heavy freshet in the
stream, caused by the heavy rains of last
week. The Charlotte Observer of Sunday
contains graphic account of the accident
from which We take the following:
Under the excitement which followed such
terrible and fatal accident, with the marvel
ously narrow escapes of each individual, il
has been with the greatest difficulty that the
whole story could be collected, and even yet
many tragic occurrences have doubtless not
been related. So sudden and awful was the
accident, that scarcely any of the passengers
are able to tell anything beyond the story OF
their own adventures and rescue. Many Of
these are thrilling beyond description, but as
it will be impossible to give them in full. we
must con6ne ourselves to general account
of the catastrophe, as collected from all
sources.
The train, with about twenty passengers-all
males-arrived at South Fork creek, coming
towards Charlotte, at 4:12, p. m. Captain
William Kline was conductor and William
Fetner, engineer. There were only three cars,
the baggage and express, the 6rst.class pas.
senger and the second class passenger. There
were only FIVE persons on the Grst-class coach
which was behind, the remainder being in the
second class car.
The engineer approached the trestle some
what cautiously, but seeing two negroes and
a white man on the opposite eide, having ap.
parently just crossed it, he proceeded at the
rate of about ten miles an hour. The trestle
is about fifteen feet above the creek bank, and
about two hundred feet long. The water had
risen to within about six feet of the top.
Just as the hindmost car cleared the bank
and was directly over the channel of the creek,
and before the engine had reached the oppo-
site bank-at the moment when the entire
train was directly above the seethng and
roaring waters, the first intimation of the ap-
preaching disaster was given. The engineer
felt sudden jar, and, quick as thought, jerked
open the throttle. With this the engine
bounded forward, broke the coupling of the
next car, and in an instant had cleared the
trestle.
The passengers felt sudden jar, and then
came the terrible realization that they were
gradually sinking. Another instant and the
water burst through the windows upon them,
and for moment hides from sight the strug-
gle between life and death.
There was little or no crash, and the first
sound which greeted the ears was that of the
screams of the passengers. Instinctively eve
ry man leaped for the windows, and one by
one they began to appear upon the tops of the
cars. The upper side of the track had given
away first, and hence the cars began to turn
over. The iron being fastened together by
Fish.bars, the track still clung together, even
after the timbers had been torn from beneath
it. Hence the gradual sinking. Finally the
upper rail gave way entirely, and the three
cars we're soon almost completely submerged,
sinking down among the tossing and breaking
timbers. At this moment the scene is repre-
sented as battling description. Many Of the
passengers were struggling to escape through
the windows; others had already left the car
and we're being carried rapidly down the
stream, sinking for one moment beneath the
water, and the next rising to be violently
struck by the timbers; others still clingiug to
bushes and endeavoring to lift themselves
above the water. A few had climbed upon
the floating timbers, and two or three had
lodged in branches of trees.
Messrs. R. Y. McAden and John L. More
head emerged from the windows of the middle
car almost simultaneously. As they were en-
deavoring to free themselves from it, the car
was washed against the track, which was still
being held together by the Fish.bar iron.
They were gradually being crushed between
the iron and the car, when suddenly the iron