Evening star., 1877-11-24
Fall of Cars Through a Bridge.
TILDEN CLAIMS IHE PRESIDENCY,
NEW FRENCH MINISTRY.
FRIGHTEJL RAILRO4D aCCT-
DENT.
Fall OF n Brt<ge with n PAssenger
IrRIN-SAd Ioss Of LIE

NEw YORK, Nov. PA special TO the
ReTdh from ColumbIs, =. g.. SAYS: Tue
startling news WAS received here this eve
ming that a terrible accident had occurred ON
the CharlC TIE, Columbia and Augusta rail
road, about 10 miles from Charlotte, caused
by the falling of trestle bridge that spanned
Fishing creek, while the noon train from Co
lumbia for Charlotte was running over H.
and that all the passengers had persisted.
The following is the only reliable informa-
ton received aS TO
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
up 10 the present The nortnwand bound
pAsser ger train Oh the Charlotte, Columbia
and Augusta railroad left Columbia on time
al l. O'Clock 10 day for Charlotte. The tratn
consisted o. an express, baggage, and two
passenger cars, the latter carrying over Iub
passengers; The train, in charge OF conduc
tor VIM. Kline and engineer Fettner, arrived
AL Fishing Creek some time after So'clOck
p. m, and ran Oa the bl idge, whicu was
about loo feet in length. Suddenly
AN AWFCL CRASH
was heard; he whole structure fell TO pieces
under the weight OF tue train. precipitating
all the cars into the dep and muddy cure n.
The locomotive IN charge OF Fettner had lust
reached the opposite bank when the bridge
Went down. aud would have been dragged
back by the falling cars had not the coupling
pin fortunately croSe OF, and left the engine
standing or the very brink of the abyss.
FettDer, running his locomotive at full speed
10 ROckhill, four miles from Fishing creek
telegraphed the cbief railroad Office the
dreadful news. special train, having on
board the president OF the railroad aud oIner
officers, as well as corps OF workmen, hur-
rled toward the scene OF the accident. Among
the passengers We're number OF stOckhold.
ers = nd officers of the railroad, who n al been
In Columbia several days with their fami-
lies, In attendance OF the annual meet ng OF
stockholders aud q directors OF the road. These
with large number of others. were on the
two cars hat weLt down with the wrecked
bridge. = brother OF the conductor lklinel
is the superintendent.
A SECOND DISPATCH
from the scene OF the disaster. received here
nom railroad officials, states that the bag
gage, mall and express agents were safe,
and The conductor and Others could De heard
in the darkness from different points In the
stream where they were clinging 70 trees for
support, and shonting for assistance. Every
effort WAS being made by the rescued party
TO release these sufferers from their terrible
position, bat the violence of the current and
the darkness interfered with the operations
The locomotive was dispatched 10 Cataw "a
nVer, nine miles distant, for a boat. and d,
was hoped all The survivors would be res
Cued.
LATER
From special despatch Just received from
Rook Hill, the following is the latest infor-
nation in reg ard 10 the accident: The mum
Der OF passenger which left Columbia was
reduced from over ore hundred 10 about
twenty, I'm consequence OF fdebarcations along
Tie line OF the route. These twenty went
down with the wreck. Tie engine aud tender
passed over safely, and the structure fell
when the express and baggage coaches were
well upon il. The express car fell into com
paratively shallow water. Express Messen-
ger Batemsn escaped with little hurt. Two
passenger coaches fell into the middle surg
II z stream, and sank until only about one
cot of their tops was visible. Mclaughlin
and orr were drowned. Many passengers
escaped through the windows of the cars aud
lodged In trees, where they were rescued
after hours OF intense suffering from cold and
the chill waters. Conductor Kline was bad
" cut on the arm. William ogment, OF
Charlotte, was badly cut on the head and
face. X. Ii. McAden, president of the First
National Bank of Charlotte, and formerly
Speaker OF the house of representatives OF
North Carolina, had q rib broken. j. q
Steele, Of Rockville, had his knee baily
crushed. Medical aid has been conveyed to
the scene, and these, with many volunteers.
are at work on the debris OF the bridge and
wreck, searching for bodies. The number
and names OF killed and missing cannot be
ascertained to night, as II is difficult or i'm
possible 10 reach the interior of the coaches.
and some bodies fthe drowned were seen TO
float of On the swollen stream, and will not
be recovered for days or perhaps weeks.