Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-24
Terrible Railroad Disaster.

Terrible RAILROAD Disaster.
The startling news was received at Columbia,
S. g., last evening that terrible accident had
occurred on the Charlotte, Columbia and Au.
gusta Railroad, about twenty miles from Char.
lotte, caused by the falling OF a trestle bridge
that spauued Fishing Greek, while the noon
train from Columbia for Charlotte was running
over it, and that all the passengers had perish.
CO. The following is the only reliable informa.
ton received as to the cause OF the accident up
to the present The northWard bound passen.
ger train on the Charlotte, Columbia and Au
gusta Railroad left Columbia on time at -
o clock yesterday, for Charlotte. The train Coz
sisted Of an express, baggage and two passeu.
ger cars, the latter carrying over one hundred
messengers. The train, which was in charge OF
Conductor VIM. Kline and Engineer Felncr
arrived at Fishing Greek some time after $
O clock p. H., and ran on the bridge, which was
about one hundred feet in length. Suddenly
au awful crash vas heard, and the whole strnc
lurc fell to ii ices uDder the weight Of the train.
prccipi:ating all the cars into the deep ana
muddy current. The locomotive in charge OF
Fellncr had Just reached the opposite bank
when the bridge went down and would hive been
dragged dack by tho talne cars had DOT the
coupling pin fortunately broke Oft and left the
engine standing Cn the very brl6k oil The ABYSS.
| Fencr, who was running his locomotive at luli
speed to RockhiII, four miles from Fishing
| Creek, tclcgraphcd the cEiefrai!road cflce the
| dreadful pews. q special train, having on
board tho president c! the railroad, aud other o.
ic:als, as we'll as e corps OF workmcn, hut!l" to
| ward the sccDo OF the accident. Among the pas
scpccrs =crc number cf stoc; holders and eff
GERS of the railroad who had been il C1!ambIa
| j,-.c tIn,r ia
| 90 the ANNUAL meeting Of he stockholders and
directors of the road. These, with a !arsr
| number Of others, were on he two cars that
went down with the wrecked bridge. \ broth
er of the conductor (kline) is the supcr!nten
| dent.
! A second dispatch from the scene OF the d.
astcr, received from the railroad officials, states
| that the baggage, mail and express agents were
| safe and the conductor and others could D.
| heard 10 the darkness from different pa!uts II
| the stream, where they were cnglnc to trees
| for support. aud shouting for assistance. E7c!y
effort was being made By The rescue party t"
release these sufferers from their terrible psi
| tiou, but the violence OF the current ami tie
darkness interiercd with he operations. ih"
| locomotive was dispatched to Catawoa river, >
| miles distant, fIr boat, end II was hoped :"i
the survivors would be rescued.
| IJ1ter.-urOUl SpCclal ul"paiCt' just t-OS''
ed from Rockhitl. the following Is the --latest
possible Information il rGg&ri to the &C
ciicrt The rumbcr OF pasjcrgcr3 whleh
lett Columbia was reduced irom over "u'
hundred TO about twenty, in consequence
otdcba1kations along the line Of the route. These
twenty went down with the wreck. The engine
and tender passed over safely, and tn" Siruc
turc fell when the express and baggage c)acEt"
| wrrn we'll uDon l.. The express car tell lItn
comparatively shallow water. The express
messenger Batcman escaped with little hurt.-
Two passenger coaches fell into The middle %
the surging stream and saok uaiil only about
one foot OF their tops was visible. McL3ughAn
and Orr we're drownc,l. Many passengers cS
capcd through the windows OF the cars and
lodged in trees, whence they were aitcrwari
rescued after hours ct intense suffering iroIn
cold and chill waters. Coodnctrr Kline wa
badly cut on the arm. VIM. Ogoncat, OF Char
lottc, was badly cut on the head and face j.
| II. McAdcn, President Of the First Nauona!
BaDk of Charlotte and formerly Speaker OF the
House Of Representatives of North Carolina,
had rib broken j. c. Steel. OF Rockville,
had his knco badly crushed. Medical aid ha-
been conveyed to the seine, and these with
many volunteers arc at work on the debris Of
the bridge and wreck searching Tor bodies. The
number aud names Of the killed and mSsnS
cannot be asceraincd Tonight. az it is dlflcuit
or impossible to reach the interior of the coach
cs, and some bodies oil the drowacd were seen
| to float off on the swollen stream, and will 10.
| be recovered for days, or perhaps week.