The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-12-30
RAILROAD HORROR.
A Train Goes Through a Trestle--Men Roasted
Alive in Spite Of Almost Superhuman Efforts
tn Save Them

-
Alive in Spite Of Almost Superhuman Efforts
to Save Them.
dispatch from Lincolnton, N. c., gives
the particulars Of a horrible railroad ac-
cident on the western division of the Caro-
lima Central railway, by which six of the
nine persons on the train lost their lives.
When the train reached what is known as
the Indian creek trestle, three miles and a
half from Lincolnton, and just as
the engine had crossed it, the
whole framework gave way, and the entire
train, with the exception of the engine and
tender, went down with fearful crash into
the ravine, distance of seventy feet. Scar
cely had these fallen and their creaking tim
bers ceased trembling when the whole of
the huge trestle- work came down upon the
passenger and mail cars, literally fiattening
them and completing the work Of destruc-
ton. The only two witnesses of this fear
full sight were Engineer Hall and Fireman
Smith. They were Mortified at seeing flames
bursting from every part of the passenger
and combination cars, in which there had
been red-hot stoves which were upset in
the fall. The engineer cried: MY God!
Smith, we are the only survivors left to tell
the story The passengers were all buried
under the cars and were burned. Only their
charred bones remained. It is probable
that they were killed in the fall. The fol-
lowing is the list of the dead:
F. n. Smith, salesman of Benedict & Co.,
New York, burned alive.
S. w. Goodson, Statesville, n. c., agent
of the Piedmont & Arlington Life Insurance
company of Richmond, Va.
j. F. Bloom, mail agent Charlotte.
William Mckenzie, brakeman, Lincolnton.
One passenger, name unknown.
The saved were Conductor, II. P. Johns
ton, Richard Limbrick. All three of these
were more or less injured, but not danger
ously, it is thought.
The following is an account Of the efforts
Of Engineer Hall to save one Of the passen-
gers. He saw inside burning car one of
the passengers, A. n Smith, who had been
caught under seat which was pressed down
on him by an immense beam that had fallen
from the trestle work. The engineer made
heroic efforts to save the unfortunate mans
life. He rushed into the burning debris
and attempted to lift him up, but found
that this could not be done until the big
timber which pressed down upon
his legs above the knees had been re-
moved. With the assistance of the fireman he
found he could not lift the timber, and he
set to work to cut it. Smith was perfectly
conscious, and as he saw the flames nearing
him rapidly he piteously struggled under
the weight which pinned him SO helplessly
in the track of the devouring element and
called upon the brakeman to do his best.
The engineer worked with superhuman en-
ergies, and rained the blows upon the brit
tie wood thick and FAST In the few minutes,
which were hours of suspense to the eng-
neer and the poor fellow who was held
in vice-ike grip, the brave man
with the ak could make but slow progress
in his efforts to rescue the victim Soon both
the engineer and Smith were in the midst
of the circle of flames. The timber was
| half cut through. The engineers face was
boiling from the heat, while the skin upon
! the back Of his hands was scorching and
shrivelling in red and white streaks. The
| victim was slowly roasting alive. His face
and hands were already blistering, whilethe
schorched remnants Of his garments were
falling from his body in his mad contor-
| tons. His agony was intense, but he bore
his sufferings like man, and called brave
~ to the heroic axman, For Gods sake try
and save my life, " to which the other replied,
urging him to be of good cheer, for he
would save him if human effort could ac
! complish anything; but the flames went
faster than the axe could cut and the en-
gineer had to see the man he was trying to
to abandon his position, but he did not do
his body. The imprisoned passenger was
| until his arms were nearly burned from his
trunk. Before going he thanked the engi-
neer for his heroic effort